In today’s increasingly global market, almost every B2B Marketer is facing the prospect of moving into foreign territories.  While geographic expansion promises the opportunity to unlock a whole new world of buyers, it also involves a new world of surprises and challenges.

Have you considered:

• What types of companies will be the best fit for your product?
• How buyers in these new markets make purchases?
• How buying roles and decision making units differ from one market to the next?
• What kinds of offers your new world responds best to?
• What are the unique decision drivers for buyers in a particular country?

Here are 6 steps to taking a more deliberate approach to targeting new buyers in new countries:

Step 1. Buyer Profiling

• Phone screen customers and possible prospects to identify pain points and purchase criteria
• Develop a profile of top buyers

Step 2. Prospect Profile Matching

• Apply buyer profile to prospects (companies) in new geography to identify those with highest propensity to buy
• Phone screen sample base of new prospects to map the Decision Making Unit and understand roles of decision-makers

Step 3. Prospect Discovery

• Map profile to existing database to produce an initial dataset
• Identify gaps to complete custom role-based database of Decision Making Unit contacts
• Phone screen to verify accuracy

Step 4. Marketing Database Segmentation

• Segment by vertical market and role and tag data
• Upload data into CRM or Marketing Automation system to prepare for targeted marketing campaigns

Step 5. Marketing Campaign Execution

• Execute vertical segment-focused campaigns targeted at each member of the Decision Making Unit
• Harvest responders, further qualify
• Funnel sales ready leads to Sales team

Step 6. Lead Nurturing

• Support Sales cycle by periodically reaching out to prospects; provide information/offers to stay top of mind
  • Email white papers or analyst report
  • Email to announce customer wins
  • Invite to Webinar
  • Incent customers to participate in a demonstration

Want a visual or a handout you can print?  We have put together a best practice template to use when considering expanding into new countries.  Check out our Expanding into a New Geography Tearsheet.

Want more free B2B Marketing Tearsheets, Whitepapers and eBooks?  Check out the ReachForce B2B Marketing Resources page.