“Where are you from?” asked the 10-year-old kid who led the camel.
“We are from Israel,” I answered.
“Welcome to Jordan!” he replied instantly.
After we finished the 10-minute camel ride outside of Petra, I stepped down and tipped the young man.
It turned out that he couldn’t speak much English, but had been taught to ask that question and to greet the tourists to make them feel welcomed. This happened 15 years ago, and I still remember the kid’s words as it made an impact on me at the time.
When you travel frequently, one thing that you are been asked almost every time at the beginning of any conversation, is ‘Where are you from?’, meaning ‘In which country or region were you born or raised?’.
Why is it so important? Why is your origin a matter of interest?
This question goes back many years to when we lived in tribes.
People from the same country share the same culture, the same codes of conduct, the same beliefs, and speak in the same accent.
While visiting a foreign country, you can detect a fellow countryman from miles away.
The concept is that your country defines who you are. This generalization exists whether we like it or not.
So, when someone asks you “Where are you from?”, they really want to know if you are an ally, and what you have in common, on a national level.
Now, let’s shift this discussion to the B2B arena.
How does the location of your business affect the penetration of your brand? And I’m referring to sophisticated products, not software or services.
The right answer should be: hardly at all. But this may not be the case in the eyes of your prospective clients.
It is unspoken in most western countries, where people are politically correct. But in other countries, the origin of your brand is scrutinized.
Take Vietnam, for example. In a tender for a medical device to be used in a public hospital or facility, one of the parameters that your product is assessed on is your Brand Origin, as stated on the Free Sale Certificate.
Some countries, like Japan, get the highest score, while others, like China, get the lowest score. There is also a correction factor. If your brand is cleared by the FDA, you automatically go up two levels on the score list.
On one occasion, while I was speaking with a local physician at our booth at a medical trade show in Mexico, he requested to see the device label. Yep, you guessed it. He wanted to be absolutely sure of the country of manufacture.
In the MedTech world, everything is regulated. If your brand meets the standards in a certain class, it means that you went through all the rigorous processes to earn the certificate that shows that your product meets the right quality standard.
This is how your prospective clients should rate you in the procurement process, regardless of where you are from.
Well, it may be so in Utopia, but, not in real life.
You can’t fight prejudice, but you can try to mitigate it by creating good references. If your prospective clients get a good reference from a KOL (Key Opinion Leader), a thought leader, or any other trusted colleague, they may change their point of view about your brand’s origin.
Understanding the differences between the two nations (yours and those of your prospective client) may also help to bridge the gaps.
That is why achieving the first sales of a new brand in a new territory is so tough.
And getting the right early adopters that can vouch for your innovative product is one of the keys to your success.
As a side note, I’m writing this blog using a Lenovo X-series laptop. It’s a real workhorse, never gave me any trouble, super reliable! I don’t believe that I’ll ever switch to a different brand. To whoever asks me about purchasing a laptop, I’m a great advocate for this brand. And it’s made in China.
