Page 72 - Food & Drink Business Nov-Dec 2019

EXPORT
Connection and articulation
Export Connect recently hosted a Food & Beverage Exporters forum at Fine Food Australia in Sydney moderated by food export consultant Najib Lawand of Export Connect. He shares some of the key take-outs from the sessions.
THE Food & Beverage Exporters forum at Fine Food Australia in Sydney showcased two panel sessions. Panellists included export managers David Malone from Simplot, Laurence Fazzari from McCains Australia, Kim Brown from Carmens Fine Foods, and Cristina Talacko from SalDoce, the 2018 NSW Food & Agribusiness exporter of the year.
In this article we share some of the insights discussed by Fazarri and Talacko including buyer presentations, negotiations and markets of opportunity.
In a future issue of Food & Drink Business, we will cover insights from Kim Brown and David Malone on market selection and entry strategies and building a business case for export in larger companies.
CREATE A PERSONAL CONNECTION
Human connections are what makes the world go round, and it is no different in the export business. Before meeting face to face, Talacko likes to build a rapport, making contact online via sites such as LinkedIn.
She advised us not just to be aware of cultural nuances, but to research and learn basic elements of courtesy like how to address someone, and to not disregard social niceties in the rush to talk about business.
It is really useful to visit the country in advance, to show knowledge of the market and prove export interest is genuine, she said.
Another way Talacko builds a connection is to tell the buyer about her business and its success story. Showing that a
business is successful in Australia is crucial to building confidence that it will be a successful exporter.
ARTICULATE YOUR SELLING POINT
A business’s selling point in a new market is what makes it unique and stand out from competitors. And that’s not always the product. A business brings added value in activation plans, marketing or details like minimum order quantities.
Fazarri and Talacko both agreed that serviceability is crucial to successful deals.
Fazarri pointed out that a great product can’t break into
a market if the business behind it isn’t ready in terms of capability, command of product details, market regulations
and certifications.
72 | Food&Drink business | November-December 2019 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au