The Call:

This large American apparel manufacturer had only one problem: they hadn’t made money from their China operation in 5 years!

The Diagnosis:

• No understanding by the firm on how to work with the Chinese
• Poor project management on behalf of the firm
• Expectations never really managed
• The wrong people on both sides of the ocean
• Defective, late product

The Solution:

• Expectations management and cross cultural training at the highest levels of the organization
• On-site supervision of the Chinese factory by our team and the client’s staff
• Project management skills implemented
• Introduction in China to better, more reliable factories
• Several partners in China, bet is better hedged

The Result:

Honed manufacturing, clearer communication, and happier clients.

The Call:

After enormous financial investments, this professional marketing firm could not crack the Asian markets.

The Diagnosis:

• The firm was in too many businesses, hence no true market position articulated
• The wrong people were hired; well connected Asians without professional services knowledge
• The wrong people were being courted as clients

The Solution:

• A combination of training, hiring and re-opening offices
• A “cuts like a knife” market position
• Introductions to new clients
• Partnering model used to enter secondary and tertiary markets

The Result:

Stronger market presence and fewer headaches.

The Call:

This American Technology firm felt that “distribution was won; hence, the deal was done”.

The Diagnosis:

• The Europeans didn’t know how to sell the US firm’s products
• The indirectness of most cultures prevented the Europeans from confronting the Americans
• The Americans made no investment (financial, social, marketing) in the market countries
• No demand stimulation was utilized by the Americans; marketing was simply relinquished to local players
• Shogun approach drained US resources

The Solution:

• An analysis of the Europeans’ marketing challenges by a trusted 3rd party
• A proper budget constructed for market support
• Continuous education of the American firm in European marketing nuances, challenges, and requirements
• Continuous education of the Europeans on product features, benefits sales rationale
• An analysis of which markets made the most business sense to purse; resources concentrated on those areas.

The Result:

Less “flag planting,” but greater ROI in individual markets.

The Call:

This fashion company knew domestic sales alone would not sustain it; The US market only had 1200 potential consumers. It needed overseas markets.

The Diagnosis:

With no international business experience, the CEO had no idea where to begin. She had no grasp of:

• The business issues
• The timelines
• Product modifications
• Modes of entry
• Which markets to pick

The Solution:

• Partners International used its country screening mechanism to teach this firm how to evaluate a country
• One-on-one consulting as to where and how to sell was conducted
• Introductions made overseas to appropriate business partners
• Product modified to fit the markets

The Result:

A new export line developed by this designer, internationally co-branded with local partners.