Nibletz Staff
As the world has become more connected than ever, modern communication capabilities have given way to a significant rise in multinational and global businesses. Today’s businesses are no longer restricted to selling their products/services within a certain locale, but instead have the ability to sell to consumers that are thousands of miles away.
While one would think that only large businesses and corporations would have the ability to do this, the free or, at the very least, affordable nature of many marketing and communication tactics have made it possible for just about anyone. As businesses make this shift to marketing and selling overseas, however, there is still the issue of cultural differences that can make it extremely difficult to effectively sell to an international market.
To solve this problem, many startups are making the decision to hire individuals that speak multiple languages and that better understand how to decipher these cultural differences. There are several obvious advantages to having employees in various cultures. Let’s take a look at what they are.
They Create the Perception That You’re a Diverse Business
The most obvious advantage of having employees in various cultures is that it creates the perception that you’re a diverse business. When it’s clear to international consumers that you’re a diverse business, they generally place much more trust in your business and what you have to offer. Building trust is one of the most difficult challenges that modern businesses, especially those that operate online, faces.
Having diversity in the workplace helps to create and develop this trust. And it’s hard to argue the role that trust plays in the sales process.
You’re No Longer Restricted From Finding the Absolute Best Employees
Another major advantage of hiring employees in various cultures is that you’re no longer restricted from finding the absolute best employees for the job. When you’re restricting yourself to hiring within your country, or hiring only people that align with your culture, you prevent your business from having the opportunity to go after the absolute best. In a world where ideas are becoming more important than ever, hiring the best is also becoming more important than ever.
Steve Jobs, one of the greatest innovators of our time, once said:
The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.
Jobs wasn’t interested in finding the best people in the United States. He was interested in finding and hiring the best people in the world. You should be too.
They Understand What is Valuable to International Markets
One of the most difficult aspects of selling to an international market is that consumers in other countries often see value in a different way. While providing value is at the core of any business looking to sell their products/services, the way in which you show value changes as your market changes. By having employees from various cultures, you can utilize their knowledge about a market and understanding of the value concept to create a pitch that is interpreted as being more valuable internationally.
This, in turn, can help you connect with certain international markets in a way that you otherwise would have had a tough time doing.
Ability to Provide Better Customer Service
Consumers throughout the world are beginning to prioritize customer service in a way that they never really have before. People want to know that they will be taken care of when they purchase from a business, and customer service plays a large role in this. To that end, having employees in various cultures gives you the ability to provide better customer service to more people.
Just as diversity in the workplace can lead to a better understanding of how to provide value to international consumers, it also gives them a better understanding of what their needs are when it comes to customer service. As the world’s economy continues to develop, there is little doubt that more and more businesses will begin to embrace the concept of having employees in various cultures.
And, with the many advantages that doing so provides, why wouldn’t they?
