Over the years we have found ourselves at Algood doing more business in the global marketplace. If you think that our success on other continents is based on some great international strategy, you’re wrong.

Here’s the secret. We treat our global customers with the same care and attention that we provide to everyone that buys our products. In fact, the lessons that we have learned in continuing to meet the needs of local and North American customers is what drives our offshore business. While we’re proud of the trust that has been placed in us by some pretty big European companies, it doesn’t go to our head. We know that we’re only as good as our last sale and while competing globally sounds exotic, it requires the same discipline and principles that we have been using for over 45 years. Here are some of them.

Engineering is everything. The products we sell must be manufactured to stand up to failure rates measured in incidents per million, not thousand. Product failure can happen anywhere in the world and those distances represent significant risk. The solution lies in the integrity of the engineering process and extensive testing – before, during and after production. And that testing has got to match the conditions in which the product is going to be used.

Never trade quality for price. In the global market, as in every market, the pressure to bring prices down is enormous. Procurement specialists and buyers are always looking for a better deal and its tempting to “look the other way” and reduce quality to bring pricing down. But I’ve learned that it’s not worth the risk. I’d rather lose a sale than be forced to provide product that is sub-standard.

Never get comfortable. When your reputation is both domestic and world wide, you have to be incredibly responsive. You have to react quickly and accurately with samples and prototypes. Delivery times can’t be educated guesses but have to be a matter of precision. You have to be accessible 24/7 because you’re dealing in many different time zones and the way you respond to customers is often your biggest competitive edge. That sometimes means arranging a trip on a moment’s notice and traveling to see a customer half way around the world.

Keep your eye on the supply chain. Your suppliers can help you be a great supplier to your customers – but not without diligence. Do your suppliers meet your quality assurance standards? Do they provide a safe working environment? If not, you may find that a fire or some other catastrophe has suddenly cut off your supply chain. On top of that, material specifications differ from country to country. For example, steel standards vary as do plating specifications. To eliminate foul ups, you have to make sure that your communication is in common terms.

It seems to me that what many business people don’t understand is that you can’t have one set of rules for European (or any other) customers and another set for those in North America. Being successfully globally is a matter of being customer driven and quality conscience with every account – no matter where they are. In the end, the big secret is that global success is based on the same principles and way of doing business that we use with every customer.