Sales and Export

 Introduction
The heart of the success of any business lies in its marketing. Some may argue that other
factors such as quality, brand, the commitment of employees, and management supersede
marketing but they could not be any more wrong. All these factors come second to marketing.
Having in mind that the consumer is the most important stakeholder in any business, they should
be the priority in the business’ plans. Marketing sees to this through making the consumers
aware of the products and services and giving them a reason to choose the company every time.
By definition, marketing is the act of introducing and promoting products and services to
potential customers in the industry. Without incorporating marketing in business, one could be
producing quality goods and provide best services, but all that would be futile if the potential
client does not know about them. Therefore, it is safe to assert that the whole concept of
marketing is getting the word out. However, just like many other factors in business, marketing
is a systematic process, and some guidelines ensure effective marketing known as marketing mix
(Berman, Berthou and Hericourt, 2012).
Marketing Mix and Sales
The marketing mix is a combination of several factors that promote the quality of
marketing. An effective marketing strategy includes product, price, promotion, and place. The
marketing strategy of business has a direct impact on the marketing export performance. The
purpose of any export business is to improve its sales to the outside countries. Therefore, the
marketing strategy should be in such a way that it focuses on the international consumers as
opposed to the local ones. The first P that the business should focus on in the marketing mix is 
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the product. The marketing team should assess the need gap of the target population and ensure
that the product is useful to them. It would be pointless to market flowers in a politically unstable
country or to advertise pork in an Islamic state. Secondly, the value of their product should be
relative to the economy of the target population and should be ascertained after evaluating the
gross financial status of the target consumers. Setting a very high price for the goods may end up
repelling international consumers who are unlikely to afford them.
Success Factors
Economic indicators are of specific importance to traders and marketers as they serve as
guidelines on what to do and what to avoid. Major market factors that shape the trends and
success of any venture include governments, international transactions, speculation and
expectation, and supply and demand. In any export business, the government plays a key role
and hold much power over the free market. The monetary policies and regulations set up by the
government of the target population should be friendly and accommodative of external investors.
For instance, the government can increase the marketing performance by decreasing the interest
rates and offering a conducive business environment through policies and security (Berman,
Berthou and Hericourt, 2012).
The second success factor is increased international transactions. Countries that are
always exporting goods and services increase the flow of foreign currency as well as creating a
good rapport with other countries. Speculations and expectations can also boost marketing
performance. Investors and consumers are attracted to a positive economy and one that is
looking to grow in the future (Berman, Berthou and Hericourt, 2012). Finally, the demand and
supply law should be taken into consideration by the organization. Before the organization can 
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go and market their products and services, they need to be sure that they are in a position to meet
the demand of the target population.
Barriers of Marketing Performance
Understanding the potential barriers to export and their implications is important in
improving the marketing performance of an organization. It is through identifying these barriers
that an organization can work on to minimize their effects. The first barrier is incompatibility of
foreign practices with the domestic business (Theodosiou and Katsikea, 2007). Such
incompatibility issues stem from managerial indifference and export value, disregard of local
products and services, interference with domestic markets, and insufficient personnel to steer the
international trade.
Some export-based organization happens to be reluctant in exploiting international
opportunities, and they risk not meeting the need gap of the domestic market which is a big fail.
The difference in export marketing strategy and performance in developed and emerging markets
is that the latter needs more time to have a solid client base which is not a requirement in
developed markets (Theodosiou and Katsikea, 2007).
Conclusion
A marketing mix is an effective marketing strategy that seeks to increase the sales of