There are many international trade, strategy, and marketing articles on how to successfully enter and develop new markets – but someone, somewhere in a far away land actually needs to sell something to make it happen.

The ASEAN region is the most ethnically, religiously and linguistically diverse region on the planet. Moreover the marketplace is hyper-competitive, containing many multinationals and a myriad of local producers all competing at varying levels of quality and price points. The globalisation of technology, connectivity and ease of accessing information has created a marketplace of less differentiated products and more sophisticated and discerning prospects and customers.

The ASEAN marketplace is not about products and price points, it’s about people and relationships founded on symbiotic trust, confidence and collaborative partnerships.

How your salespeople and intermediaries approach selling will make the difference between exceptional or mediocre results.

1) It’s a long game. Focus on building on solid bedrock, the numbers will come over time.

Don’t expect to conquer the marketplace in a day, plan and budget for a one-year incubation period. Yes, you will achieve wins along the way. But meaningful progress and strong financial results will be achieved over time by executing a well-orchestrated entry and development strategy.

Companies should consider a hierarchical five-year timeline approach to establishing and developing their ASEAN businesses:

The first-stage is to enter the ASEAN marketplace by establishing a regional presence through a representative sales office, launching your export business and developing your channel network and target customers.

The second-stage is to establish a trading company to regionalize inventories to better serve your new channel partners and customers as you scale.

The third-stage is to invest (FDI) in local manufacturing to localize supply chains and maximize profitability. Not many companies will invest without first penetrating the market, gaining channel partners and customers and establishing a sustainable growth trajectory. Hence, a successful first-stage is crucial to setting the foundation of building your profitable, scalable ASEAN business.

2) Recruit the best sales leadership and develop the rest

Sales is the oxygen for every business and it is vitally important during the first-stage that you recruit regionally experienced sales leadership with strong business acumen.

They should be capable of pioneering new markets and recruiting and developing the skills and effectiveness of your direct and distribution salespeople. You will need to build out a remote sales force with strong consultative skills, proficient at qualifying and selecting target customers and unlocking and propositioning meaningful customer specific value. Ironically a recent study conducted by Objective Management Group (OMG) revealed Asia ranks highest in percentage of weak salespeople.

OMG – Where can you find the best salespeople study 

This isn’t a slight against Asian salespeople, from my 20 years of experience in Asia, Asian salespeople embrace learning new skills that help them grow and develop into elite salespeople. The situation is more a result of companies relying too heavily on brand equity and overlooking the criticality of the sales role and the opportunity to invest in sales force selection, development and supporting technology.

Traditional sales recruitment practices of contingency or contracted search assignments through local recruitment firms can often prove ineffective. Most adapt generic assessment and evaluation tools to sales roles.

Firstly, recruiting product experts as sales leaders does not generate product enthusiasm or win customers. I’ve seen situations where product experts actually compete with prospects on “who knows more”.

Secondly, hiring sales managers and designating them as sales directors does not create a pathway to accessing the best customer opportunities. And thirdly, poaching salespeople from competitors will not auto-convert customers. Salespeople may persuade a few smaller customers to shift because of their personal relationships. But the larger, critical-to-growth enterprise accounts are loyal to brands and suppliers, and need a compelling reason and material gain to change.

Recruiting salespeople without a sales-centric process is high-risk and a key reason why companies often fail to reach their potential in fast growing markets like the ASEAN. You need a recruitment process that specializes in selecting the best sales talent.

Objective Management Group offers a sales-specific scientific assessment and evaluation service designed to focus on the key characteristics that define successful salespeople. A process that utilizes analytics derived from neary 2-million sales candidate assessments will deliver far better results than traditional recruitment methods.

OMG sales candidate competencies assessment and evaluation tool summary

3) Invest in the right selling methodology, process & supporting CRM

My first international sales management assignment was leading and supporting an Asia Pacific sales force. We did a fabulous job of training salespeople on product features, advantages and benefits.

Where we failed was in developing a selling process, training program and coaching mechanism to help our salespeople sell more efficiently and effectively. Our focus shifted to developing our direct and channel partner selling competencies by creating and implementing a 6D selling methodology with ACT CRM. The results were immediate and impactful in turning around a flagging business unit and achieving record operating income for seven consecutive years.

