Survey Instrument –
Manufacturers Currently Exporting
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Introduction:
Hello,
my name is __________ and I’m calling from Pacific Market
Research on behalf of the United States Department of Commerce’s
U.S. Commercial Service.
May
I please speak with Mr./Ms.____________________? Or “Can
you tell me the name of the person who manages or leads your
company’s international business?” (Could be a
director, vice president of international sales or
president/CEO).
WHEN
YOU HAVE THE CORRECT CONTACT PERSON ON THE PHONE:
Hello,
Mr./Ms.____________________, my name is __________ and I’m
calling from Pacific Market Research on behalf of the United
States Department of Commerce’s U.S. Commercial Service.
The Commercial Service assists U.S. companies in exporting their
products and services around the world.
We
are speaking with companies that have exported products in the
past 12 months, and would like to include your perspective in the
research. This research will provide the U.S. Commercial Service
with information that will assist them in improving their
services to U.S. exporters. This is your opportunity to
provide input, describe your experiences, and make
recommendations for change, so that the U.S. Commercial Service
can help U.S. companies to grow globally. Your name and company
will remain completely confidential from the U.S. Commercial
Service. This survey will take approximately 30 minutes to
complete. We recognize your time is valuable and the government
appreciates your participation.
When
would be a convenient time to participate in this research?
______________________
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I.
Information from Database – List
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Company
Name:
Contact:
Address:
Mfrs/Wholesaler/Service
Company:
SIC/NAICS:
Employment:
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II.
Company Information – Screening
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Before
we get started, let me confirm some information with you.
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Exporter?
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Yes
No
(thank and terminate call)
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U.S.-based?
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Yes
No
(thank and terminate call)
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Title/Role
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President,
CEO or Owner
VP/Director
or Manager – International Sales
VP/Director
or Manager –Sales and Marketing or Business Development
Other
VP/Director or Manager
Other:
_________________(If not executive or management, find another
contact at executive/management level. Avoid shipping department
contacts or export operations managers.)
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Business
Description
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Manufacturer
Wholesaler
Export
trading company or broker
Export
management company
(If
none of the above, thank and terminate call)
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Size/Employment
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________
Employees (Record actual number)
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International
Sales
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If
0%, thank and terminate call. Interviewer:
If unsure, suggest: Is it less than 5%? Over 10%? If they are
still unsure, thank and terminate call.
___________%
(Record actual number))
____________%
(Record actual number)
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International
Growth
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__________%
(Record actual number or enter “DK” for don’t
know)
__________%
(Record actual number or enter “DK” for don’t
know)
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III.
Company Information – Background
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Type
of Company
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Manufacturer
of a finished product, or OEM
Supplier
of components/materials
Job
shop/contract manufacturer
Wholesaler
/ Broker / Trading Company / Export Management Company
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Customers/Markets
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Defense
/ Aerospace
Automotive
Medical,
Health Care or Pharmaceuticals
Computer
, Information Technology or Telecommunications
Food
and Beverage
Furniture
Apparel
/ Textile products
Agricultural
and Construction Equipment
Industrial
/ Commercial Machinery or Equipment (e.g. metalworking, HVAC,
material handling)
Construction
Materials or Building Products
Consumer
Appliances and Housewares
Energy,
Power Generation and Distribution
Other
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Ownership
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Subsidiary
of another company
Family-owned
and managed
Management
owned, but non-family
Investor-owned
company
Sole
proprietor
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Revenue
Growth
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__________%
(Record actual number or enter “DK” for don’t
know)
__________%
(Record actual number or enter “DK” for don’t
know)
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IV.
International Business – Overview
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Regions
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Canada
and/or Mexico (NAFTA Countries)
Brazil
Other
countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, beyond Mexico,
Brazil
Western
Europe
Eastern
Europe, excluding Russia
Russia
China
India
Other
countries in Asia, beyond China, India
Middle
East
Africa
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Number
of Countries
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1-2
3-4
5-10
10-20
More
than 20
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Years
Exporting
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_________
Years (Record actual number or enter “DK” for don’t
know)
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Time
‘til Expansion
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ASK
ONLY OF COMPANIES ANSWERING 3 OR MORE IN NUMBER OF COUNTRIES
CURRENTLY EXPORTING TO
(Record
actual number or enter “DK” for don’t know)
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V.
