Author: Marketing

THE PAIN POINTS SHOULD GUIDE YOU, NOT THE SPARKLE OF A SHINY PENNY

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by Jeff Fourman and Leezan Omerbell

 

Ideas are abundant. Ideas that evolve into prototypes are rare. Prototypes that become essential tools for clients are even more scarce. And if you want to talk unicorns, then build a product that becomes essential for your clients. Hopefully, your team can gain insight from CountryIntel’s lessons learned, which we compiled while applying a lean approach to creating viable products for our government client base.

Budget: When assessing the budget for product development, it is common practice to simply “go big” and request a large price tag. While this type of proposal might be accepted, the request for a large amount is often unappetizing. From experience, we discovered it is easier to pilot products with a smaller, more reasonable budget when building lean. Then you can focus on the key pain points that your prototype addresses. This approach keeps your team focused on a lean solution that can deploy rapidly with effective results and an undeniable proof of concept. With this approach, your client reaps the benefits sooner and with a greater return on investment. They will also be more likely to continue to invest in the solution with iterative enhancements to rapidly address the most problematic pain points.

Prototype: It is tempting to present a finished and highly polished product which you think is “just right” for your clients. But operating under such assumptions can present challenges. Initially developing too far down the technology roadmap for your solution is risky. You may not incorporate all the client’s feedback necessary to guide you down the right path, and you may end up wasting valuable time and funding on a solution that only partially meets the client’s needs, paints you into a corner, and creates problems of its own. If the client wants something that only partially meets their needs, they could simply buy a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solution and overpay for features they will never use or that require unwieldy workarounds to operationalize. Remember, the pain points should guide you, not the sparkle of a shiny penny.

Do not gamble with your budget and assume you know all your client’s wants and needs from the start of a development road map. Gamble long enough and you are certain to lose. Then you will have to backtrack, make costly adjustments, and potentially need to restart completely if you do find yourself surrounded by wet paint. Again, when building, keep the prototype lean and minimal at first, and keep open lines of communication with the client so honest feedback can be collected. And do not be afraid to ask, “What stinks about this prototype?”  They will tell you, and it could keep you from having to start over if there is a nagging nuisance which they are afraid to tell you about in early prototyping.

Maximize end-user feedback loop: The purpose of building a lean prototype is to provide the client and end-users the opportunity to assess the product and provide feedback and recommendations. Optimizing the end-user feedback loop enables you to make these changes and provide the client with a viable product that suits their specific needs. This also helps justify a budget to further enhance the prototype into a more robust operating product. Ultimately, this approach increases client confidence and trust that what they are paying for is exactly what they need.

 

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MY VIRTUAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

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by Lillian Dickman

 

Growing up, I was a typical student in a traditional learning environment. I sat at a desk in a physical school building, learning from a teacher in a classroom full of other students. This was my norm until my third year of college in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic turned the educational world upside down. The sudden shift from traditional schooling to a virtual environment posed a learning curve for many students, including myself. Amidst the chaos, I adapted and found positivity in this new world of eLearning. As a recent college graduate, here are my lessons learned and key takeaways from the virtual learning experience:

Easily Connect with Others: With eLearning, we connected with course instructors and students without physically meeting. Courses were able to be conducted through virtual meetings where it did not matter where people were located. This made it easier for students to be able to meet with others to get work done from the comfort of home. We could also reach instructors through online chatting at any time rather than scheduling time to visit in-person during specific office hours. Although virtual environments will never quite replace in-person experiences, I learned that it is possible to still connect when physically distant.

Learn Self-Paced: Online courses can be self-paced, and they are designed to be more flexible with your time. In the traditional classroom setting, all students must try to work and follow along at the same pace. Because everyone has different learning styles and schedules, eLearning accommodates for all these variances. Students can either fly through lessons or take more time to digest it. I was an involved and active student on campus, so it was helpful to have the flexibility to progress in certain online classes on my own time. Instead of needing to run across campus to make it to class, I could review class content, re-watch lectures, and complete coursework when I was ready to. Although I had never been able to take courses on my own time prior to COVID-19, the self-paced learning was beneficial because I was able to tailor my course completion timeline to my learning style as well as gain a sense of independence in my education.

Embrace Change: If 2020 taught us anything, it was to be adaptable. While everything was shutting down, we became more open to change around us. After being suddenly sent home from school in the spring of 2020, spending my last year of college constantly battling a pandemic was not how I expected my college years to end. It was a rollercoaster of change or, as many have described it, “unprecedented times,” with no way of knowing what the future held. Despite this, I am grateful that modern technology was still able to bring some normalcy to the world. Universities and schools began offering eLearning services to be able to continue to provide an education to students. Students then embraced this new way of learning as a way of bringing a little consistency back into our lives. Although there was an adjustment period of learning the ins and outs of how remote courses operated, I was able to find positivity and embrace change.