Fast forward to 2020, there are many new sophisticated selling methodologies (the approach), processes (the steps) and CRM SaaS technologies designed to dramatically improve sales effectiveness and performance.

George Brontén has recently authored an informative paper providing an excellent overview and comparative analysis of the Ten Leading Methodologies including Sandler Training, Strategic Selling, Solution Selling, SPIN Selling, ValueSelling, Customer-Centric Selling, RAIN Sales Training, Baseline Selling, Target Account Selling and The Challenger Sale.

My overall opinion on sales methodologies is that most offer a generalized solution to a problem or standardized fulfilment to a need.

To truly differentiate and rise above your competitors, your salespeople need to adopt a step-by-step sequential milestone centric selling methodology that focuses on unlocking customer specific value.

As an example we collaborated with an enterprise Thailand auto-aftermarket OEM wanting to export into the EU with a new product launch but needing an input product to meet compliance standards. Solving the compliance problem and fulfilling the need was easily achievable but at a hefty price premium creating a risk of cost-price vulnerability. Applying a step-by-step milestone-centric selling methodology revealed the hidden value of a significant economic gain by increasing throughput and reducing capex. This is what your salespeople need to do consistently, unlock and monetize the often less obvious customer specific value.

The selling methodology you choose should be based on marketplace adaptability, business suitability and target customer decision making processes.

It should be integrable with a supporting CRM SaaS platform that enables your salespeople to achieve top performance. The selling methodologies I believe to be most effective for the ASEAN region are Baseline Selling because of its simplicity and shallow learning curve, Inflection Point because of the adaptability to a more complex B2B selling environment and outcome centric selling method, and SalesXtra because of its strategic account development approach and online training resources.

As with selling methodologies there are many CRM SaaS platforms to consider, and selecting the right CRM is an important investment that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Most CRMs are underutilised because they’re perceived as a time wasting and intrusive activity-tracking and data-entry tool designed to placate management reporting with no real benefit to the salesperson.

To solve this problem companies need a CRM that goes beyond traditional functionality and helps your salespeople navigate and optimize your selling process. It should progress opportunities in a timely manner, and more efficiently drive profitable sales growth.

Seek out a Sales Enablement CRM designed to provide your salespeople with an intuitive workflow process that maps out your selling process and guides activities and behaviours that improve selling effectiveness and efficiencies.

A Sales Enablement CRM will identify bottlenecks in your selling process well before they become logjams and spot the areas where salespeople need training and coaching. Moreover a Sales Enablement CRM will calibrate pipelines to achieve sales revenue goals by analyzing trending sales-cycles and win-rates (e.g. salespersons month one target is $100k / .5% win-rate x 2 month sales cycle = $400k minimum pipeline needed to achieve sales revenue goal).

Ex: Membrain Sales Enablement CRM dashboard with Baseline Selling methodology

4) Sales and marketing alignment, think of people as having 2 roles to sell and help sell

Unifying sales and marketing teams that are operating in different continents and functioning separately is challenging at best for any company.

To avoid confusion and misalignment companies must clearly define individual and shared responsibilities and accountabilities. Strategic planning determines where and how to compete and how to win. Marketing and sales together establish and execute the best practices to reach and connect with target prospects, and sales qualifies and converts prospects into customers.

Given the fact that value perceptions and decision making processes vary significantly throughout the ASEAN ten-country marketplace, your sales leadership must possess strong business acumen and effective communications skills. This will avoid organizational fragmentation and misalignments, effectively leading to cross-functional and cross-cultural collaboration to rally around a unified and focused goal – to sell and help sell.

5) Screen to Screen (S2S) Virtual Selling, Fab or Fad?

S2S selling is an alternative to connecting and communicating with prospects and customers accentuated by the Covid19 situation. It is not a new breakthrough way of selling.

If it was, there would be no need for overseas sales offices or trade exhibitions. Moreover, it’s too early to accurately measure its selling and negotiation effectiveness during the absence of personal engagement. In my view, ASEAN social and cultural factors, urgency, opportunity value, brand equity and relationship, terms and conditions of supply agreements and complexity and timeline of the selling process influences the merit of S2S selling.