International Business - Attitude
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Planning
|
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Export
Growth Orientation
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We
would like to aggressively grow export sales
We
would like to modestly grow export sales
We
would like to maintain current export sales
We
do not actively solicit export sales, and primarily respond to
foreign customer inquiries
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Path
from Moderate to Successful
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ASK
ONLY OF COMPANIES DEFINED AS “SUCCESSFUL” IN SECTION
II
Quality
of your product or service
Rapid
growth of your market
Low
price of your products versus competitors’ solutions
Patented
product or technology
Better
service than competitors
Aggressiveness
in selling and marketing internationally
What
caused you to become more aggressive about pursuing
international sales? Again, I will read a list of factors. For
each one, please tell me if it explains why you became more
aggressive internationally – yes or no.
Arrival
of new top management at your company
Arrival
of an experienced international sales manager
Gradual
shift in mindset as you gained international experience
Shipping
to overseas locations of U.S. customers jump-started your
exports (and made you more aggressive)
Strong
demand from foreign customers
Government
information and assistance programs
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VI.
Export Business Practices
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Dedicated
Employees
|
________
Employees (Record actual number)
(Include
all dedicated employees, not FTEs. Those handling both domestic
and international are not dedicated)
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Sales
Channels/
Go-To-Market
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Foreign
distributors
Foreign
reps or agents
Direct
sales – U.S. based sales people or executives
Foreign
sales offices (company-owned)
U.S.-based
export management company, export trading company, or broker
Joint
venture partners
Other
(No need to specify)
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VII.
Top Priority Assistance Areas
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Top
Priority Assistance Areas
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Now
we want to zero in on those aspects of the export business where
you face your greatest challenges.
1
2 3 4 5
Ineffective
Extremely
Effective
Developing
an international business plan or strategy
Conducting
market research or identifying the most attractive foreign
markets
Finding,
or conducting due diligence on, foreign distributors, reps and
other partners
Marketing
and selling internationally (e.g. tradeshows, sales-calls,
marketing materials)
Shipping
and preparing export documentation
Managing
payment and financing
Ensuring
sufficient production capacity to support exports
Protecting
intellectual property
Ensuring
compliance with U.S. or foreign laws, regulations and standards
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Interviewer:
Follow up on the 2 areas that ranked as least effective
(Programming
to select 2 lowest ranked areas may exclude low priority service
areas, and may also require some random selections)
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Planning/Strategy
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One
challenging area you identified was “international
planning/strategy.” Let me ask you some follow-up questions
in this area.
Developing
a written plan, with clear objectives and strategies
Identifying
key sources of growth – countries, products, sales
channels
Defining
marketing efforts
Determining
pricing
Developing
a budget and/or pro forma P&L
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Market
Research/ Attractive Markets
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One
challenging area you identified was “market research or
identifying attractive markets.” Let me ask you some
follow-up questions in this area.
Intelligence
on competitor products and services
Lists
of specific customers or prospects
Customer
needs/wants in foreign markets
Pricing
levels
Market
demand, size or growth
Country
business climate
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Partners
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One
of the challenges you identified was “finding and
conducting due diligence on foreign distributors, reps and other
partners.” Let me ask you some follow-up questions in this
area.
Finding
distributors or reps that can sell your product
Conducting
due diligence and credit/financial checks
Managing
partner relationships
Handling
legal and contractual issues
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Marketing
and Selling
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One
of the challenges you identified was “marketing and selling
internationally.” Let me ask you some follow-up questions
in this area.