Prepare for Remote Work Environment: Not only were schools pushed to virtual environments, but workplaces were as well. Employees also had to go through the same learning curve with working a job from home. Instead of having people visit your desk to speak with you, coworkers ping you in Microsoft Teams Chat. Rather than sitting in a big conference room for a meeting, you sit on a Zoom call while someone shares their screen for a presentation. COVID-era students were able to prepare for this new way of working by learning the technology and software used to support remote environments while in school. As a student during the pandemic, I regularly used Zoom and Microsoft Teams as my main resources for connecting with teachers and classmates. Young professionals and recent graduates have the upper hand in having the best understanding of these online tools compared to older employees who did not have the same opportunity to study in these virtual spaces while in school. Learning things as simple as how to create and join virtual meetings or knowing how to turn the mute button on and off are things that seem intuitive but still require some training.

Since graduating from college in 2021, I have started my career in a remote environment that still heavily relies on these technologies. I am thankful I had a solid foundation of how to use these tools prior to starting my full-time position. Learning how to efficiently work from home is a skillset that has taught me the significance of both independence and time management. Overall, my biggest takeaway is that technology is an incredibly powerful and crucial tool for not only the academic world but also the corporate world.

CountryIntel Online Distance Learning Solutions: Country Intelligence Group has specific expertise in remote learning services. From curriculum design and development, eLearning, training delivery in all modes, and training/education program management, our team can craft the perfect solution for your needs. CountryIntel can help your organization easily connect with others through eLearning platforms, regardless of physical distance. I have learned through my experience with remote education that no matter how course content is delivered, students are still able to be trained and educated at the same level of excellence. Embrace the changes in today’s cutting-edge course delivery and partner with Country Intelligence Group for optimal results.

 

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BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN CONSULTING

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by Leezan Omerbell

 

There are many consulting agencies saturating the market today. As a result, being knowledgeable in a particular field is not enough to set a company apart. I have known consulting firms that were experts in their field yet failed to provide adequate services because they did not take time to truly understand their clients’ needs. These companies make two novice mistakes.  First, they assumed their services and products were adequate to meet the clients’ demands. Second, they did not listen to the clients’ concerns regarding product usability and clarity. While the consulting firm initially had the client’s business, it is doubtful the client would return to that firm in the future. Consulting is an art form. It is a precise balance between knowledge and client relations.  In this article we’ll cover the three main pillars of how to successfully build and manage client relations.  

 

Relationship Management:

It is vital for consultants to establish a professional but genuine relationship with clients. Client-consultant relations require a strong foundation, and foundations are built over time. It is important to express sincere interest in the client and an innate desire to serve. This desire to serve motivates you to learn and address your clients’ needs. Optimize each engagement by practicing active listening and being truly present in the conversation. Active engagement in conversation provides the needed tools to anticipate future needs, capture and assess blind spots, and be a better consultant by capturing and addressing your clients’ unrealized needs. This level of dedicated personal service, executed proficiently, will undoubtedly build trust over time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Trust:

A client’s trust is vital for a consultant. A client must trust the consultant’s level of skill and knowledge of the industry. Most importantly, however, a client must trust that a consultant has their best interest in mind. The goal should not be to make a profit, but rather to help your client to the best of your ability. As Joy Hubert, the former CEO of Best Buy and author of The Heart of Business, said, “profit is the outcome, not the purpose itself.” In addition, mediocre service should never be an accepted practice in a consulting firm because that is a quick way to gain a bad reputation. Providing a quality service or product should be a long-term effort practiced company wide. Make it a standard procedure for yourself and your company to actively follow up with the client after a service or a product has been delivered. When a client experiences genuine service, they will trust you and be more inclined to communicate openly.                                                                                                                                     

Communication:

We have all heard that communication is one of the most important foundations to any relationship. I think what they mean to say is that communication, through active listening and understanding, results in better relationships founded on trust. This trust helps establish a communicative environment and acts as the catalyst when you, the consultant, need to deliver bad news to the client (hopefully infrequently) or if you need to assist in maneuvering them through a difficult situation.

