Business Strategy: A global view - a local feel.

Here’s a question. In an ever-expanding, global economy how do
you keep pace with growth and change while keeping the customer-centric and
local flavor that fueled your success in the first place?

The question takes on a different shape for each business.
If you are a large multi-national brand, you work to create consistency so the
product you deliver in Panama is the same as the one you serve up in Peoria. There
may be brand nuances from a cultural perspective. However, the essence of the
product is the same. If you are a small company, the world shrinks simply due
to the Internet. All of a sudden someone reaches out to you from a place you
never expected and you quickly adjust in order to respond.

As you encounter this question -- and you will -- keep two
ideas in mind:

1. Think bigger – As soon as your brand is online,
   your exposure is unlimited. Think about how you might handle the request from a
   South American distributor that would like to represent you. Consider how you might
   address language issues around the world. Think about how different cultures
   use the products or services you offer and what adjustments might be needed to
   exceed expectations. Make plans and be ready to act -- the world is headed your
   way.
2. Behave like you are right around the corner –
   Customer experience hinges on what it is like to do business with you. That
   includes a customer experience on a website as much as what the product is like
   when it arrives to you. Recently, I returned a digital device using
   Gazelle.com. The website experience was easy and intuitive. The package they
   provided to return the product was beautifully simple. The entire process made
   me feel like I was being thought about and cared for. Act like each customer
   contact is just as important as the next. They will know you care by the way
   you behave.

Are you ready to expand your worldview? It may seem too soon
to wrestle with issues that Fortune 100 firms have been considering for some
time. However, you can find new markets, reach new heights and build a global
brand simply by thinking big and acting like you are just around the corner.

What do you think? Let us know