Unlocking Untapped Markets: A Guide to Seizing Blue Ocean Sales Opportunities

Guest: a Gojo/Purell global export executive discussing international market expansion.

Structure of the export team
Starting with a very small hybrid model, the team grew over 20 years to about 72 people spread across Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, and Europe. The model relies on distributors around the world, with local “boots on the ground” working directly with distributors, supported by corporate resources, and markets without local representation handled directly from headquarters.

Business challenges: the unknown brand
Everybody in the U.S. knew the company (and later its consumer brand), but internationally it was the “new kid on the block” that nobody knew about. The first challenge was not assuming everyone already knew the company — instead building the business around teaching people who you are.

Cultural challenges: listening twice as much
When dealing with different cultures and languages, allow more time for communication than you normally would, even when language isn’t a barrier. “God gave you two ears and one mouth — you listen twice, you talk once.” When someone is translating as they speak, pay close attention, and don’t be afraid to answer a question with a clarifying question rather than assuming you understood correctly.

Not coming across as arrogant
When establishing a relationship with an international distributor or customer, you don’t want to come across as someone who knows everything and is there to impose. Instead: “I have some knowledge, but I’m here to help you. I’m here to tell you how it was done in certain countries, but you’re the expert in your country — let’s see how it can work.”

The dumping-ground trap
Some organizations treat international markets as a dumping ground — shipping excess quantity to hit targets, using the wrong partners on the ground. This might look appealing short-term, but sending the wrong quantities to the wrong markets can do lasting damage to brand and goodwill.

Building an ongoing relationship
Once you enter a distribution relationship internationally, it needs to be an ongoing relationship with a common goal and objective — what are we going after on both sides, and what can we do to help each other bring the mission and vision to life locally.

Selecting the right partner: think globally, act locally
It all starts from the mission of the company. If the mission is centric to growing in one country, international partners won’t care about the brand and will just dump product. If the mission says “we want to be the global leader,” then you look for customers and distributors sharing that same vision.

The pandemic as an example
COVID taught that global problems are often the same everywhere — but the solutions differ based on the country’s structure, culture, and how business and government function locally. You think globally but act as a local.

Mission-vision alignment with partners
If your mission is health and well-being, and a potential partner sells cigarettes, that doesn’t work from a values standpoint — you look for partners with some commonality in what you’re trying to accomplish from a mission and vision perspective.

The gravity of a clear mission
Thoughts are things, things have gravity, and gravity attracts. The moment you can verbalize your mission and vision clearly, you create a path where people with similar values, beliefs, and goals start lining up as potential partners — then it’s about building the relationship and seeing what works.

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