Why You Should Think Locally When You Build Globally

 

The nature of good business is growth. When that growth expands to new countries, there are a few very specific challenges that await. On this episode of the Sounds Like Success podcast, Dean Standing, International Sales Manager for AtlasIED, sat down with Sean Heath and they discussed the challenges of expanding into new countries.

The initial concern when entering a new market can be a simple language misstep, such as the one that befell Chevrolet when they expanded into Mexico, according to Standing. “They introduced a car called the Nova, which was very successful in the U.S. market. Literally, ‘no va’ means ’no go’ in Spanish. It’s kind of hard to sell a car whose name is ‘Doesn’t Go’.”

Another challenge arises when an established company attends tradeshows in multiple countries. They can’t just coast on their laurels, Standing explained. “In the domestic market, in the U.S. market, we’re having to show people that Atlas isn’t your grandfather’s ceiling speaker company anymore and that we do have complete solutions and that we do have high tech products, as well. Internationally, we’re really starting more from ground zero and having to explain who we are and what we do, in general.”

The home markets of a company can have a dramatic effect on their global approach, detailed Clay.

“U.S. companies have always had the luxury of a big enough domestic market where we can focus on the domestic market and be successful. European companies, if they focused only on their home markets, they wouldn’t do very well. So, they usually start the companies, right from the beginning, with the idea in mind that they’ve got to be global. They’ve got to extend well beyond their borders if they want to have any degree of success.”

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Pro AV Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication. A new episode of the Pro AV Show drops every Thursday.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Recent Episodes

Demand for AV integration services is becoming more complex and widespread, making it increasingly difficult for integrators to scale operations without sacrificing profitability. According to AVIXA’s 2024 Industry Outlook and Trends Analysis, the Pro AV market is projected to reach $422 billion by 2029, intensifying the need for flexible, scalable support. Amid these pressures, service…

The Pro AV industry continues to intersect with sectors like healthcare, retail, and corporate environments, making access to hands-on product demos and direct vendor conversations more important than ever. Technologies are evolving rapidly, and end users are demanding increasingly complex solutions. According to AVIXA, the global Pro AV market is projected to reach $402…

As the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) 2025 came to a close, the Icom team reflected on another successful year of meaningful connections, shared expertise, and hands-on interaction with industry professionals. Chris Vargas, Inside Sales Representative at Icom, summed up the experience with one word: personal. After months of remote communication and countless email…