Speaking Expert Asks: Is Your Body or Checkbook Ready For International Business? (International business quiz)
February 25th, 2008
When I receive a speaking invitation from Australia or from Europe or from Kuala Lumpur to keynote or to conduct a seminar in customer service, sales, or telemarketing, it’s an honor and it’s enticing.
The possibility of combining work and pleasure, a lucrative program with a short vacation in an exotic locale, are nearly irresistible.
But while your mind and heart are willing, your body and checkbook may not be up to the challenge.
Simply put, battling time zone changes is not for everyone, and when you consider the economics of conducting foreign business, you may come out on the wrong end of the stick, if you’re not careful.
For example, on multiple occasions I’ve been invited to do seminars in places such as Malaysia and Australia, where they tell you, up front, that their economies are so primitive that they can only pay $1,000 per day, plus economy class air fare.
If you’re used to billing three, four or more times for a speech, domestically, that has to wake you up and startle you.
But that’s just the beginning of your expenses. Even more ominous is what’s looming in terms of preparation time and recovery time.
Doing two days, six to ten thousand miles from your home base, entails at least two days of preparation, and you may need to apply and pay for a visa, and that adds time, out of pocket, and expenses.
Once you arrive, you won’t be at your best, physically or psychologically, having been on airplanes and in airports for up to and beyond 20 hours. So, if you’re wise, you’ll factor in this problem and arrive at least one, and better, two days ahead of your event.
You won’t be paid for these “vacation days,” and you’ll have to pay your own hotel, meals, and incidentals.
After doing your event, you’ll either spend more time on a mini-vacation, that you’ll pay for, and then upon returning home, you body will demand two-five days of recuperation to get back onto the local time.
Add all of this up and you’re investing 9-13 days to do two days of work.
It means you’re being paid about $200 per day to do those programs, but it’s even more likely that they’ll cost you big bucks in respect to the other business you’ll turn away and for your out of pocket for vacation related expenses.
Can your body and checkbook afford to accept international business?
The general answer is, not at the prevailing rates. To make it pay, you need to be compensated for its true costs, plus garner a profit.
In a future article, I’ll tell you exactly how I calculate these financial requirements.
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com & The Goodman Organization is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com
For information about coaching, consulting, training, books, videos and audios, please go to http://www.customersatisfaction.com
Tags: international business in uae, international business etiquete, international business culture effects, sony international and domestic business, international business college indianapolis, international business consulting, mba international business
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International Business Development
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