Over the years, I have seen a familiar picture in companies preparing to export. The product is ready, management is interested and a list of prospective customers may already exist. Yet the more fundamental questions remain unanswered: Which product will we take to which market, at what price, and for what type of customer?
When those questions are unclear, buyer outreach often produces many emails, few replies and an early conclusion that “there is no demand in this market.” The problem is not always the market. More often, the process started in the wrong place.
Starting to export does not mean starting with a buyer search
“Let us find a customer first and solve everything else when an order arrives” may sound practical. I still encounter companies that plan to deal with documentation, pricing, production and logistics only after securing interest. The difficulty appears as soon as a serious buyer begins asking questions. If the answers are not ready, the opportunity can disappear quickly. Lead times change, prices have to be recalculated, a required certificate may take months, or the cost of the proposed delivery term turns out to be unknown.
When a company tells me it wants to export, I do not begin by asking for a customer list. I first look at whether the organisation can carry the work, whether the product can meet the requirements of the target market and whether management is prepared to own the process. Buyer research becomes meaningful only after these points are addressed.
I begin with the company’s export readiness
Management’s reason for exporting matters. Replacing a decline in domestic sales, filling spare capacity or earning foreign currency may be valid concerns, but they do not provide a strategy on their own. The company should decide which product group it will support, how much time and budget it can commit, who will make decisions, and whether the effort will continue if early results take longer than expected.
Production capacity should not be judged only by total output. Can an export order be delivered without disrupting existing customers? Can the operation handle a different label, pack size, measurement or technical specification? Will the quality of serial production match the approved sample? Can purchasing and planning manage longer or less predictable supply cycles? These questions tell us more than a simple statement that capacity is available.
A quality management system is also more than a folder of certificates. The business must be able to reproduce the product consistently, trace errors, manage complaints and provide relevant records. On the people side, employing someone who speaks a foreign language is not enough. There must be a working structure connecting proposals, samples, production, shipment, payment and customer communication.
Financial capacity is often discussed too late. Samples, certification, packaging changes, long payment terms, raw-material purchases and pre-shipment costs can place real pressure on cash flow. An order may look profitable and still be difficult to execute because the working-capital requirement was not planned. Delivery capability and finance therefore belong in the readiness review.
Is the product genuinely ready for export?
A product that performs well at home will not automatically be accepted abroad in the same form. Technical specifications, use conditions, dimensions, materials, packaging and after-sales needs must be reconsidered for the target market. Sometimes the product itself is suitable while the carton size, label language or instructions create the barrier.
The correct HS code is a basic requirement. An incorrect or overly broad classification can distort market data, customs duties, permits and technical requirements. Once the classification is verified, the applicable standards, conformity documents, tests, certificates, labelling and packaging rules should be reviewed country by country.
Having certificates does not by itself make a company export-ready. It is necessary to confirm whether the document is recognised in the destination market, which product variants it covers, when it expires and whether the buyer has additional requirements. A well-certified business may still be commercially unprepared if it cannot manage its price, lead time or customer follow-up.
Export pricing is more than adding a margin to cost
A common method is to calculate production cost, add a target margin and convert the result into a foreign currency. This can help establish the company’s minimum acceptable price, but it does not show whether that price can work in the market.
The price needs to be tested against the target country, competing products and the intended position of the offer. Freight, insurance, customs clearance, Incoterms, payment terms, bank charges and currency risk all affect the calculation. Where an importer or distributor is involved, its margin, local selling costs and the final market price must also be considered backwards through the value chain.
Being the cheapest supplier is not always an advantage. A low price may raise questions about quality, continuity or delivery risk. The company should be clear about the value it offers: a better technical solution, flexible manufacturing, lower minimum order quantities, faster delivery, design capability or dependable quality. Price becomes meaningful when it supports that proposition.