Despite the fact that ASEAN is digitally engaged and technology proficient it will be challenging for any salesperson to convert high-value prospects into customers through S2S selling alone. In the West salespeople can sell while building trust, confidence and credibility, in ASEAN it’s a precursor to doing business and this takes time and personal engagement.

Although I’m a strong advocate of utilizing social media (with clearly defined and measured objectives) and virtual selling (as part of the selling process), the viability and sustainability of S2S as a primary selling medium post Covid19 environment will be determined by customers.

After all, it’s about how your customers want to buy, not how you want to sell, and the jury is still deliberating.

The post B2B selling in the ASEAN marketplace – the top 5 things you need to get right appeared first on Trade Ready.

Trying to rise above your competitors, or at least stand shoulder to shoulder with them? An aggressive B2B sales strategy can help you expand brand awareness, reach out to more people, get new buyers, and show your professionalism.

Your B2B strategy can be your tool of choice, but it needs to be wisely planned out and structured to the smallest detail to ensure you gain and retain prospects. Today’s B2B market is filled with companies fearlessly fighting for every customer and every dollar. That’s why you need to up your game and ensure your B2B sales strategy is aggressive enough to keep you growing.

If you’re not sure how to perform aggressive B2B sales, don’t despair. We’ve got you covered. Here are 5 secrets of aggressive sales on the B2B market that you should start applying today.

1. Perform thorough research

Aggressive sales require having a clear aim with a strong likelihood for success.

Instead of investing considerable time and energy into contacting, calling, and reaching out to random businesses, you should be wiser about it.

It’s a much better idea to invest your energy and time into finding out which business might actually be in need of your services or products.

That’s why you should initiate the information gathering phase:

• Doing basic research on companies
• Learn about their needs and challenges
• Find out who they’re cooperating with
• Learn about their business strategies

Once you’re able to gather all of this information, you’ll be able to prioritize which companies to focus on with your sales moves.

By choosing a prospect that most likely actually needs what you’re offering, you’ll be able to apply aggressive sales techniques and win them over.

That’s why good preparation is essential for performing aggressive sales in the B2B market.

2. Be direct

An aggressive B2B sales process needs to be short and direct. The secret to success in an aggressive sales approach is to be as concise as possible and not leave your potential customers too much time to reconsider.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Make the process short and with as few phases as possible
• Win the attention of potential prospects
• Skip long speeches about company history or potential long-term collaboration
• Make your offer as soon as possible

By cutting to the chase, you’ll be making a wise and aggressive proposal. Your prospect will see you as someone who is efficient, self-confident, and successful.

You’ll save their time and you’ll increase the chances of them wanting to buy from you.

3. Play hard to get

In B2B sales, you need to be at full disposal to your prospect and lead them step-by-step through the process of becoming your customer.

However, sometimes you need a different approach.

When you’re trying to close a deal, you’re in constant communication with the interested prospect. You call them or send an email and eagerly wait for their response. It’s no secret that half the times this communication ends with them not responding to your call or email.

That’s when you start showing signs of desperation and tell them you’re waiting for them, whenever they’re ready.

This is a mistake. Instead of sounding desperate and at their disposal, you need to take a more aggressive standpoint:

• give them a timeframe for calling you back
• say you have an offer which expires in 48 hours or so
• stay polite and pleasant but let them know you have another prospect who might be interested in the same deal

This will place you in control and your message will actually make the prospect sit down and think about giving you a shot.

4. Challenge your prospects

Being aggressive in your B2B sales strategy doesn’t imply being pushy or over the top. However, it does imply pushing the right buttons with your prospects.

The truth is, most of your prospects are in their comfort zone and aren’t planning to leave it. Not even for achieving growth or potential improvement. This is exactly why they say no to you and refuse to think outside of the box.

With the right strategy, however, you can turn the tables on them by challenging their current modus operandi and demonstrating that change may in fact be their safest path forward:

• Lay out the situation they’re in
• Challenge it by pointing out to shortcomings
• Predict potential problems for the future
• Offer something different, unique, and game-changing

Make a brave move and give them a glimpse into their weaknesses, then offer a solution they can’t refuse.