 

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CREATING A TEAM IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

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by Leezan Omerbell

Our company’s pivot to remote work was mostly seamless when the 2020 pandemic hit. We already implemented digital workplace tools to help manage virtual teams prior to the pandemic, and the leadership team organized efforts in the earlier days of the pandemic which provided a solid foundation to build upon. Therefore, we were ready when the opportunity for growth presented itself.  

Tools:

 First we audited our existing tools. We assessed the tools  capabilities, dependability, and ease of use. To address gaps in our capabilities, we explored which pre-existing tools could be upgraded and which tools needed to be purchased to help better manage our virtual team environment. For example, we needed a project management (PM) tool; however, not all prospective tools fit our business needs or budget. Through our research, we discovered that a simple upgrade to Microsoft 365 provided the team with SharePoint for internal document sharing and Microsoft TEAMS for communication and collaboration. We also discovered that TEAMS offered a PM-like tool called “Tasks by Planner,” sufficient for tracking and managing workloads. Auditing the current capabilities of your company saves the company money and prevents your team from having to train on a completely new product.   

Schedules:

This meeting could have been an e-mail. We have all heard someone say this, type it in a group chat, or share it as a meme. Organizing schedules is no easy task when managing a virtual team. Even when teams are not physically in an office together, you want them to be communicative and collaborative without overburdening employees with too many meetings.  How do you do balance this act? We realized our team functions best if we have a Monday staff meeting and a Friday “weekly topics” meeting. The Monday staff meetings focus on the schedule for the week, the scheduled client meeting, outstanding tasks from last week, and due outs needed before the end of the week. The Monday staff meeting begins with the Program Manager sharing his/her schedule, and then each team member provides their own schedule for the week. The Friday “weekly topics” meeting always starts formally but transitions to a more relaxed environment. In the formal portion, we discuss outstanding taskers or issues of interest across teams. To give each team member the opportunity to lead, communicate, and demonstrate organizational skills, a different individual is chosen to facilitate each of the four Friday “weekly topics” meetings for that month. These individuals are responsible for coordinating end of week topics across functional teams and capturing them on appropriate slides.  

Collaboration: 

This word has been used so much lately. You can find the definition for it easily by doing a quick search, but I would add that you, the management, set the tone for the team and ultimately influence the team’s interactions with one another. Common courtesy is important; use “please” and “thank you” often with your team. Understand your team members’ strengths and blind spots. Most of this knowledge will come with time, but having team members provide a biography combining professional accomplishments and interests, hobbies, and fun facts can provide a jump start. Making the bios accessible to the team allows members to better know one another. Use the information in the weekly meetings to get conversations going. You might have more than one team member who is very good at photography. Start a reading list of books your team members have enjoyed reading. Start a cooking club where they share their favorite recipes. Get to know your team. Be creative and have fun. Managing virtual teams comes with its own set of unique circumstances, but with the right preparation and flexibility in approach, it can add a whole new set of tools to your management arsenal.  

Be Available: This is easy enough, right? Be available for your team if they have questions.  

 

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Bet You Didn’t Think of This Before Your First Overseas Business Trip

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These are simple things, among the countless, that you can do to help make a difference when interacting with potential business partners in a foreign country:

Translate your name on business cards.  Having your name printed in the native language, especially in countries that do not speak a Romance language, is extremely beneficial for both you and your in-country business prospects.  Prepare for your visit in advance by printing business cards, and be sure to take plenty of cards with you.  You do not want to run out on your first evening in-country.

Learn “military time” and brush up on the Metric System.  Most of the world uses the 24 hour clock and the Metric System.  Learning to use both will help you stay on the same page as others in the foreign countries you visit.  Knowing the Metric System is just as important as knowing exchange rates when negotiating price.

Be prepared for others to smoke during a meeting.  Smoking in public does not carry the same taboo in much of the world as it does here in the U.S.  350 Million Chinese and 112 Indian people smoke.  After a handful of meetings and social gatherings in either of these countries, you can expect to have someone light up in your face.  Waving the smoke violently away from your face is not the best way to tell your in-country contacts that you want to do business.

Be mindful of superstitions.  Just like in our culture, other countries have superstitions of their own such as “unlucky” numbers, phrases, or chance events. Some of the countries that are most involved in international trade are also the most superstitious.  The numbers 4 and 14 are unlucky numbers in both China and Korea because their pronunciation rhymes with the word for death.  On the other hand, anyone who was paying attention during the 2008 Summer Olympics also knows that the number 8 is considered lucky in China because it rhymes with the Chinese word for prosperity.  So before your business signs that long term lease at a too-good-to-be-true rate in Hong Kong, make sure the Suite number is not 444 lest you will have trouble scheduling client meetings at your office.

