But the various promotional tools cited above all take a back seat
to face-to-face selling, especially during the early stages of a commercial
relationship. "Most buyers prefer the formality of a personal visit,"
says Greg.
这种方式不可避免的需要花费大量的时间和金钱，这就是为什么开拓国外市场的新手需要极大的耐心去开拓市场。“通常情况下要开始盈利，需要三到五年的时间，”丹尼提醒道。
This approach inevitably demands a great deal of time and money, which
is why a newcomer will need plenty of patience to develop a strong presence
in whatever country he chooses to penetrate. " It typically takes
three to five years to turn a profit," warns Dan.
• 要小心的不同的政治体制：在选择所要的开拓的国外市场，需要事先搞清楚：这个国家与美国的关系如何？对于国外公司来说答案似乎有比较浓厚的学术色彩，格瑞说，“人们必须研究和处理所要开拓的国外市场的政治体制，”因为这些体制对于国外业务是否能够成功至关重要。
• Beware of the political realities: Before targeting
a foreign country for export sales, you must ask: What is the state of
the relationship between that nation and the United States? The answer
to that question is more than academic for the overseas marketer, says
Greg. "You must deal with the political realities of whatever country
you're exporting into," because those realities will have a direct
bearing on the success of your enterprise.
幸运的是，在亚洲做生意比较简单，而在中东，情况就复杂很多。“环太平洋地区的官员们只是检查检查我的美国护照，”格瑞说，“他们并不关心我在来他们的国家之前究竟去过那些国家。”
Fortunately, touring Asia doesn't pose the same complexities as traveling
in the more troubled Middle East. "Pacific Rim officials just check
my U.S. passport," says Greg. "They're not concerned about which
countries I previously visited before I came to theirs."
但是，亚洲国家对于外国游客也有一些规定，特别是在其国家的逗留时间。了解这些规定，将有助于美国商人事先做好计划，将有限的时间集中在有关业务上。
Nonetheless, Asian nations do have regulations for foreign visitors,
particularly with regard to length of stay. Knowledge of these regulations
will help an American businessman focus his limited time on taking care
of business before all else.
• 要注意政府的有关规定：当然，在任何国家，不仅仅是环太平洋地区国家，政府的规定和红头文件都会成为商业人士争论的焦点。但是对于希望开拓国外市场的公司来说，有时这些规定和红头文件可能成为他们的噩梦
-- 甚至是他们打道回府，在也不敢到这个国家做生意。
• Beware of government regulations: Of course,
government regulations and red tape can be a big-time hassle for businessmen
in any country, not just the Pacific Rim. But for an outsider looking
to get in, they can be a nightmare - enough to send him packing, never
to return again.
马利父子说他们在我们自己的政府方面倒没有遇到许可证的问题。“我们的出口业务主要限于根据经销商、贸易公司和其他有国外业务关系的美国公司的订单备货和运货。我们并没有在国外或施工现场设立库存。”
The Mariscals report they've had no licensing problems with our own
government. "We keep our exporting business simple by shipping strictly
on demand to distributors, trading companies and other U.S. firms with
established overseas leads. No inventory is built here or there, and no
job site is developed."
但是，大洋彼岸远方的有关规则却是另一种情况。不久前，美国好施集团运送15套按摩浴缸到韩国，就遇到了较大的海关难题。韩国政府为了缩小与美国和其他国家的贸易逆差，颁布规定限制“豪华”产品。结果这些按摩浴缸被扣留在韩国海关长达一个多月，后来美国商务部帮美国好施集团向韩国海关交涉，才解决了这个问题。结果这家公司的15套按摩浴缸遭遇到韩国的贸易政策。
But regulations on the far side of the water are another story. Not
long ago, Hirsch encountered a major customs hassle when it attempted
to ship 15 whirlpool tubs into South Korea. The government there had instituted
a crackdown against "luxury" items in an effort to narrow Korea's
trade deficit with the United States and other countries. The items were
hung up in Korean customs for well over a month until the U.S. Department
of Commerce intervened on behalf of Hirsch. Thus did the firm's 15 tubs
become entangled in Korean trade policy.
虽然他的商品最后被释放，格瑞认识到“出口往往需要获得目的地海关官员的怜悯，这些海关官员能够自己决定特殊商品是否允许进入他的国家。好像每次进口都是个案处理，并没有什么通用的规则可以遵循。”
Though his merchandise was finally liberated, Greg knows that "an
exporter is forever at the mercy of the customs official. He can personally
decide whether a particular item should be permitted into his country.
Everyting seems to be a case-by-case situation with no general rules to
follow."
• 注意了解不同的文化：了解不同的文化远比了解如何用当地方言说您好、再见和卫生间在哪里还要重要。每个国家，包括我们自己的国家，都有自身独特的、长期形成的习惯。这些文化可能看起来有点奇怪、琐碎，甚至有点滑稽可笑。但是忽视这些文化，无论是有益的还是无意的，都可能导致非常难堪的局面并丢掉生意。
• Beware of cultural differences: Cultural awareness
goes well beyond knowing how to say hello, goodbye, and where's the bathroom
in the mother tongue. Every country, including ours, has its special time-honored
customs. They may seem peculiar, trivial, even downright humorous. But
ignoring them - willfully or innocently - can result in deep embarrassment
and lost business.
丹尼回忆说，又一个美籍华裔到中国大陆签署商业协议。为了推销他们公司的产品，他带了一些绿色的和黄色的棒球帽作为广告小礼品。中国人非常喜欢棒球帽，但是棒球帽的颜色却成为一个巨大的问题。“在中国，一个人头上戴着绿帽子，意味着他的妻子对他不忠，有外遇，”丹尼解释说。
Dan recalls an American of Chinese ancestry who visited mainland China
to consummate a business agreement. To promote his line, he brought along
a number of green and yellow baseball caps as giveaways. The Chinese have
no objetion to baseball caps, but the color was a problem - a big problem."
A green cap is worn by a person whose wife has not been faithful,"
Dan explains.
所以中国人并不喜欢绿色的棒球帽。这位美籍华裔认识到自己的错误后，连忙取出其它颜色的棒球帽，最后除了绿色的棒球帽以外，其它颜色的棒球帽都作为礼品送了出去。
So the Chinese were not at all amused. Realizing his error, the businessman
fetched new caps of a different color, and his gifts were readily accepted.
在日本，鞠躬是一种欢迎的礼节，表示尊敬，但是鞠躬过程中一声不吭。了解什么时候鞠躬，鞠躬鞠得多低，因此变得很重要。鞠躬的程度必须小心的与您的主人的年龄、社会地位和工作职称相称。
In Japan, bowing is a form of greeting as well as an expression of respect,
all without having to utter a single word. Knowing when and how low to
bow is therefore critical. The extent of the bow must be carefully calibrated
to reflect the age, social rank and job title of your host.
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出口专家 （续）