5. Be a team

Finally, B2B sales are often seen as two parties on different sides of the court.

Although you are trying to convince a prospect to become a customer, make a purchase, or sign a deal, it shouldn’t be presented or performed as if you’re trying to win the game. Instead, there should be no losers, only winners.

That’s why you need to address your potential prospect as people close to you, and your business to make them feel like you’re both on the same side of the court.

Do this by:

• Sharing ideas of mutual benefit
• Talking about achieving goals together
• Emphasizing collaboration and professional friendship

For example, if you’re reaching out to B2B leads with an introductory email before making a follow-up call, you should start this mutual grounds approach immediately. Make sure the email shows you’re both a piece of the same puzzle.

In addition, make sure your email and other written content are professional, proofread and flawless. Have them proofread by colleagues, or use tools or services such as Grammarly to help you achieve this.

Sometimes the safest move is to take a few risks

In the B2B market and sales, there’s no room for hesitation and playing safe. Your competitors will outplay you and you’ll be out of the game before you know it. Instead of sticking to the safe side, you should be playing it more aggressively.

Therefore, use the advice above to change your B2B sales strategy and start winning more prospects. Time is money, so start making those changes today.

The post 5 secrets of aggressive sales on the B2B market appeared first on Trade Ready.

The first level of differentiation between customers is whether the potential buyer is another business, a consumer or both.

For business (or B2B) customers, research on the economic development level of a country will indicate some of the challenges these customers face, such as availability of technology, labour force skills and costs, energy costs and availability of supplies.

A study of local competitors can reveal the features of competitors’ products and services (including pre-sale, post-sale and repairs) and the challenges for which they have not yet provided solutions to the target market.

Research about a business audience can be used to create a business profile that summarizes its key characteristics. A business profile typically includes information such as demographics, location, estimated demand, purchasing decision makers, industry status and players, and unresolved problems or challenges.

Information included in a customer profile focused on consumers (or B2C) is described below.

Want to learn more about planning and implementing marketing strategies? Check out the FITTskills Marketing Products & Services online workshop!

Understanding your customers through customer profiles

Customer profiles are used for product and service adaptations and other marketing decisions. Profiles are also often created for specific segments for the market. Customer profiles are almost certain to be diverse within every foreign market, taking into account income levels, culture, living standards, fashion, religion, politics and general attitudes toward imported products. Important aspects of the customer profile are summarized below:

Demographic Portrait

This part of the profile demonstrates a detailed understanding of the organization’s customers and typically includes demographic characteristics such as age, gender, career or job, income, level of educational attainment, geographic location and language(s) spoken.

Estimated Demand

Marketers estimate demand for products and services, and the rate at which the demand is expected to grow.

Purchase Motivation

It is important to understand what motivates customers to buy. Are they looking for savings or a way to simplify their lives? Perhaps they are seeking attention or safety. Why will customers choose the company’s product or service over the competition? Are they too inexpensive or too costly? Do they offer something unique? What cultural factors influence the values, preferences and behaviours in this target market?

In the digital age, the profile may also include a description of the customer journey from when they were first introduced to the brand or a product/service through them becoming a loyal customer.

Identifying the needs and preferences of customers

Information about customers is collected and analyzed on an ongoing basis to make decisions about developing, adapting or eliminating products.

The prevalence of online activity has created a need and an opportunity for marketers to capture or harvest information about the target market and customers using digital monitoring. This involves capturing mentions of an organization’s brand or other related topics such as products, services, promotions and even competitors. Social media can be tracked, along with other digital media such as blogs, news sites and forums.

Once all data has been captured, it must then be analyzed, and insights about market segments must be identified from it.

Feedback about products and services can come from sources other than the Internet. For example, foreign agents and other local representatives may ask for product modifications to please their customers. An organization can also routinely ask customers for their opinions through online surveys and customer advisory boards. The organization’s sales team should provide feedback from current and potential customers that is obtained through sales calls. Finally, organizations consider data from behavioural research when developing or adapting products and services.

When conducting customer preference research, a three-stage process can be used:

• Find out what problems or challenges customers are dealing with.
• Design or adapt a product or service so that it will solve the problem and address the challenges.
• Test the product or service with customers and ask for their feedback.

