:: As of this week Brexit negotiations have officially commenced.
:: The UK will be leaving the EU within the next few years.
:: The British government believe that Brexit was ‘the moment we chose to build a truly Global Britain’.
If that be the case, and with the uncertainty of what the outcome of Brexit negotiations will be, British firms had better start looking abroad for opportunities very quickly.
Although many British companies already export, sell and trade abroad, for most businesses the idea of going out into the wider world can be daunting.
‘Going global’ simply is not that easy – is takes time, money, effort and a lot of resilience.
Those of us with an understanding of international business know that there is no easy about it.
Series of Blogs on Skills and Knowledge Needed to Truly be a ‘Global Britain’
Trading internationally, with new and foreign countries and cultures is an imminent challenge for the UK.
It is something we must all embrace.
To be successful, it is critical that areas in which we shortfall, such as language skills and negotiation skills, be addresses not only by the private sector but with government support through organisations such as UKTI.
As part of our commitment to helping British businesses make the most of the challenges ahead, we are starting a series of blogs designed to provide information, insights and support in some of the key areas we specialise in and can share ideas.
The 3 areas we will be focusing on will be…
1:: Skills Needed to Do Business Globally
Many people are great at negotiating, selling, marketing, networking, managing, leading, customer service, management, influencing and so on…..in their home country.
When seeking to apply their techniques in an international capacity however, they quickly learn that international business rules for these same processes are very different and that, what works well at home, rarely works well overseas.
Understanding cultural differences in approaches to business, how negotiations are conducted, how to sell to a foreign audience, how to tweak presentations for maximum impact, unconscious bias, communication & relationship building tips are but some of the key skills we will be looking at.
2:: Country Insights Needed to Export Globally
The countries that Britain might be striking trade deals with are, as yet, unclear.
However, Brazil, the Gulf States, China, India, New Zealand and Australia are all in the pipeline for trade discussions and it’s likely that we will have traction of some sort in the near future.
Really understanding how a country works, socially, politically, economically, etc is essential if potentially seeking to do business there.
We will be covering some of the hot export destinations being touted by the government as well as some of the more exciting emerging markets of South East Asia, The Gulf and Africa.
3:: Cultural Knowledge Needed to Work Globally
We believe cultural understanding opens many doors when working globally.
Through cultural understanding, mingling and engaging with other cultures we build long lasting, solid relationships that are mutually beneficial.
When working abroad it is rule number one that you can’t go out expecting people to adapt to you; it works the other way around. If you aren’t flexible and adaptable you can let yourself down.
Our future content will help understanding some key bits around cultural differences such as body language, communication, status, etiquette, approach to business, trust, etc that will give someone that competitive edge when working abroad.
Watch this space for lots of upcoming Brexit-bound Britannia content!
If you would like to see anything in particular we would love to hear from you!
Photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash