business
Making the Most of Trade Missions
Houston is a city that thrives on international trade . According to the Brookings Institute , nearly 155,000 Houston-area jobs are direct export-supported jobs . As a business owner , you may have been considering exporting your good or services . One way to test the waters is to participate in an international trade mission . Here are a few simple steps to help you get started and make the most of your participation .
What to expect on a trade mission . Trade missions typically include a pre-arranged group itinerary to include transportation , market briefings , networking events , site visits , business-to-business meetings , and a cultural event or activity .
How do I find a mission that makes sense for my business ? Houston has many international chambers of commerce that regularly organize trade missions abroad . Joining an international chamber provides invaluable networking opportunities , access to experts in international trade , and insights for entering international markets .
Trade mission organizers want participants to have a successful outcome . As such they seek to recruit delegation members for whom they will be able to match their products and services with interested parties in the receiving country . Organizers will qualify delegates for participation based on the mission objectives and delegates ’ expertise and capacity to provide services or goods needed in the target market .
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Set realistic goals and expectation for your participation in the mission . Generally speaking , trade missions are best viewed as an introduction to the country , market , and business culture . They are an opportunity to lay the ground work for future business dealings , whether you are looking for new customers , distributors , vendors , joint-venture partners or investment opportunities . The trade mission provides a platform to begin the conversation . While it is the role of mission organizers to get the right people in the room , it is up to develop relationships with your counterparts abroad and make a case for your goods or services .
Please practice patience . The trains may not always run on time , sometimes meetings are delayed or cancelled with little notice , and the weather may not cooperate . Being patient , flexible , and understanding will go a long way with your meeting hosts abroad and fellow trade mission delegates .
Understand the culture . One advantage of participating in an international trade mission is that organizers should be well versed in the business culture of the target market and can share insights to help you be more successful and avoid common pitfalls . Do your own cultural research too . There are many excellent reference books and reputable online resources with invaluable information and advice about conducting business across cultures .
Follow up . Being successful in international business takes a keen focus on relationship building . Consider the mission as an introduction on which to build a relationship with your counterparts abroad . Stay in touch after the mission , writing a thank you letter to the people you met , reiterating any points you discussed , and following up on items you promised . Finally , be prepared to make return visits to the county to engage in further discussions or host meetings in your hometown with your new contacts .
Resources
The City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity www . houstontx . gov / obo
U . S . Small Business Administration www . sba . gov / local
U . S . Small Business Administration State Trade Expansion Program www . sba . gov / STEP
U . S . Department of Commerce www . export . gov
Conclusion Trade missions can prove to be a costeffective way of exploring opportunities for conducting business abroad . Like anything else , you get out of them what you put into them . Being sure that your goods and services are a good fit for the mission , understanding the culture of the target market , having realistic goals , and following up on opportunities , will exponentially increase your mission success .
Deanea LeFlore is a certified corporate etiquette and international protocol consultant . She serves as chief of protocol , Mayor ’ s Office of Trade and International Affairs .