Marketing Professional Services In Latin America
By Joe Rodriguez, Global Innovation Leadership, Inc.

With the economic picture changing daily, people are constantly looking for new places to market their professional services, and new people to do business with. It has become obvious that to be more effective and reach a larger number of people, the answer is to go global and do business all over the world; instead of the comparatively small sector we currently work in, called the USA. Globalization works to break down the invisible barriers that limit us to working solely within the U.S. Branching out to the rest of the world can open up limitless opportunities for success.

Latin America is an area with great opportunities for building or expanding a quality professional service business due to the now-increasingly open economies encouraged by the world's globalization trend, as well as the greater ease in travel and in telecommunications in the region. The Internet is another tool, which lends itself to doing business with Latin America. With 10% of Latin Americans accessing the Internet (about 40 million people), the opportunities are great, as this 10% is not only growing but is also the wealthiest sector of the population.

As Americans, we have an intangible, but very marketable concept to sell to the rest of the world: "The American Dream." For everything the "American Dream" has done to motivate us over the years, it is just as sought after by the rest of the world. Latin America is a region in which we can find incredible success selling what is, in effect, the "essence" of America. The idea is that those things considered inherently American, such as our lifestyle, our business management know-how such as marketing, selling and the way we run our industries, are desired and needed in Latin America.

Latin Americans view the USA as the land of freedom. While these countries may live in a relative freedom themselves, many with thriving economies and excellent educational systems, our ideas and business concepts create a great deal of excitement when we present them. What we have to sell is an "Attitude," the "American Way," and an encouragement of individual and mutual success. What we have to sell are ideas and techniques. What we have to sell is "How" you can do it too. As we move towards doing business with Latin America, there are several important factors to keep in mind, in order to maintain a successful, yet pleasant and agreeable business relationship with Latin Americans clients and business partners. They are:

Make an effort to understand the country you will be working with.
This is key and vital, if you wish to pursue follow-up business and create an enjoyable working atmosphere. There will be cultural differences, and it is indeed important to do research on the country you will be doing business with. Different countries have different social and etiquette rules that need to be respected and followed. Peru has quite a different history and development than Argentina, even though they are neighbors. Traditions and culture should be respected, but also keep an open mind. The cultures may not be as different as you might expect. Cultural differences have, in the past, been over-emphasized.

Be familiar with the language; learn a few Spanish or Portuguese phrases.
It is important to learn the native language of the country in which you will be doing business. You will not be expected to speak fluently, although some knowledge is always appreciated! You will be surprised by the locals' knowledge of English--it is probably better than your ability with Spanish or Portuguese. In some cases, it is obviously to everyone's advantage to conduct your negotiations, teachings and speeches in English, rather than struggling to get ideas across in a language that you cannot speak very well. Regardless, at the very least, learn several phrases in Spanish or Portuguese that you can use to open and close your negotiations and talks

Speak simply but not down to your audiences.
It is unfortunate that we have a tendency to talk very childlike and sometimes even more slowly and loudly to people who don't speak English as their native language. This is a fatal mistake. Latin Americans learn English, in some countries starting in Kindergarten, so for the most part, they have a grasp of English and many can read it well although they may not be fluent. If you conduct your presentations speaking down to your audience, you won't find yourself creating a successful business relationship.

Getting the work.
Perhaps the largest challenge becomes how to find and negotiate work in Latin America. I have found work in Brazil through U.S. contacts. The project was with one of the largest telephone companies in Brazil, controlled by an American company. In Colombia, I partnered with an American training firm, but handled the project myself as I delivered seminars on Product Development subjects in several cities, all in Spanish.

To work in Spain, I subcontracted with one of the "BIG FIVE" accounting firms' local consulting branch, and in Mexico I used local contacts for Mexican owned companies. U.S. companies' Mexican subsidiaries were contacted directly and I also had projects along the border contracted directly by U.S. companies. The key is contacts and relationships.

And finally, when you do find yourself negotiating a contract with Latin Americans, keep a few payment details in mind: Request to be paid in American dollars. This will ensure that you are receiving your worth in your own currency, regardless of any changes in your host country's currency value. Don't be afraid to charge a premium for your services. You have a great deal to offer, which will come at a great value to them!

Joe Rodriguez is a consultant, professional speaker, facilitator and seminar leader. His company, Global Innovation Leadership, Inc., specializes in product and service development and in working with people interested in achieving a Lean Enterprise. Joe can be reached at 305-256-0961 or Joe@joe-rodriguez.com. The websites are www.global-innovation.com or www.joe-rodriguez.com