Key services for international expansion
Market Entry
Company Search (research-backed)
1. Business Partner Search
Experience shows that it is not enough to
enter a sales partnership with an industry leader.
Brands of European family businesses are often neglected by large trading firms and cannot break through to these markets.
A research-based search enables the client to learn from benchmark companies (best practice) and to find suitable partners who prioritize your product and service portfolio.
2. M&A
Target companies are systematically identified based on a precise search profile and presented (= target group specification). 3. Strategic Manufacturer/Supplier Search
Without thorough knowledge of the entire global procurement market, companies are not able to act in the best possible way.
Based on your >specification<, we systematically locate all potential manufacturers/suppliers for raw materials, components and/or finished products, evaluate them, and recommend to you the best companies for sustainably successful cooperation.
Executive Search
(research-based)
Success stands and falls with the quality of the executives.
Top performers do not read job advertisements, we must identify the pearls and contact them directly.
The research-based search for executives
increases the chances of success in new markets.
The systematic identification and
direct approach of top performers from benchmark companies (best practice) gives the newcomer a representative overview of existing qualifications, provides information about successful market strategies and expectations of executives.
We always recommend filling two key positions through direct approach:
1st Managing Director and 2nd Finance manager.
Our modus operandi is in line with the
standards of the AESC (Association of Executive Search Consultants).
Interim Management
(Set the right course)
A new company/overseas business can be inexpensively established through an experienced interim manager. In this way, the future local manager enters a functioning organization that meets corporate standards.
It also avoids costly rookie mistakes in
new markets with diverging economic power, ethics and buying behaviour.
Interim managers practice the leadership culture and leadership technique of benchmark companies (best practice).
They are used during the search period and serve as mentors for the new job holders, guaranteeing perfect onboarding.
Key services for international expansion
Market Entry
Sales & Distribution in Emerging Markets
While Asia/Pacific as a market and/or production base is on everyone's mind, not many owners and managers of SMEs are thinking beyond the big 6 countries China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India and Australia.
The strong growth markets of South and Southeast Asia are mostly overlooked, despite enjoying decades long development and representing a huge consumer market.
Emerging markets do offer much less potential then the known big ones, but they also enable smaller suppliers a faster and sometimes more successful market entry due to lower levels of competition, especially in the premium segment.
However, some of these markets are not so easy to maneuver and local know how and cooperation are of outmost importance. We at IES-XL know these markets well and offer following services:
- Identification of potential and analysis of market situation
- Search for suitable partners
- Help to set up distributors
- Interim Sales Management to look after and develop the distributors
- Help to find the right logistical partners
Take advantage of vast untapped markets with a low risk/low invest approach!
Following emerging markets are waiting to be opened up for you:
- Mongolia
- Cambodia
- Bangladesh
- Laos
- Myanmar (limitations due to current legal conditions)
- Brunei
- East Timor
- Indonesia
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Nepal
- Bhutan
- Guam
- Maldives
- Papua New Guinea.
Executive-FIT-Review
(Real Assessment)
The creation of functionally relevant key figures (KPIs) forms the basis for the strategic leadership review. These must be accessible at all times and the responsible employee has a decisive influence on the KPI development (“entrepreneur in the company”).
When evaluating executives, we consciously refrain from using pseudo-scientific instruments. Our experience shows that "fashion tools" "come and go". Instead, we use 4 verifiable criteria that are understandable and contribute significantly to sustainable corporate success.
We have found that, for example, candidates of the second hierarchy level who were classified as insufficiently qualified 10 to 15 years ago at MNCs in the context of intelligence tests, graphological analysis, ACs, management diagnostic tests, are today broadly managing directors of well-known companies.
Our E-FIT review provides precise information about the qualifications, competencies and potential of managers and forms the basis for strategic personnel development.
In societies and markets with an autocratic leadership culture and divergent business practices (see corruption index), additional criteria must be used for the precise assessment of executives. Further information regarding CFE can be provided in a personal meeting with our team.
VIP Sales Test
The nucleus for a successful market entry (exploring market conditions and potentials).
A limited selection of key products is indirectly or directly sold for a period of 2 months in a strategic target market.
Project Manager (alternative)
- Interim Manager
- Potential sales partner
- Future incumbent (local executive).
In order to identify industry and opinion leaders, a short desk research is carried out at the preliminary stage (resistance factor).
The first imports and sales provide precise insights about quality and service expectations, local purchasing and payment behavior, potentials, the specific cost situation (import, sales etc.) and achievable sales prices (margins).
Sales tests are efficient, effective, and half the cost of a feasibility study.
Advantage: Creation of an initial customer base!
.
Services
Distressed Companies
Change & Turnaround Management
A leader of a benchmark company states: "True leaders do not stand in the way of good employees and talents."
Experience teaches us that Managing Directors must question themselves again and again regarding their leadership culture, not just in times of crisis.
Traditionally, industry leaders who stick to poor leadership become blind to opportunities and do not continuously grow.
