Keys to internationalisation

Internationalisation is not a process that affects only one department of the company; rather to be more competitive on a global level implies being prepared to face growing foreign competition and optimising processes by operating in other markets. To this end, an international culture should be prevalent throughout the company from senior management right down to a production operator.

Above and beyond this international spirit throughout the company, foreign operations imply very specific behaviours and knowledge: you need to prepare international price lists, set Incoterms, negotiate with transporters, find international financing means, open credit notes, etc. In other words, you will need highly qualified resources with specific experience in foreign trade.

Knowing in detail the ins and outs of international trade operations is going to save you time and money. It is not enough to hire someone who can speak English to head the international department; it must be someone who is specialist in this area.

In general terms, the internationalisation or foreign trade department is responsible for:

• Preparing the necessary documents for exports and imports; Trade reports about foreign countries, international trade offers, etc.
• Managing foreign purchases and sales, tracking orders placed to and by foreign companies and the payments to be made.
• Co-ordinating promotion and publicity actions for companies on the foreign market; Evaluating attendance at international promotional fairs, marketing campaigns, etc.
• Presenting the company to foreign customers. Looking for foreign customers and preparing a marketing strategy to capture these customers.
• Managing the logistics of international transport. Whether you decide to manage the transport yourself or you decide to outsource this service to a transport company.

To perform these tasks, specialised personnel are required; this can vary from one organisation to another depending on the level of internationalisation, administrative structure, objectives, etc.

The most common professional profiles are:

• Internationalisation Administrator
  Responsible for the management of orders, preparing and processing of documents, tracking operations and relationships with transport companies.
  Knowledge of foreign trade, computing and medium-to-high level in languages, mainly English are required.

• Internationalisation Technician
  Responsible for foreign clients, preparation of offers, management of communications, document translation, and organising marketing trips.
  Training in foreign trade or international trade secretary qualification, experience in company sales or administration, computing and foreign languages are required.

• International Salesperson
  Responsible for representing the company to foreign clients, preparing reports about the foreign market, and tracking international operations.
  Diploma or degree-qualified, with specific training in foreign trade, the ability to negotiate in English and availability to travel abroad frequently.

• Director of International Department
  Responsible for preparing company export plans, supervising export salespersons, agents and distributors, and co-ordinating other departments.
  Degree-educated or Engineer, with specific training in foreign trade and company management. Three to five years experience in international companies and command of languages.

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