The largest importing country is not necessarily your best market
A high import value is useful as an initial signal, but it is only one indicator. A large market may also have powerful competitors, established supply relationships, heavy promotional spending or demanding technical requirements. If the company’s price, capacity and sales model do not fit that structure, a large import figure does not represent an accessible opportunity.
Market growth, competitive intensity, Türkiye’s current position, customs duties, technical regulation, logistics costs, achievable price levels and distribution structures must be considered together. The company’s ability to serve the market must then be tested. A smaller but accessible market can be a better first step than a high-volume country with expensive entry conditions.
A structured target market assessment moves beyond the question “where is there demand?” Its purpose is to determine which market is commercially realistic for this particular product and this particular company.
Define the right buyer before searching for companies
In my approach, international buyer research is not the exercise of placing hundreds of company names in a spreadsheet. The fact that a website mentions your product category does not make that business a suitable prospect. Its commercial model, customer base, current brands, geographic coverage, price segment and purchasing structure need to be understood.
The work begins with an ideal customer profile. Is the right counterpart an importer, distributor, wholesaler, retail chain, manufacturer, project business or another type of B2B buyer? Basic criteria should be set for company size, sales channels, portfolio and decision-making structure. Candidates can then be identified, screened and connected to the relevant decision-makers.
The real value of international buyer and distributor development lies in this distinction. The objective is not to collect as many names as possible. It is to focus on companies with a credible commercial fit, track the outreach and manage opportunities that begin to progress.
Why does initial outreach so often go unanswered?
A long introduction describing the company’s history, machinery and complete product range may fail to answer the buyer’s basic question: “Why is this product or company relevant to me?” An initial message should be brief, specific and connected to the recipient’s business. It should be clear which product or solution is being proposed, why that company was selected and what makes a conversation worthwhile.
No reply to the first email does not mean the process is over. The message may not have reached the right person, the timing may be poor or the subject may not be a current priority. Follow-up should be systematic without becoming intrusive. A concise reminder, a relevant product fact or a clear meeting suggestion is more useful than repeatedly sending the same text.
Once interest develops, the discussion moves to samples, technical information, minimum order quantity, price, payment and delivery. Each sample should have a purpose, a responsible contact and a defined next step. Commercial negotiation is not limited to discounts; volume, delivery planning, payment exposure, territorial rights and mutual responsibilities must be addressed together.
Mistakes I encounter most often in the field
Many of the problems I see are not caused by the product itself. They arise because preparation and execution have not been connected. The same patterns recur across different sectors.
Confidence is lost when answers about price, documentation, capacity or lead time keep changing. Every detail does not need to be perfect, but it must be clear who will confirm what and by when.
When resources are spread across too many countries, no market receives enough research or follow-up. For many SMEs, concentrating on two or three priority markets is a more manageable starting point.
A list is only raw material. Without screening, decision-maker identification, relevant outreach and structured follow-up, the number of names in a file has little commercial value.
A lower price may open a conversation, but a sustainable relationship depends on quality, delivery, communication and problem-solving. Continuous discounting does not build export capability.
If certification, testing, labelling or packaging requirements are discovered only after a buyer shows interest, the opportunity may be lost. These issues belong in target-market selection.
Expecting a result from one email is unrealistic. Equally, frequent and unplanned messages can damage the relationship. Follow-up needs a defined timing, purpose and owner.
Evaluating a new supplier takes time for the buyer as well. Budget cycles, existing contracts, tests and internal decisions can lengthen the process. Progress should be managed through realistic indicators.
Decisions on pricing, capacity, investment, payment risk and contracts return to management. If management only waits for results, the team cannot move with the required authority and speed.
Reviewing these areas for a specific company is also the starting point of an export consulting engagement. The advisor’s role is not to make every decision for the company, but to help management make decisions in the right order, with relevant evidence and clear responsibilities.
A practical sequence for starting exports
Exporting is not a one-off sales activity. It is a continuous business development process in which research, preparation, implementation, follow-up and learning are managed together. Each conversation and piece of feedback provides new evidence for refining the product, market choice and commercial offer.