Market Visit Checklist
Before you leave, find out:
- Hours of business and public holidays.
- Any difficulties getting from one place to the next.
- Need for an interpreter for business meetings.
- Type of accommodation available.
- Communication material required for meetings.
- Length of time required to accomplish all tasks.
- Appropriate appearance and dress for your meetings.
- Business and social etiquette, including polite forms of address and appropriate dress for meetings and functions.
During your visit, research the market:
- Confirm suitability of distribution channels selected.
- Check the competitors’ pricing, product/service characteristics, perceived strengths and weaknesses, buyer behaviour, customer service/support packages of competitors, etc.
- Conduct initial reverse pricing analysis based on market prices for similar products/services.
- Analyse competitors’ promotional activities, including packaging, advertising and other communications.
- Review industry standards and other regulations and determine the cost of any applications, testing and approvals which impact on your product/service.
- Collect any industry statistics available which provide further information on your market.
- Hold brief meetings with prospective distributors.
- Dispatch by air freight product samples, where appropriate, or service promotional literature to those companies which have advanced to a formal stage of product/service review.
During your visit:
- Conduct demonstrations with key sales personnel in these companies.
- Develop more in-depth relationships with prospective distributors and confirm the marketing strategy options.
- Discuss your proposed marketing plan with each company you are visiting.
- Set out a proposed draft agreement to selected distributors.
- Obtain letters of intent from a number of potential partners.
- Obtain any recommendations from your prospective agent/partner relating to packaging, product/service features, pricing, etc which would help refine and develop your marketing plan and thinking.
- Dispatch trial orders to one or a number of potential agents/partners for test marketing the product.
- Agree on financial and distribution arrangements for the trial market.
- Meet the prospective distributors and evaluate the shipment, review the order dispatch and shipping cycle, develop control systems for forecasting any future orders.
- Attend sales meetings as the product release program commences.
- Finalise an agreement with a preferred distributor for signature.
- Obtain a second order during this visit to support the first stage sales program.
#Source: Winning Exports Workbook, Pitman Publishing.