In another case in point, many Japanese are superstitious of being photographed in a group of three because the person in the middle is expected to die soon. In a world full of digital cameras and smart phones, be mindful of this when you are taking the next photo op with your new Japanese partners.

All countries, and often regions within countries, have different cultural norms, standards of behavior, and superstitions.  Your best bet is to do your homework on the areas you plan to visit far in advance.  We at Country Intelligence Group want your company to put its best foot forward when representing America in the global economy. We will be happy to open up our network of in-country contacts and foreign area experts to help you plan your next overseas business venture.

 

Learn more about The Country Intelligence Group here

Corruption Risk Exposure in Latin America

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Recently an executive of a large multinational corporation shared his thoughts with us about the corrupt operating environment in Latin America.  He was amazed at how there can be such differences in the level and perception of corruption among countries in the same region.  He witnessed how his own company had two very different experiences in two separate countries where managers, who have since been relieved of their duties, were operating similar bribe schemes.

When phony invoices were discovered in Country A, the company’s manager barely escaped with his life and is likely still serving time in a not so hospitable Latina American prison.  Shockingly, when the same scheme was uncovered in Country B, the foreign government and local employees were completely disinterested in prosecuting the scam.  In fact, they gave the manager a farewell party and provided a private jet flight to his destination of choice after he was fired by the company.

The executive speaking with us was pretty sure that whoever replaced his corrupt manager in Country A would likely not make the same mistakes so long as the consequences were known.  But how would he prevent future acts of corruption by managers when they are assigned to countries known to allow or encourage bribery like Country B?

Obviously, the company’s mandatory “check-the-box” compliance training did not work, and once a new manager “goes native” he will likely be exposed to the same pressures his predecessor experienced in Country B.  He knew that he would need to take the issue seriously and would likely need to audit each overseas office one at a time.

The first task for a company of its size was to prioritize their anti-corruption efforts to focus upon countries with the greatest risk first.  Clearly, they needed to identify countries more like the second country and less like the first in which they operate.  So the hunt began for some common market level indicators of an environment ripe for corruption.

The most obvious difference between the operating environments of the two countries was the level of competition in each.  Specifically, the level of foreign competition was significantly different.  To test whether there is a correlation between corruption and foreign competition, Table 1 below was created by using Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) to rank all of the countries in the Western Hemisphere by their perceived level of corruption and cross reference each country with their top three import partners.  The number in parentheses next to the foreign importer name is the Bribe Payer Index (BPI) score that measures the likelihood for importing firms from that country to pay bribes on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 is most likely to pay and 10 is least likely to pay).

Table 1: Competition-Corruption Matrix for Western Hemisphere Countries

A quick analysis shows that typically countries with both the United States and China among the top three importers are likely to have a worse CPI rank than countries who have only the United States or only China among the top three. Also as expected, countries with only the United States, but not China, among the top three importers are perceived to be less corrupt than countries with only China but not the United States. There is also a subtle, but none the less, downward slope for the combined average BPI scores of the top three import partners as a country’s CPI rank worsens.

In short, the table shows that corruption is more likely to occur where foreign competition is stiff, and the risk of corruption increases where American firms are competing against firms from countries like China who are more likely to pay bribes than when competing against firms from countries like Singapore or Japan.

Aside from the competitive landscape that shapes the business culture in a specific country, it is also commonly known that some economic sectors are also more prone to corruption than others. Some sectors are relatively free from corruption where others are plagued by corrupt practices. Table 2 below cross-references the same list of Western Hemisphere countries with the BPI for firms in different economic sectors. Using the table, a company can plot their general exposure to corruption by identifying where the country in which they operate intersects with the economic sectors in which they participate. The top-left corner of the table will experience the least amount of exposure to corruption, while the bottom-right corner will experience the greatest amount of exposure to corruption. For example, a company in the Agriculture industry in Canada could expect to operate with near absolute freedom from corruption whereas a company operating in Venezuela’s Public Works and Construction Sector should expect with near certainty they will be pressured to pay bribes.

Table 2: Corruption Risk by Country and Economic Sector for the Western Hemisphere

Exposure to corruption increases dramatically when operating in developing countries like those in Latin America, and companies of all sizes will feel the pressure if they stay in the international realm for an extended period.  For companies already doing business abroad, the above tables can be used as a tool to help determine their exposure to corruption and to help determine in which markets to focus their anti-corruption initiatives.  For companies looking to break into a new geographic market or wishing to diversify into a new sector, the tables provide a heuristic measure that can help prioritize corruption risk among other risk factors when entering a new market.