How can foreign companies reach out and close sales with Mexican companies? The answer is ‘Mexicanization’; that is, connecting with local companies and speaking the same language.
Mexico is the country where the rules of the business game seem to have their own instruction manual. Here, ‘ahorita’ is more than just a word, it is a linguistic gem, and almost a temporal enigma that defies all logic. For those who are used to calculating time as if they were Swiss watches, well, prepare for a trip through the lands of temporal relativity.
But beyond that, the potential of the companies in this country makes Mexico a place where many of us have dreamed of coming to try our luck. My grandfather did it and so did my father and many other foreign businessmen. Some manage to establish high-value business relationships, others fall by the wayside because their biggest mistake is coming to Mexico thinking that doing business is going to be the same as in their country.
Here in Mexico, one plus one does not always equal two. Sometimes it can be three, four or even five, depending on the day and even the time. This can be disconcerting for foreigners, accustomed to a more linear and structured mentality.
Business, Mexican style
Mexico is an extremely attractive market for doing business and many foreigners arrive with the false idea that they will become millionaires in the blink of an eye. The first slap in the face of reality is given to them when they look at their numbers and their sales are zeros on the left, because they do not bother to understand that they are in another country, with another culture, another way of doing business and here Mexican companies set their own rules.
So, how can foreign companies come to Mexico and manage to close sales with Mexican companies? The answer is in ‘Mexicanization’; that is, in connecting with local companies, speaking the same language.
Mexican businessmen care about the quality and warmth of their company, they take care of all those details and want their clients to welcome them. That is why they seek alliances with businessmen who understand the value of their company and help them to make it go far. As if that were not enough, they are grateful to those who give them good results.
What I mean is that if a foreign company comes to this country and wants to close a sale, it needs a sales team capable of prospecting using Mexican cultural terms and references, to demonstrate that it is not only looking to sell a product or service, but that it has the potential to become a strategic ally for its client, that it understands them and will be there to accompany them in their growth.
Professional sales teams
Mexicans and foreigners can make a great team, this country and its people have everything to offer great opportunities for those who know how to look for them and for those who really want to do business.
The ability to adapt, the skill to negotiate in a new scenario and above all, having a sales team capable of connecting with Mexican companies, are the ingredients of the secret recipe, to take advantage of everything this country can offer.
I mean that they don’t just know how to sell, they know what they are selling, who they are selling it to, what value the product or service has for their client, but above all, they have the skills to generate valuable relationships in the medium and long term, because people come to Mexico to do business, but also to build a team.
This move has to be made with the precision of a surgeon, and it goes far beyond mastering the language or regionalisms. Mexicans appreciate the effort and dedication of those who take the time to understand their unique style of doing business. And when that connection is achieved, the results can be simply extraordinary.
So, the next time you find yourself in Mexico, keep in mind that you are entering into fertile ground of opportunities, but also of considerable challenges. Because here, business has its own sauce, and that is spicy!
Source: expansion