Arrogance and mistrust towards their team scare-off good employees, cause reputational damages and have a negative impact on recruiting activities. Bad leadership prevents a company culture of „going the extra mile “. Subsequently, companies "lose momentum" and customer service excellence cannot be achieved.
But it is also a fact that in traditionally operating companies there is often a lack of meaningful and accessible KPI systems that give employees orientation, and allow strategic price management, practiced by companies with high customer satisfaction.
Most of the superiors also fail to develop enough potential successors (= central task of a leader) and thereby jeopardise corporate continuity.
Ideally, leadership talent should be systematically located and developed from within the organization, that way, improving leadership culture and productivity. If a company is not able to operate on the strength of its own resources, then external leadership talent or experienced interim managers must be engaged.
Our interim managers quickly implement a proven operating system for successful and transparent corporate leadership.
Interim Management
(Revitalize from within)
As part of the experienced “silver hair generation”, we know very well how to vitalize a company from the inside out, raise the service quality and at the same time create preferences with customers and sufficient leeway in terms of pricing policy.
Margins can then be appropriately increased through strategic price management.
Interim managers with international experience are particularly in demand in overseas markets with different ethics. Know-how theft, set-up of parallel production companies/sales organizations, creative receivables management and excessive investments are classic fraud strategies.
Certifications & Authorisations
Experience shows that even larger family businesses have difficulties with certifications and authorisations in individual Asian countries with high potential.
Different consumer expectations (HALAL, hygiene etc.) often go hand in hand with ‘black box’ bureaucracy and diverging practices by local authorities.
Our highly experienced consultants with access to the authorities will help you to shorten long waiting times or get you out of the ‘standstill’ and on track.
Services
Special Assignments
Industry Leader Review (ILR)
An intelligent, efficient and extremely informative form of industry analysis that provides you with comprehensive information about the strategy of the industry leaders and the main competitor.
Scope: Primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors.
1. Manufacturer/Supplier (Origin)
Product purity, Eco balance, safeness, long-term security of supply, potential shortages, and delays (strikes), risk of damages…
2. Trade (Reseller/Intermediaries)
Wholesaler, distributor, retail – Direct sales, Agents.
3. End-users (Consumers)
Consumers (B2C) and business market (B2B)
4. Competitors.
KPI SYSTEM
& DASHBOARD
Many companies lack transparency and target-oriented KPI systems.
KPI standards from benchmark companies are comprehensible, practicable and ubiquitous (accessible to key personnel at any time).
The success of all corporate functions is measurable. To fully exploit employee potential, part of the salary should be performance-based, depending on the area of responsibility. It is important that the bonus increases disproportionately if the plan is fulfilled by 100% or that companies double the commission rate.
- Breakthrough remuneration systems
Generous remuneration systems, as practiced by growth champions, lead to a lasting explosion in performance (productivity records and boosts) and pave the way for sustained growth and profit increase.
Sales Strategy & Sales FORCE Review
Cooperations
- Synergy Analysis Strategic Alliances
Joint AD, logistics, distribution, NPD, co-branding?
- Make or Buy?
Decision Point Field staff vs. Agents
- Sales Leadership Review
See E-FIT-Review: Role model GAM/KAM?
- Sales Dashboard: KPI-Implementation
Productivity Analysis Sales FORCE
- Fair sales territories with team acquisition
- Potential-oriented Sales
- Tour planning (Geo-Marketing)
- Commission system: Payments based on GP margin per single SKU
- Profitable Sales Campaigns (with high-volume and margin products etc.)
Need and feasibility of a Multichannel strategy.
Services
Special Assignments
Technology Upgrade (Securing future growth)
Your company is the technology/industry leader, but is slowly losing ground due to drastic technological changes and a lack of financial resources for technological upgrading.
We work with you to define the growth bottleneck or strategic gap and use a precise search specification and strategy to show you how you can find financially strong Asian family businesses with the relevant technological expertise and win them over for a collaboration.
Global Strategic Career Advice (GSCA)
Often executives only have fixed-term employment contracts.
For expatriates, towards the end of their overseas assignment, the question of the right next step in their career arises.
International strategic career planning requires knowledge of one's own competencies and global career options.
Based on your competence profile (E-FIT review), we localize potential employers for you who need your skill set and inform you about the right contact person in the company.
Even local executives are often left to their own devices when pursuing an international career. We would be happy to help you gain a comprehensive picture of your career opportunities abroad.
EU-ASIA Matchmaking Services
For many talents, career and wealth building are of priority.
Nowadays, being single and getting divorced are commonplace.
In many cases, expectations of Managers for future life partners are so excessive that the personal search for the perfect fit is extremely difficult and remains unsuccessful („Leftover Executives“).
Divorce rates >50% equally reflect that the partner was misjudged.
We help you to better assess your strengths, weaknesses and preferences and to sharpen your eye for what is feasible.
Due to our internationality, we can carry out large-scale research, localize a good number of suitable potential life partners for you and introduce you to candidates who harmonize with your expectations.
Conclusion: Potential life partners must also be specifically checked for accuracy of fit.
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