IBCircle

Drop your pants here . . . and more bad translations

Drop your pants here for best results. - sign at a dry cleaning store in Tokyo

We take your bags and send them in all directions - sign at a Scandinavian airport

STOP! Drive Sideways - detour sign in Japan

Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time. - sign in Rome laundry

If you consider our help impolite, you should see the manager - sign in an Athens hotel

Our wines leave you nothing to hope for. - on the menu of a Swiss restaurant

It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner, if dressed as a man - in a Bangkok temple

Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin. - window of a Swedish furrier

Specialists in women and other diseases - doctors' office in Rome

When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor. - car rental brochure in Tokyo

Ladies may have a fit upstairs - sign at a dry cleaning store in Bangkok

Please leave your valuables at the front desk - sign in a hotel in Paris

No smoothen the lion - sign in a zoo in the Czech Republic

The lift is being fixed. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable - sign in Bucharest

HOT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIP: USE A GOOD TRANSLATOR!

Very Creative Ads from Germany

Foreign ads are fun and insightful. They're perfect snapshots into the psyche of another culture. (It's slightly strange to see the abundant use of English slogans). SEE MORE GLOBAL ADS

German Quit Smoking Ad - Slogan reads "Ready to quit?"

   

Ad for a job posting site Jobsintown.de (the side panel on this vending machine is a picture).

Ad for a German funeral home. (very smart)

  SEE MORE GLOBAL ADS

Top 10 - Doing Business Overseas

1. Use LOCAL PEOPLE and exPats for knowledge and technology transfer. Use your best people where they add true value. Companies overweight with ex pats don't succeed - from a small start up to Unilever!!
2. Use FISCAL PRUDENCE. Establish a set of financial KPIs and manage to those.
3. Set the right EXPECTATIONS. Ensure that everyone from the board down has a level set of expectations regarding market timing, resources required - avoid over exuberance.
4. LOCALIZE. Package your solutions for the local market – 80/20 - ensure you have localized where ever possible, including packaging and pricing.
5. Have CULTURAL SENSITIVITY. Eat and drink the local culture, show genuine interest in local sport, events etc, and understand what value you bring to them in their context.
6. Use VESTED LOCAL PARTNERS that have equity alongside your equity. A committed market partner will ensure alignment of goals.
7. Know the LEGAL SYSTEM. Avoid the legal traps that so often wait in all markets, usually in favor of the local company.
8. Make COMMITMENTS carefully - only make those that you know you and your partner can deliver
9. Be ETHICAL (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act). It's tempting to do whatever it takes to get a large order in line with local customs - just look at Siemens - no one is immune.
10. Solve issues through RELATIONSHIPS - spend time building relationships to resolve the bumps on the road before they become serious legal impediments that could destroy your reputation in market.

These points, though not exhaustive, are a result of running successful businesses in APAC, USA and UK as well as advising many companies on conducting international business and delivering the Power UP to Market Workshop in multiple countries. Obviously there will be nuances for different countries and industries.

Yours,

Peter Bryant

Also available:

White paper “How do emerging technology companies enter global markets"

by Peter Bryant, President of Transtech USA