The post Target your marketing by differentiating between potential customers and creating customer profiles appeared first on Trade Ready.

I started in the sports facility and sporting goods industry, where I held management positions that led to a position in retail sports management and leading training initiatives.

From there I was recruited to work for the Canadian Cancer Society. Some people find it an unusual leap to go from the competitive retail world to the not-for-profit sector.

However, I often find myself reminding folks that the methods and best practises are the same, and I enjoyed the challenge of working in a new sector.

Recruited into the global trade world

While at the Canadian Cancer Society, I was approached to join a company that was expanding in North America.

My career in international trade then began in inside sales at Cobham Tracking & Locating, a subsidiary of the larger Cobham group, which is a global player in aerospace, defence, and electronics.

I worked my way up to an account manager position for marine, aerospace and defence systems, serving over 900 clients and distributors worldwide. Many of these distributors, particularly those located in England, Germany, Japan, Singapore and India, have become lifelong friends.

The sectors I serviced during this time ranged from oceanographic and marine technology, to oil and gas, aerospace, and defence.

This meant I worked with military and academic research facilities worldwide managing high-level logistics processes, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Controlled Goods Regulations, Global Affairs Canada, and the U.S. Department of State.

This position required an in-depth knowledge of contract law and government regulations as they relate to commercial and contract functions. I gained experience in drafting and negotiating long-term supply and purchase agreements, as well as distribution agreements, collaboration/teaming agreements and non-disclosure agreements.

One of my biggest responsibilities was identifying key areas in contract terms supplied by other parties that would represent a significant risk to the company.

Getting hooked on FITTskills

During this time, I became aware of the FITTskills program. Although I had learned a great deal in my position at Cobham, I felt there was still much more to learn about managing a global supply chain.

At that time, the first course available through FITT’s delivery partner Nova Scotia Business Inc. was Legal Aspects of International Trade.  After completing the first course, I was hooked! From there, I was determined to complete the remaining modules and become certified in international trade.

Taking FITTskills courses was such a rich learning opportunity.

The practical FITTskills content, knowledge and first-hand experiences of the instructor, and the interaction and sharing between my fellow participants was, and continues to be, beneficial.

The connections I made in the global trade community have been extremely valuable and I have stayed in touch with many of them over the years.

Striking out on my own with the help of some brilliant business leaders

Eventually my role changed, as some of the products were sold to another company. After following through and establishing the product line with the new ownership, I realized it was time for a change.

I decided to pursue a career in consulting.

I recognized that many companies had a great deal to offer in the export market, yet there was a reticence to move past the perceived safe and comfortable borders because of a gap in knowledge on how to access foreign markets and the very real fear of the unknown.

I began my new business as a sole proprietor, building my company and reputation through subcontracting services to Kisserup International Trade Roots Inc. The founder of Kisserup, Pernille Fischer Boulter, CITP|FIBP, has many years of experience in international business development.

She has assisted thousands of small, micro and medium-sized private sector companies, trade and industry associations, and government agencies in their pursuit of export development worldwide.

Pernille generously assists those who are new to business, particularly in international trade, and she also has been a FITTskills instructor for many years. Working with Pernille and her team solidified both my knowledge and reputation, while building my experience assisting entrepreneurs from a variety sectors and geographic locations.

I connected with Bonnie O’Toole, President of Market Pursuits Inc., during my time in the FITTskills program, when we partnered up on our international business plan project.

In 2013, I joined her at Market Pursuits, once again subcontracting services to help businesses select target markets, access funding, and cut costs. We specialized in business development, marketing and business plans, government and community relations, funding proposals, and productivity optimization.

She has an amazing reputation in the Atlantic business community, known for her wealth of knowledge and quick grasp of business process improvements. Bonnie’s mentorship was crucial in developing my ability to create and deliver quality training to my clients.

Both Pernille and Bonnie have been extremely generous and influential, as both colleagues and mentors.

Educating myself to empower others

I am a strong believer in lifelong education. I spent 24 years as a an elected school board member and have found myself naturally gravitating to leadership positions on a local, provincial and national basis in both my professional and volunteer activities.

