International Sales Manager >>
Export Sales Representative >>
Procurement Manager >>
International Trader >>
World Trade Consultant >>
International sales and procurement professionals book orders from individual customers, coordinate sales through World distributors or make purchases from World suppliers. They differ from marketing specialists in that their focus is on specific customers rather than on market-wide issues.
Sales
Sales managers and representatives identify prospective buyers, present the company’s product or service offering, and close orders for sales. In the process, they negotiate prices, payment terms and delivery conditions, within the bounds of company policy. Sales people also coordinate the preparation of bids for competitive procurements from government or corporate customers and provide liaison for ensuring that customer service needs are met.
International sales can be pursued from within the United States, but often they require calling on customers in target markets. Sales staff are generally employed by larger organizations. Smaller firms are more likely to sell products through local partners or joint venture counterparts.
Notwithstanding the trend towards partnering with local companies, many small businesses sell from the US without entering local World markets. US’s export lineup includes many products that are produced entirely in the United States and distributed around the world using the facilities of trading houses, agents or distributors.
Procurement
Procurement occupations tend to be less numerous than sales occupations, because it is traditional that sellers bear a disproportionate share of the effort required to complete a transaction. Virtually all of the American’s trading partners have Embassies or Consulates here, and sellers make major efforts to make their products known.
Procurement Managers usually have responsibility for both domestic and World purchases. Indeed, the comparison of the quality and pricing of domestic and international suppliers is a big part of their job. Larger firms have staff dedicated to offshore procurement. Smaller firms often use the services of International Traders who handle both imports and exports on a full service basis.
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