马利的儿子，格瑞·马利，1980年代从

美国加州洛杉矶分校获得心理学和工商管理学位后，在日本居住了几年时间。尤其在儿子刚刚开始工作时，父子俩的性格和思维方式有很大的不同。但是，在日本生活期间，感受到日本建筑市场的迅速发展，儿子自然也认识到日本也大量需要管道产品，格瑞也产生了和他父亲一样的想法。1990年年底，格瑞加入了美国好施集团，成为集团内一名全职员工，全神贯注在开拓国外市场，包括环太平洋地区的周边国家。
　　Mariscal's son, Greg Mariscal, spent several years during the late 1980s living in Japan after obtaining a degree in psychology and business administration from UCLA. Fathers and sons are seldom like-minded, especially when the younger man is just starting out. But living amid Japan's booming construction market and recognizing the consequent need for plumbing products, Greg arrived at the

same why-not question as his father. Joining Hirsch Pipe full-time in late 1990, he spearheaded the firm's efforts to expand its market beyond U.S. borders to include the countries of the Pacific Rim.

　　美国好施集团董事长认为，在开始开拓国外市场的前四年，在出口业务方面，美国好施集团相对来说还只是个新手。“在我们库存的80多个大类产品系列里，”丹尼·马利说，“只有25个大类的产品用于开拓国外市场，出口销售额占全公司的销售额还不足10%.”但是，这不起眼的销售额，在美国好施集团的长期市场规划中代表着重要的增长点。
　　Four years into the business, Hirsch is still relatively new to exporting, its president admits. "Of the more than 80 active line we stock," says Dan Mariscal, "we've developed overseas markets for just 25, accounting for less than 10% of our annual volume." But that modest share, nonetheless, represents a significant and growing factor in Hirsch's long-term marketing plans.

　　到现在，美国好施集团管理层从出口市场中学到了些什么？第一，成功并非轻而易举。老马利在一个有利可图的国家致力于开拓市场超过五年时间，才开始有所盈利。可以预计的是，在国外设立分公司成本比在美国国内还高的多。这些多出的成本不仅包括频繁的交通费用，还包括发展国外新用户，了解并遵守不熟悉的外国管理规则，更重要的是，了解外国的语言和文化所需要花费的成本。
　　What has Hirsch management learned so far about the export market? For one, success is not an overnight affair. The elder Mariscal pegs the task of developing a profitable venture within a foreign country at upwards of five years. Predictably, a foreign start-up is also more expensive than its domestic parallel. These extra costs include not only frequent transoceanic travel, but also the expense of developing foreign contacts, conforming to unfamiliar governmental regulations and, most important of all, mastering a new language and culture.

　　虽然美国好施集团可能并不太符合我们标题中的称谓，但是马利父子最近仍然乐于与本文作者列举一些错综复杂的出口业务中的一些细节。即使是些无关紧要的细节，但是对于想要开拓国外市场的批发商来说，在进入国外市场之前，最好还是对出口业务可能遇到的问题有一些清楚的了解。
　　Though they might wince at our headline, The Mariscals were glad to sit down with this writer recently to enumerate some of the ins and outs of what can be a very tricky business. If nothing else, an aspiring wholesaler-turned-exporter must clearly understand what he's getting into before plunging into foreign waters.

　　开拓国外业务所应遵循的原则
　　Guidelines To Overseas Success

　　• 建立个人感情联系：无论在任何地方，开拓任何市场的第一步是寻找和培养用户。人们通常倾向于和朋友做生意，这个原则在美国适用，在亚洲也适用。当然，出口业务使得这个原则实行遇到了一个重要的障碍，格瑞说：“语言障碍是一个所要面对的挑战。”
　　• Build personal relationships: The first step to opening any market anywhere is to find and cultivate customers. People generally prefer doing business with friends, an axiom that applies just as well to Asia as it does to this country. Of course, exporting brings one major twist on this rule, says Greg: "Language barriers are an ongoing challenge."

　　英语也许是环太平洋地区商业贸易通用的语言。但是外国人如果能够说一些当地的方言，哪怕只会说一点点 -- 对于改善合作双方的关系有一定的帮助，那样会使得买方在与外国人做生意时能够感到舒适一些。
　　English may be the language of business and trade throughout the Pacific Rim. But the foreigner's ability to speak the native tongue - even a little - will help warm relations, making the buyer more comfortable about doing business with an outsider.

　　但是，即使个人关系非常重要，也不要指望到国外市场能够逃避国内的残酷的价格战。“正如美国一样，对于大订单，价格仍然是至关重要的，”丹尼补充道，这意味着必须把成本控制在最低水平。同时，对于小订单，国外用户“往往也希望花很小的代价获取额外的服务。” -- 这一点，也和在美国一样。
　　But while personal relations are important, don't expect to go overseas to escape the domestic price war. "As in the United States, price is king on the larger orders," says Dan, who adds that this means keeping costs to a minimum. Meanwhile, on smaller orders, the overseas customer "is usually willing to spend a little bit more for extra convenience" - again, just like in this country.

　　那么作为美国批发商如何在国外做生意呢？马利父子认为，每个国家都有自己的潜在用户名录，要获取这些期望的寻价，需要应用广告、信函、产品目录、传真、口碑等各种广告形式。
　　How does an American wholesaler get the word out that he wants to do business in a foreign land? According to the Mariscals, each nation has its own trade directory containing the names of potential customers. To reach these prospects and generate inquiries, various types of advertising, direct mail, catalogs, fax promotions and good old word of mouth must come into play.

　　下一页Next