10 Things to Remember When Working with International Clients

Whether you’re new to the business world or have been in the game for years and years, there may come a point where you’re ready to take things to the next level. As you grow your operation, you may want to consider moving into other markets and take your company overseas. While this signals an exciting chapter for your brand, when you’ve got international clients to work with, there are a whole load of things to consider and bear in mind.

To create and maintain healthy working relationships with international clients, here are some tips that can help keep things running smoothly and ultimately, keep your business thriving. 

Time Zone Differences 

Whether you’ve got clients in North America, Australasia, Asia, or even the Antarctic, you need to be aware that time plays a pivotal role. It’s not only the time difference you need to bear in mind but even the difference in working days and holidays. It’s always a good idea to ask clients about their convenient availability and time in advance. This will avoid any last-minute discomfort and ensure meetings get off to the best start possible. This goes both ways too. The last thing you want is to have to get up in the early hours and put a suit on for a virtual meeting! 

Adapt Your Marketing Material 

When expanding your services worldwide, you’re going to be targeting new audiences from a difficult culture. Because of this, it’s vital to localise different elements of your marketing material. That way, your audience will take more notice. What may work for you in the UK may not do the same in other territories. Languages are important in business. Therefore, updating your mission statement, slogans, USP and website are all easy tactics that go a long way in targeting international clients. To put it simply, it’s just smart business. 

Respect Differences in Culture and Language 

Each client is different. The difference could be culture, language, beliefs, or traditions. When we talk about business relationships, it’s crucial to show mutual respect to each other. Also, make sure to go into meetings and interactions with an open mind. This means not to make any judgements or assumptions. It’s beneficial to read and understand these differences before you make connections. If you have any doubts or concerns, simply ask your client for clarification. Doing so will avoid any blunders from occurring!  

Leave Nothing Up to Interpretation 

When working with international clients, you mustn’t ever leave anything up to interpretation, especially regarding correspondence in other languages. For that reason, you should use reliable translation services who can look over any documents you’re given, as well as prepare documents that you want to send. If you’re looking for translation companies, see www.rosettatranslation.com. They can do all the above and make sure communication is clear between yourself and the client. Also, they’ll ensure there’s no room for anything to be misinterpreted.  

Learn Greetings and Customs 

No one is saying you have to be fluent in your client’s language to form a partnership and work well together. Showing you know something about their culture and country through learning basic greetings and observing customs can go a long way. It will show you respect them and take your relationship seriously. If you plan to visit your client’s location, you should make an effort to learn about local customs. This will prevent you from making any faux pas that could be terrible for your business! First impressions mean everything in business, so arriving at their premises armed with this knowledge can truly make all the difference.  

Make the Most of Cloud Tools 

Working with clients based abroad can make it hard to get tasks done. There may be a lot of waiting around for documents which can slow things down and wreak havoc on your time management. Thankfully, cloud systems can help. You can work on documents simultaneously, as well as ensuring work can continue when your own office hours are done. While you may be sceptical of cloud security, it’s definitely something you should look into to keep your overheads down, while making cross-location working much simpler going forward. 

Understand the Currency Values 

One important thing to bear in mind when working with international clients is understanding the difference in currency values. As you’ll be working with a citizen from another country, it’s likely you’ll be paid in another currency too. Therefore, it’s very important to understand exchange rates between both currencies. This will avoid any sort of conflict in future.  

Follow Legal Rules and Regulations 

International business comes with a plethora of rules and regulations that you must adhere to. Each country has its own laws that companies must comply with. You must conduct extensive research about such rules and procedures before going any further. Also, it’s essential you take permissions and verify licenses that are required to transact business. 

Perform a Background Check 

This one matters more than most. When dealing with international clients, you need to make sure they’re verified and are who they say they are. Performing background checks on the client and their company operations will give you peace of mind that everything is above-board. Background checks will not only reduce stress levels but save you from any potential legal trouble.  

Make Written Contracts 

Finally, the last thing to remember is to always make legalised and written contracts while working with international clients. It’s always best to agree on payment methods, shipments, and taxes during the early stages. As you won’t be having any meetings in-person, it’s imperative to make legal and signed contracts in advance to prevent any problems from occurring. 

When working with international clients, you will be able to learn new skills faster and enhance your current skillset which can only benefit you in the long run. Because international clients may be very different from local clients, it’s vital you factor in all the above so you can create and retain healthy working relationships for many years to come.