Mission of Business Prospection

Business Travel

Business travelling is considered these days as one of the most efficient tool of export prospection, especially for looking for business partners (agents, distributors, importers, etc.) Business travel represents an investment whose cost is high and that is why one must prepare the journey from place to place in a rigorous manner so that one is sure to achieve one's objective without having to repeat the same several times over. A proper preparation can ensure success of the mission. It allows the company to have openings on foreign markets, to look for new trade partners and to sign up contracts with foreign companies. Organising professional travel has to take care of three essential phases : preparation of departure, on-the-spot organisation and follow-up action on the mission completed.

It is within this framework that the Eurochallenge Missions company allows every year more than 500 companies to find their business partners in the country of their choice : here we are considering the individual missions of business prospection in the market selected by the company, which helps you to meet during a week, with a dozen of potential partners and thereby make your choice more efficiently; this service combines exhaustive approach (all the target companies will have been approached and you will meet with those interested), negotiate simultaneously ( and you meet with all the possible partners in the same week), which allows you to conduct parallel negotiations and thus select your partner in the best possible conditions. In practice this allows you to pass on directly from the stage where you do not know the market to the stage where you negotiate with a dozen potential partners who are beneficial as well as benefited.

Preparation for Departure

One has to arrange for air bookings in the quickest possible time and all the more so because certain destinations are not served in a regular manner. An advance air booking allows you to call for quotations from travel agents, compare prices and find the best quality : price mix. In certain cases, one has to arrange for arrival, a day or two in advance (for instance, during weekends), in order to be able to adjust the travel schedule and to fix appointments. Lodging arrangements are also as important as travelling. Therefore, hotel reservation has also to be made in advance. One must know that during the period of exhibitions, the hotels are often fully booked. The choice of the hotel is not a decision to be made casually. One has to verify whether there is a possibility of organising meetings, if required, send and receive fax messages, download e-mails and check whether the movements are appropriate in relation to the appoin

One has to prepare documents and files sufficiently in advance and these will be required on the spot (printed folders, catalogues, price list). These have to be translated into the language of the country (at least into English). In case of use of interpreter's services, it is advised that one should contact him in advance, so as to tutor him regarding products and/or services. The reason for this is that it is he who is going to talk directly about the plus points of the products. Moreover, one should not wait until the last moment for verifying the validity of passport or applying for visas and taking vaccines required in certain destinations. The traveller must also verify the validity of his credit card, obtain an international driving licence and carry some foreign exchange of the country concerned in order to be able to pay taxi fare and give tips on arrival.

On arrival at the destination

Once arrived at the destination, the major part of one's time is devoted to meeting different appointments. Above all one must confirm these appointments and delay, if any. In any case, the exporter must know how to be the master of his time in order to remain within the time constraint (instead of producing a bad impression on prospective partners). He has also to know how to be flexible and to limit the number of appointments fixed for any day. Hence, it is better to have on hand additional days in order to be able to manage time in the best possible manner and to work upon each business contact in a rigorous manner. In a general way, one may consider that 2 to 4 appointments can be met during any working day.

Preparing follow-up action

Preparation of follow-up action is, perhaps, the most important phase in a business mission. In fact, it consists in giving concrete shape to the contacts to be established with foreign countries. Immediately on his return, an exporter must always personally thank the parties contacted and send to them the literature requested by them or the information promised by him. Any company which does not undertake this needful, runs the risk of courting immediate failure of its contacts. The company must immediately put to good use the results of the mission. A contact which is not reactivated during the week that follows the business trip, is considered lost. This loss of contact constitutes a set-back to the business on hand and a waste of money.

Interex Services

Interex Lebanon Services proposes you to receive an estimate for the organisation of an individual business mission within the country and on the date of your choice.