On October 30, at the pre-mission seminar attended by the three participants of the Germany trade mission, we discussed how to best prepare for meetings with prospective customers using the World Café formula.
Pre-departure checklist
The following is a summary of the main points covered. Not exhaustive or mandatory, this list just sets out the steps in the order suggested by the group.
Travel arrangements
- Buy airline ticket
- Reserve hotel
- Take out travel insurance
- Choose clothing suitable for the type of meeting
- Apply for a visa if necessary (see list of countries for which Canadians require a visa)
Knowledge of target market and prospective customers
- Research online and try to find market studies to get a feel for the market
- Attend an information session on the target market
- Visit the websites of prospective customers and known competitors
- Check out the LinkedIn profile of the people you will be meeting (or others depending on the market)
Tools and materials for the meetings
- Prepare an information package to distribute at the meetings
- Have important documents translated
- Prepare a “white paper” on your company in the target country’s language and send to the media a few weeks before departure
Ahead of the meeting
- Prepare your sales pitch
- Design an interview questionnaire to ensure you collect all the necessary information when meeting with prospective partners
- Define evaluation criteria and a grid to qualify the companies you meet and record information that will help you with your follow-up
I encourage you to read the next entry co-written with my colleague Bruno Séguin and to reach out to us. We can help you prepare for meetings with prospective customers by providing you with, among other things, an evaluation grid that we’ve developed for this very purpose.
Caroline Bouchard
