bizMe

By Amelia, Minneapolis

Hi bizMe readers. I’m Amelia, International Trade Specialist with the U.S. Commercial Service. (Website www.export.gov) The main goal of the U.S. Commercial Service is to assist small- to medium-sized companies in the export of their products and services.

Five out of the seven days a week, I’m up at 5:45 a.m. and on the bus to downtown Minneapolis by 7:00. Around 7:45, I’m checking email and around 8:00 a colleague and I head to Starbucks to get our daily dose of caffeine. Until 9:00, I prep for client calls. From 9:00 to 12:00 I’m on the phone with clients discussing their international trade issues and asking them how our export resources have assisted their international business strategy. Our export resources consist of international partner search services, background checks and a plethora of other global business resources.

During lunch, I eat at my desk so I can prep for the out-of-office meeting with my client that would like training on Incoterms, export documentation, and an overview of our services. They also may need one of our services so I thoroughly research the company I am going to meet with so I can ‘soft sell’ appropriately. The research consists of reading their 10-K report, if they are a public company, and studying their website. I also pay particular attention to the cues given from their marketing materials that allude to their level of sophistication pertaining to their international strategy. In addition, I take 10-15 minutes to visit the bizMe website, so I stay fresh on the trends and current events. 

The art of multi-tasking comes into play throughout my day as I do field additional calls, work with colleagues on projects, update our website, and put together our office newsletter.

My first client visit is at 1:30, so I’m dashing out the door by 1:00 to ensure I am there 10 minutes early.

Some tips for meetings that have saved me:

• If appropriate, prepare an agenda. It especially helps you stay on track if there are multiple topics to discuss. I print and pass out the agenda if appropriate.

 

• If you’re going to be late, be sure to have the contact’s phone number available so you can call them while you’re driving.

 

• Do not promise too much during a meeting.

 

• Always follow-up if you say you are going to follow-up, even if it is a quick email that states you are busy and will address their inquiry at a later time.

 

• If you don’t know the answer, admit you don’t know the answer and let the person know you’ll find the answer through other internal resources. (People can see right through you if you make answers up.)

 

After the meeting, I head back to the office, where I enter in a “Counseling Session” that pertains to the client visit. That brings me to about 3:30. From 3:30 to 4:45, I answer emails and return phone calls. By 4:45, My Ipod’s on and I’m out the door to catch my bus.
 

What does it take to be an International Trade Specialist? First of all, it takes a strong passion for all things international. From travel to international regulations, you have to enjoy it all. I’m no international trade expert, but I do believe that what I do helps companies do business successfully abroad. I enjoy my job and that keeps me motivated to learn more. I’ll be completing my MBA August 14, 2007. Although a MBA is not required, the MBA program has been instrumental to my professional development. It’s exciting to have that general business knowledge under control, so I feel more comfortable associating with other business professionals. I have been taking night classes and working at the same time, so some things have taken a back seat, like relationships.