Acquiring customers from Ukraine

More and more entrepreneurs are looking east, to the exceptionally absorbent and attractive markets of their countries. Therefore, they are increasingly asking questions about how to get new business clients from Ukraine? How to effectively and safely sell your product or service to a Ukrainian contractor and how to prepare for this type of transaction?

The collapse of Ukraine’s relationship with Russia is the loss of the largest trading partner for the former and the lack of access to one of the largest markets in the world. However, for competition this is an opportunity to fill gaps that have arisen after the withdrawal of Russian entrepreneurs. Many Polish company owners took advantage of this opportunity. The new market is new customers, but before you can start earning, you should win these customers, which may be more difficult than in Poland. We are dealing with another country, another language and law, and different from our business culture.

It is also worth mentioning which goods Ukraine gladly imports into itself. This awareness can greatly increase our chances of success. Above all, our Eastern client will be happy to buy used cars and spare parts for them. Food – cereals, fish, fruits – are also often and often imported. We can also consider the export of chemical products, electrical machines and furniture to Ukraine.

MARKET RECOGNITION AND MATERIALS
So what are the methods of acquiring customers from Ukraine? In this matter, first of all, good preparation counts. This applies both to the team that deals with the introduction of the company into the Ukrainian market and the product or service to be sold to customers from the east. This means that the offer and product presentation are prepared in Ukrainian or Russian, so that our contractor can freely consult them. A good, detailed and interesting presentation of the product should contain all necessary information about it and attract the attention of the contractor. If, however, you do not feel strong enough to create such a presentation in Ukrainian or Russian, then you can commission such a proper company dealing in the implementation of sales presentations. The business language in Ukraine is mainly Russian language, especially in the eastern part. All materials must be prepared in Ukrainian / Russian and this is an aspect that we can not ignore.

BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP
Another important element is the meeting with the client. It will allow you and the Ukrainian contractor to get acquainted with each other, check with whom and what we are dealing with, as well as build mutual relations and trust, so important in business matters that often involve large sums of money. This is also important because, unfortunately, in the public opinion one can come across the conviction that running business in Ukraine can easily be deceived.

It should also be remembered that the product should be adapted to the recipient there, which may differ from Polish, because it lives in completely different economic and social realities. First of all, the price should be adjusted to a new recipient who uses a different currency and his earnings differ from European ones. The price must also include exchange rates that may fluctuate, what should be prepared for. Before entering the Ukrainian market, one should check the forecasts for the hryvnia to see how its situation will look like against the Polish zloty. In practice, in Ukraine, the price is often expressed in USD, less often in EUR.

ADVERTISING AND INTERNET
Currently, in order to effectively reach customers, one should remember about the presence on the Internet and creating their place on the web. Similarly, if we want to reach a contractor from across the eastern border, we must prepare Ukrainian or Russian versions of the site and social media. Thanks to this, the potential customer will be able to easily and conveniently reach the product, get information about our business or even make a decision about the purchase. This will also significantly facilitate communication between contractors. An important aspect is also the promotion on Ukrainian portals, which our potential contractors use on a daily basis, doing business.

ANALYSIS OF COMPETITION
The new market is not only new customers, but also new competition. So when we think about how to get a client from Ukraine, we should also plan the analysis of local competition. A number of industries are dominated by oligarchs or affiliations with local senior officials. This saves us the problems that can arise when we appear on the market with a product that is already present in it in a cheaper version and better adapted to the local recipient. Analyzing products already available in Ukraine, we can also see what we can change or improve in our proposal addressed to the eastern contractor.

DIFFICULTIES AND HAZARDS
Since we already know what are the methods of acquiring business clients in Ukraine, we should look at the problems and threats that this may bring. First of all, remember to check the credibility of the contractor. You should ask for documents such as the state registration certificate certified by relevant authorities and try to get to the extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Physical Persons – Entrepreneurs. For a small fee, you can request a contractor to check if there are any tax arrears or pays on time.

It should also be remembered that language and a different legal system may also be an obstacle.

The methods of acquiring business clients from Ukraine are therefore very similar to activities on the domestic market. Good recognition of the product and target recipient, interesting offer, materials and sites in the network created in Ukrainian – all this will help us succeed.

Our article (on behalf of 4biz2.biz) also debuted on the Eksport.pl portal. Click here to go to the article.