7 concepts for building successful international business relationships

Every business relationship is unique, by applying these concepts and ideas we can increase the probability of making long term, quality and reliable relationships with foreign clients, suppliers and partners.

1.   Supply and Demand.  The fundamental idea behind business and a market economy.  Want to determine where to sell or buy, or predict if prices will be going up or down?  Understand the concept of supply and demand.

2.  Cause and Effect.  Physics applied to the business environment.  What you do will affect your competitor and the market and vice versa.

3.   People like to feel important and special.  Learn this and you’ve discovered one of the fundamental qualities of a great salesperson or marketer.

4.  Simple clear communications, on-time. all the time.  Don’t make it technical, keep it easy to understand.  Answer all questions when asked, don’t hide the bad news and never forget to call back and follow-up.  When we don’t understand, ask questions, ask more questions until it is perfectly clear.

5.  Get the work done, on time, and with the highest degree of quality possible.  Insist that this is a critical part of the relationship for both sides.

6.  Listening is more important.

7.  Get it in writing.  After all meetings sign and date a document that briefly states what happened, the agreements, the chronology  and deadlines involved, and who is responsible.   All transactions and agreements should be documented.