Trade
shows
Trade
missions
Catalog
marketing
Advertising
Marketing
materials adapted or translated for foreign markets
Website
– your own or a distributor/rep/partner’s
Direct
sales calls by U.S. salespeople or executives
Sales
calls by distributors, reps or partners
Seminars
or other customer events
Gold
Key or other government matchmaking program
Word
of mouth or referrals from existing customers
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Shipping
& Documentation
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One
of the challenges you identified was “shipping and export
documentation.” Let me ask you some follow-up questions in
this area.
Documentation
requirements and procedures
Evaluating
and selecting freight forwarders, carriers
Identifying
the proper HS Code Classification for your product
Understanding
foreign customs requirements
Understanding
Incoterms (international commercial terms)
Interpreting
Rules of Origin
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Payment
& Financing
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One
of challenges you identified was “payment and financing.”
Let me ask you some follow-up questions in this area.
Advanced
payment, or partial advance payment
Letter
of credit
Documentary
collections
Open
account/invoice
Advanced
payment or partial advance payment
Letter
of credit
Documentary
collections
Open
account/invoice
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Production
Capacity
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One
of the challenges you identified was “ensuring sufficient
production capacity.” Let me ask you follow-up questions
in this area.
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Protecting
IP
|
One
of the challenges you identified was “protecting
intellectual property.” Let me ask you some follow-up
questions in this area.
How
and when to file for patent protection in foreign markets
How
to employ other legal mechanisms, such as designs and trade
secrets
How
and when to file for trademark protection
Protecting
IP from infringement by China and other low-cost countries
Building
IP protection into legal agreements and contracts
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Compliance
– US & Foreign (combined)
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One
of the challenges you identified was “compliance with U.S.
and foreign laws.” Let me ask you some follow-up questions
in this area. Which one
of the following aspects of compliance does your company find the
most challenging?
Complying
with U.S.
export controls and standards, administered by the Departments
of State, Commerce, Agriculture and other agencies
Complying
with foreign
market laws, product standards, and certification requirements,
such as CE Mark, testing requirements, RoHS-WEE, REACH
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VIII.
Use of Outside Services and Purchasing Behavior
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Use
of Outside Services
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Developing
an international business plan or strategy
Conducting
market research or identifying the most attractive foreign
markets
Finding,
or conducting due diligence on, foreign distributors, reps and
partners
Marketing
and selling internationally (e.g. tradeshows, sales-calls,
marketing materials)
Shipping
and preparing export documentation
Managing
payment and financing
Ensuring
sufficient production capacity to support exports
Protecting
intellectual property
Determining
price, factoring in shipping, duties and other costs
Ensuring
compliance with U.S.
or foreign
laws, regulations and standards
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Purchasing
Decision-Making
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Consultant
Trade
Association
Bank
Non-profit
Freight
Forwarder
FedEx,
UPS or other express delivery service
Federal
government agency or program
State
government
They
had the best qualifications, expertise, and reputation
They
were low cost compared to the value of services provided
We
were not aware of other organizations that provided this type
of service
They
understood our industry or market
We
had a personal connection, or previous experience with this
organization
We
found them on the Web
We
found them by asking around, getting recommendations/referrals
We
saw them mentioned in a publication – article or
advertising
We
met them at a seminar, conference or tradeshow
We
already knew them
They
found us through a cold call, direct mail or networking
Other
or can’t remember
What
publications do you regularly read to keep on top of
international markets and how to do business globally?
(Open-ended, to be coded)
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Awareness
and Positioning
|
Their
qualifications and expertise were impressive
They
had specific services we needed, such as matchmaking or market
research
Their
services were low or no cost
They
understood our industry or market
They
were recommended by a trusted source or another company
We
had a personal connection or previous experience with them
We
were unaware of the U.S. Commercial Service
We
didn’t understand how they could help us
We
don’t need outside assistance in international sales
They
don’t understand our business or industry
They
are too bureaucratic or unresponsive
They
don’t have the required expertise
Their
Web site was not helpful
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Need
for Outside Services
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What
is the most important area where you need outside help to grow
your international business? (Open ended, answers to be coded)
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