Export market selection: comparison of target countries and entry mode

Situations relevant to export market selection

• An exporting SME multiplies one-off opportunities without a priority market.
• A first-time exporter hesitates between several countries without comparison criteria.
• A cooperative wishes to compare the tariff access, standards and logistics of three countries.
• A producer group must choose an entry mode before committing commercial resources.
• A management team expects a 12-month export action plan based on documented scoring.

Process

1. Purchase and onboarding. The client first acquires the Export market selection intake form (CV-09). ASKonsult then opens the secure exchange space.
2. Synchronous scoping. Session 1, a 60-minute videoconference, specifies the export objectives and selects three to five countries to compare. It also sets the weighting criteria.
3. Asynchronous collection. The client then completes the intake form and submits the commercial data. Written questions flow in both directions.
4. Analysis and correction. The firm’s in-house engineering team then scores the countries: tariff access and origin, standards, buyers’ due diligence requirements, logistics and payment. Session 2, lasting 60 minutes, addresses this scoring.
5. Synchronous delivery. Finally, session 3, a 90-minute videoconference, presents the selected market, the entry mode and the action plan. It concludes with the handover of the validated deliverable.

Deliverable

Export market selection first results in a weighted comparative grid of the countries studied. A market sheet then describes the selected country. The entry mode recommendation, in addition, specifies the route of access to the priority market. Finally, a 12-month export action plan orders the steps to be undertaken. ASKonsult hands over the whole set at session 3, after a final review.

Prerequisites

The package first requires the completed Export market selection intake form (CV-09). Product sheets complete this documentary foundation. In addition, price and production capacity data are among the expected items. Time frames run from receipt of a complete file.

Frequently asked questions

How is the package quote established?

The quote rests on a qualification exchange prior to subscription. This exchange covers in particular the number of countries compared, from three to five. The special conditions then set the scope, timetable, number of sessions, expected documents and deliverable. ASKonsult then creates the order from the accepted quote. The start date also depends on the firm’s analysis capacity.

How are the sessions and asynchronous work distributed?

The package includes three videoconference sessions, 3 hours 30 minutes in total. Scoping and the scoring session each last 60 minutes; delivery, 90 minutes. Between these sessions, collection and analysis take place asynchronously, through the secure exchange space. Written questions flow there in both directions.

On what criteria are the countries scored?

Scoring first covers tariff access and origin. It then examines the applicable standards and buyers’ due diligence requirements. Logistics and payment finally complete the grid. The weighting criteria set at scoping then determine the weight of each. Export market selection thus rests on a documented comparison rather than on a one-off opportunity.

Does the package include on-site prospecting?

No. The package selects a priority market and an entry mode, without on-site commercial prospecting. The search for named importers also remains outside the service. Likewise, registration or certification procedures remain the client’s responsibility. Finally, the client remains the sole decision-maker on the market selected and the resources committed.

Does the data submitted remain confidential?

The firm treats as confidential the product sheets and commercial data submitted. These items circulate solely through the secure exchange space and serve only the purposes of the service. This obligation also survives the end of the relationship. Reciprocally, the client undertakes the same discretion with regard to non-public tools and deliverables. The client is also answerable for the accuracy of the data it submits.

Which tools and follow-ups relate to the package?

The Assistant for using the decision-support tools (IA-05) supports the completion of the tools, without issuing any opinion. When the selected market involves a contract, the Preparing for international contract negotiation package (K-21) takes over. The Preferential origin package (K-04) addresses, for its part, origin. Finally, the Steering subscription (A-02) provides recurring support.

Out of scope

The package excludes on-site commercial prospecting. Nor does the search for named importers fall within the service. Registration or certification procedures also remain the client’s responsibility. The export action plan nevertheless orders the steps to be undertaken, which the client then carries out at its sole discretion.