Key strategies for exporting services

An exporting company must offer something different—a specialization. This brings greater clarity in identifying the ideal customer. Specialization makes the process of taking a company abroad easier and more profitable, as you begin offering boutique services tailored to the target market, avoiding the need to compete with everyone.

The first necessary step for a company looking to export its services is to clearly identify what it will offer. My initial recommendation is to review the entire portfolio and select the exportable service that has a real value-added differential—usually aligned with the business the company understands most deeply.

Next, you must define who you are selling to. Selecting the product or service to export always helps define, with greater precision, who the potential customer will be.

The following step is deciding which market to target. This decision must be part of a strategic plan and requires prior work, with deep introspection and an evaluation of the variables that determine the needs of the target market. I recommend listing these variables in a spreadsheet, assigning weight to each, and using that to assess different countries.

Resources are always limited—not just financially, but also in terms of time, energy, and the opportunities that may arise in each market. That’s why focus is essential, and it’s important to know where your resources will have the highest return.

To achieve successful exports in the chosen market, it’s crucial to understand which companies exist there, what type of infrastructure they have, how business works in that country, what the market is like, and its political, economic, and social customs. Most likely, the product or service offered will need to be adapted to meet the needs of that market, and the same will apply to negotiation strategies and methods of building relationships.

So going back to the initial concept—instead of looking for large markets, the objective should be to specialize and seek out a niche where you can be an expert. This allows you to charge better prices and reduces competitiveness issues.

My next recommendation is: go where others don’t want to go. Foreign competitors already have the “muscle” to reach large clients and tend to ignore smaller ones. For Uruguayan companies just starting the export process, that small client can be extremely valuable.

How to enter new markets

Is it necessary to travel to internationalize my company?
Yes—and the first thing it requires is investment. If you're considering joining a trade mission because there’s a fair or event and you’re hoping that this visit will become the starting point of a foreign sales process, you must understand that it will be the first of many trips.

That’s why it's so important to plan the investment, including the capital that will be dedicated to travel. There will be fatigue, long work hours, and a likely unfamiliar environment. There will be a sense of displacement, and the entire process will affect your partner and your family. Internationalizing a company must also be a family decision, and it’s a conversation that needs to happen from the start. I share this not as technical advice, but as a human insight.

Internationalization also means having a backup plan. You’ll need trained and qualified human resources, and you must know who will travel if the founder or lead entrepreneur is unavailable. While many services can be sold remotely, there will definitely be times when you need to be there in person.

The goal is to close deals, and the most critical ingredient for this is trust—which is built through personal relationships, getting to know the other person, understanding their business, and giving them the reassurance that you’ll be there to solve any problems that arise. Projects will always face challenges; what matters is showing the other party that you are committed to finding solutions.

References and tangible proof are vital when establishing trust. I recommend lowering entry barriers by securing pilot projects or smaller tests, minimizing the risks associated with a large contract. It’s also very important to present yourself as local. You can start by renting a coworking space or partnering with local contacts who can provide a physical address.

The first reference client is critical. Many times, you’ll need to accept working for minimal profit in order to obtain that first reference and use it to show the next client a local success story.

In your first trade missions, you must maintain a constant search mentality. Whether setting up a booth or simply attending an event as a visitor, it’s important to talk to as many people as possible—they could be clients, partners, or even competitors, whom you must identify to understand what they do, whether they could be potential collaborators, or if they can become strategic allies. What matters most is maintaining an active attitude. This work must be continuous.

Mario Sánchez
CEO and Founder of GlobalizeU