I knew many individuals and businesses could expand the way mine had, and I knew I wanted to help enable others. This passion led me undertake training and skill-building to better deliver information to those of all generations and learning styles.

Subsequently, I have been able to grow through many professional development opportunities. I earned my CITP®|FIBP® accreditation in 2012, and completed my Masters of Project Management from St. Mary’s University in 2013.

I also have several workplace educator certificates through the Department of Labour and Advanced Education.

I make a special effort to attend and promote events supporting new entrepreneurs. I am also a guest lecturer at universities and other post-secondary institutions and have been asked to serve as an expert panelist for national organizations.

I’ve been fortunate to help a great number of organizations with my leadership coaching, team facilitation, training, and business development expertise. One milestone I’m quite proud of is that I’ve now done business development in over 30 countries.

A large part of this is teaching the world-renowned FITTskills training and partnering to deliver Going Global workshops here in Canada and beyond.

I also provide personal training with Corporate Class Inc., mentoring leaders, key management and up-and-comers through customized training that aligns academic and technical expertise with individual, professional potential.

My training activities provide a great deal of satisfaction to me professionally and personally.

I love breaking down seemingly complex situations into manageable pieces or steps for participants. It is that moment, when they make the connection and identify their strategy, which I find most gratifying.

Taking on a new business challenge as I go BEYOND

In September 2015, I changed my business structure, incorporating as BEYOND Ventures Group Business & Trade Development Inc. For me, BEYOND poses a new direction, challenge, and to some degree, risk.

My goal with BEYOND is to partner with organizations globally to provide our clients with a competitive advantage. Our team is a diverse pool of enthusiastic local and international consultants, each of whom have a specialized area of expertise, enabling our clients and partners to succeed beyond their expectations and beyond borders.

We are committed to the growth and development of small and medium-sized (SME) enterprises from a wide range of economic and industry sectors,  building capacity and increasing their global reach.

BEYOND has already proven to be a success, with targets exceeding plan in the first two quarters and committed work to carry us through until our year end. The growth has been organic and steady, leading to a shortage of what many business owners struggle to find as well – time.

Facing the demands of the business I love

International business is exciting, but never easy. Global business professionals are faced with the requirement for frequent travel, often hampered by inconsistent internet connectivity, and challenged by cultural differences, as well as the pressures of meeting deadlines in different time zones and schedules.

Fortunately, the world is getting smaller every day through technology such as teleconferencing, videoconferencing, email, and social media that allow us to interact daily on a global basis.

Even so, my work schedule can be challenging, since I am constantly working across time zones.  That means I am often up at very early hours connecting to the EU, and working late nights for my clients in Australia.

A particular concern is navigating time zones during the switch to and from daylight savings, and being aware of holiday observances within my clients’ markets.  Once, during a business trip to the EU, I forgot about the one-hour time difference between England and the Netherlands.

After leaving England, as I was about to land in the Netherlands, I realized my error. Thank goodness I booked a rental car with a Tom Tom, or I would never have made it on time to my meeting. As it was, I arrived with only five minutes to spare.

I have been fortunate to see so many of the beautiful people and places in the world.

Quite often, I will steal a few hours early in the morning after the final day of a trade mission to swim in the ocean, go for a walk, or find some way to build a memorable moment before heading home and on to the next challenge.

Most memorable to me are the people I have had the good fortune of working with. I am constantly in awe of their knowledge, skills and generosity.

I am looking to grow BEYOND, to partner with like-minded entrepreneurs and provide short and long-term employment to individuals, particularly recent graduates and student interns, to ensure we provide our talent with opportunities through experience.

My five year plan will have this solid foundation in place, enabling businesses in Canada and abroad reach their dreams….and beyond!

The post In the challenging world of global business, connections and education are the keys to success appeared first on Trade Ready.

Elias Mansour, CITP|FIBP is an Account Manager/Channel Sales Specialist for SolarWinds N-able, a software company providing cutting edge solutions for IT management and automation.

He manages a portfolio of over 150 partners, performing the dual role of business coach to his clients, and sales leader to his company.

