make the right debut
In the second in a series of articles aimed at highlighting the problems facing Thai entrepreneurs venturing abroad, Nopachai Veeraman, director of Masterkool International, discusses how a small company managed to penetrate mature markets in the Middle East and Europe. The first article, published on June 16, discussed how Thai companies need to determine a clear strategic goal for their products before going abroad, how to be innovative in finding overseas distribution channels. When operating a business abroad today, it is essential to be equipped with advanced communication technology with unlimited limits, as the communication aspect is very important for the successful sale of the product.
However, the influence of communication on product sales is only short-term. For sales to be successful in the long term and on an ongoing basis, it is necessary to integrate many methods and processes in the same way that Masterkool has done.
Participating in trade shows abroad is an approach that I highly recommend to any Thai trade operator.
If, based on its nature, our product does not sell easily, is not well known to the general public, or involves specific know-how or technology, we must emphasize a tangible approach when introducing the product to prospective foreign countries. This should be done on a large scale, such as actively attending trade shows abroad.
As I mentioned in the previous article, our Thai brand Masterkool mist fans have been produced by Thai engineers and are active in the world market for more than four years. We started our road to success by entering the foreign market by participating in various overseas trade exhibitions with the assistance of the Export Promotion Department.
Since our product that is sold locally and abroad is categorized as a technical item and involves specific technology and innovative design, it is necessary for us to exhibit and demonstrate our product in destination countries as often as possible so that customers have the opportunity to see and tangibly experience it until it is well known and accepted in each prospective country. With this method of encouraging customers to get used to our product, we have been successful in introducing our product to domestic and foreign markets.
Specifically in the overseas market, we need to build a long-term relationship with local dealers, and I am glad to share some tips that may be helpful for your business expansion as follows.
Do not worry about the expenses incurred in the exhibition and introduction of your product in exhibitions held abroad. These expenses are a valuable investment that can bring you future success.
As I mentioned earlier, you can save costs by consulting with the Export Promotion Department. The department can provide you with an annual calendar of overseas trade shows so that you can, based on your preference, choose the countries in which you would like to present your product. This will allow you to balance your business plan in terms of foreign market expansion on your own and better tailor it to your circumstances.