Expansion essentials: Internal communication & international mindset

Internationalising a company does not end when you have made the first steps in a new market. Spoiler alert: That’s when the adventure really begins. Read on to discover 3 expansion essentials that will make your collaboration go smoother.

When expanding internationally, the ultimate goal is always the long-term success of your company in new markets. This means that market entry does not have a completion date; it transitions smoothly into operational management. Therefore, the success of a company on an international level depends heavily on how employees get along with each other, as this influences business aspects such as information flow and collaboration in general. Whether all units are based in one country or in several, this is where international coordination comes into play. A guiding principle for getting started: if a market is to be as successful as the home market, you have to give it the same attention.

Expansion essentials #1
Don't call your staff outside the home market “the internationals”

You have to make staff in new and other target markets feel valued – and not just refer to them as “the internationals”. Their concerns and problems are just as important as those of the home market, and they are best placed to judge whether local issues are really a priority. For example, payment methods may differ from one country to another, and it will require technical adaptation of your website or systems. Also, products need to be presented differently in Germany and France … where we need more design and dynamic colours in France we need longer and more detailed product descriptions in Germany with details on origin, functionality and technical details.

Expansion essentials #2
Find your common ground

It is essential to build a relationship of trust with your employees in all markets and make sure that they get along well across borders. An annual team seminar to shape the strategy for the year? Great! A commonly spoken language that encourages all staff to participate openly and enables them to understand every communication and document? Even better! Which means are the best for success is not set in stone and may look different from company to company. Talk to your employees and colleagues about how collaboration and communication can work on an international level. So that they constitute an international team and not country-specific teams that, in the worst case, find themselves in competition with each other.

Expansion essentials #3
Start recruiting international profiles!

The more diversity you have in your home market, even at your headquarters, the more the mindsets of all employees will be sharpened to the fact that cultures may be similar, but are ultimately fundamentally different. This will create openness and exchange that will positively influence not only the internal team dynamics, but also the understanding and approach of your customers in new markets!

An internationalisation process is not finished when you have opened your legal structure or signed the first local client. To be successful in the long run and have employees who are satisfied and motivated, you need to create a corporate culture that is internationally oriented and gives all markets the same possibilities and opportunities.

Which other expansion essentials come to mind? We’d be happy to chat about it. Reach out and let’s grab a coffee together!

Are you a B2B software company looking to expand globally but not sure where to start? Read on to learn about the five key ways to target specific countries and set up the right international expansion strategies, including prioritising countries with large software markets, researching cultural norms, and developing a localised marketing approach.

Internationalising a company does not end when you have made …

In the context of international expansion, one confronts the topic …

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International Readiness Workshop

The status quo before the project

The DACH market had been identified by the Collective Thinking management as a strategic target market in Europe. First business development and sales actions have been conducted by the first German team and a GmbH had been established. 
The CT team wanted to continue to build their knowledge of the German market, the identification of key partners, key client groups in order to better evaluate business development potential and sales targets. This knowledge shall help define an appropriate strategic and operational marketing approach for CT in the DACH markets. CT is also in the process of raising a Series A funding round, a European approach can be evaluated in this project.

What we did

Wyngs wanted to support the Collective Thinking Team to create a strategic and operational roadmap for optimized business development and marketing/communication, with a special focus on developing the DACH markets – Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

We prepared a 1-day workshop, divided into 2 major parts:

  • Review of existing actions, the discovery of the key players and potential business development partners, enhancing market knowledge. 
  • Creation of a strategic and operational business development and marketing plan for 2021. 

Presentation of results of the workshop in the form of a roadmap to concretely address the mentioned challenges.

The “International Readiness” workshop with Wyngs allowed the German team of Collective Thinking to better understand and define the needs of the German market, particularly in terms of marketing strategy & business development. If you too are planning to develop internationally, Wyngs would be a very good partner to succeed in these first steps, which are essential for successful development.

CEO Vincent

Vincent Susplugas

CEO Collective Thinking

The “International Readiness” workshop with Wyngs allowed the German team of Collective Thinking to better understand and define the needs of the German market, particularly in terms of marketing strategy & business development. If you too are planning to develop internationally, Wyngs would be a very good partner to succeed in these first steps, which are essential for successful development.

CEO Vincent

Vincent Susplugas

CEO Collective Thinking

The “International Readiness” workshop with Wyngs allowed the German team of Collective Thinking to better understand and define the needs of the German market, particularly in terms of marketing strategy & business development. If you too are planning to develop internationally, Wyngs would be a very good partner to succeed in these first steps, which are essential for successful development.

CEO Vincent

Vincent Susplugas

CEO Collective Thinking