From cold calls to problem-solving with CEO’s

Elias has been working in sales for over nine years, taking on increasingly challenging roles while exceeding expectations and generating record numbers for his teams.

In the past three years, Elias has specialized in B2B sales, particularly in the software industry, which has led him to take on a more internationally-focused role.

The software industry is one of the last places   I thought I would get exposure to international trade. Nevertheless, 3 years later I have helped clients in the United States, South Africa, Europe, and Australia grow their businesses through our software.

In his career thus far, he has led many clients to success, often engaging with high level executives such as COOs, CTOs, CEOs and CIOs, solving complex problems and generating revenues.

Elias started his business development career by taking on multiple sales roles at the competitive electronics retailers Future Shop and Best Buy. He moved into a consumer inside sales consultant role with Rogers Communications in 2012.

In 2013, Elias was offered the position of inside sales representative at his current employer SolarWinds N-able Technologies, where he started to prove his sales and service prowess right away.

“I started on the proverbial ground floor, making cold calls to businesses stateside and worldwide. Now I’m in charge of a client list to help them grow their IT practice.”

It was during this time that Elias started to get more and more opportunity to service international clients, and getting the world’s leading international business designation was an obvious next step.

This star pupil is ready to go international

Elias enrolled in the International Business Program at Algonquin College in Ottawa, ON in 2007, where he excelled in his studies.

He was awarded a place on the Dean’s Honor List in 2012, reserved for individuals who produce a minimum 3.6 grade point average.

He also earned the FITT International Business Plan Award, awarded to the student who received the highest grade for their project submission in the International Marketing FITTskills course, in 2013.

Elias enjoyed the experience of taking the FITTskills program through the dynamic instructor-led setting Algonquin provided.

“All of my FITT courses, with the exception of one, were taken in-class at Algonquin College. The knowledge I received from my professors was a key part in my success at an academic level.”

“These are individuals who have had real-life experience with international trade and could speak to the realities of doing business abroad and the risks and rewards associated with it.”

“During our presentations and projects, the FITTskills instructors were quick to point out where we might encounter obstacles, or where we needed to pay extra attention to win the hypothetical transaction.”

Elias went on to apply for his elite CITP®|FIBP® designation in early 2016, in order to demonstrate his expertise in international business and create opportunities for the future.

I chose to apply for the CITP®|FIBP® designation because I believe it can open a lot of doors for me on an international level.

“I also wanted to be able to share my experiences and knowledge with other CITP®|FIBP® members, or people looking to earn their designation.”

With over 150 clients, there’s no time to waste

Elias begins his typical workday by hitting the phones and video conferences to connect with existing and potential clients.

“I would describe my typical workday in one word – fast. As an Account Manager/Channel Sales Specialist I take care of over 150 partners, with my primary responsibility being to act as their business coach.”

“That means helping them price their offerings to be competitive in the market, and putting together go-to-market strategies to help them launch their services while hitting the ground running.”

“I educate my clients on what the IT market looks like as a whole so that they have a better direction, while assisting them with any technical issues and negotiating licensing agreements. I do all of this following my mandate to generate revenue for my organization.”

Mutually beneficial deals leave everyone happy

Elias has learned a lot about the nature of the international sales and business development industry and he finds some things to be universal.

An observation I can share from the high frequency of deals I’ve negotiated within my partner base is that you will be the most successful in international sales when you have a solution for someone’s problem.

“It may seem very common sense, but you would be surprised how many transactions, in software and other industries, are shaped to be one-sided, or by someone looking out for their benefit only.”

“Knowing the motivation and buying personality of the person on the other end of the phone is what truly separates a good account manager, in any industry, from a great one.”

Elias continues to find success with SolarWinds N-able, finishing in the top five in net new revenue generation for his position out of all account managers at SolarWinds in 2015. According to Elias, it was his strategic problem-solving approach that helped him achieve this.

“I earned this top spot by building business plans for my partners that are designed to be delivered using our tools, while helping them deliver their services with ease.”

“I continue to learn about international trade every day and hope to provide value as a CITP®|FIBP®, to my company and to other members of the global trade community as well.”

We have no doubt Elias’s drive for success and attention to his clients’ needs will keep propelling him forward in his global trade career.

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