Linking the research done to this export marketing plan

In the previous two steps of the export process, you will identified a short-list of countries to focus on and you will have undertaken desk research on these countries and perhaps even visited one or two countries to do in-market research. On the basis of this research you will have identified a country (and possibly even a market segment within that country) to focus on. You will also have taken a closer look at your potential customers and their needs and will have prepared a research report. Now you need to link this research to this export plan that you are busy compiling.

Preparing a summary of the research done

What you need to do is to draw upon the findings and conclusions you outlined in your market research report and to prepare a few paragraphs highlighting the main factors that you consider to be relevant from this research. This information should not exceed a page or two and can contain several bullet points – for an example, click here. This summary or your research serves as a background to your export marketing plan and provides the reasons behind your export marketing strategies.

Other sources of research

CBI
This Netherlands organisation provides an excellent tool for researching different sectors and product groups in Europe and is highly recommended.