Dear #AskaLocalizer,
I’ve always been interested in connections with people for professional purposes, customer relationship management, and business development. Thus, I’ve been considering starting my professional career as a sales representative in the localization industry. But, I don’t know where to start it. What qualities should I have to be a localization sales professional and how can I create connections with prospective clients after I start my sales career?
Sincerely,
Sales-curious Localization Major
Dear Sales-curious Localization Major,
Business development is the creation of long-term value for an organization with its customers and markets. Instead of chasing quick profits and money, many localization companies focus more on creating opportunities for the value of their own services or products to persist over the long term, keeping the floodgates constantly open so that the value can indefinitely flow. Here are some steps you can follow when you’re ready to start your sales career in the localization industry:
Do Market Research
Ask yourself several questions and see if you’re able to properly answer them:
1) How much do you know about the service provided by your company?
2) How user-friendly is it?
3) Would you continue to purchase it after a free trial? Make sure your answers are focused on the positive aspects. And remember that if you are not impressed by the service provided by your own company, it will be hard to build any business relationship or opportunity.
Another thing you can try is to look at the current or previous customers your company has had cooperation with. Think of who their competitors are and try to reach out to them, as they are all in similar fields and have been competing with each other. Learn to leverage the competition between your customers in order to create more business opportunities for your company.
How to reach out to prospective customers?
A lot of sales beginners don’t know how to create connections. First, figure out who your target customers are and where they are most likely to appear. For instance, if your company aims at smaller LSPs and you want to reach out to more of them, you should join localization events where LSPs will likely send representatives to, such as LocWorld, LocLife, and GALA. These casual events or formal workshops are excellent for localization sales professionals to create new business opportunities. Also, by regularly joining these events and being proactive, you will make an impression on others, thus creating connections between your company and the entire industry.
Aside from participating in these events in person, a well-trained sales professional would always think of how to help their company increase exposure to the industry on the Internet. Based on the service your company provides, create a professional brand on social media so that a sample of your best work can be quickly reviewed by customers who are interested in your company and would like to know more about it. Without this step, a lot of cold messages would end up being ignored or rejected, as people whom you contact might not see enough credibility online from your company.
Javier
Global Brand Champion at Acclaro
