One of my favorite professors in college was a man who was extremely passionate about his research and teaching.  One day after class I asked him how much he cared about what I learned and my grades in his class.  His response was “I care as much as you care.  If you are willing to bust your tail studying and coming to office hours, I’ll be there for you every step of the way to support you.  If you don’t really care and don’t really want to work, I won’t care that much either.”

Should you decide to export to Mexico and sell your product into Mexico through Mexican distributors, think of that professor’s mindset.  That will be your Mexican distributor’s mindset toward your product.  What do I mean?  IF YOU ARE GOING TO SELL INTO MEXICO YOU MUST SUPPORT YOUR MEXICAN DISTRIBUTOR(S)!!!!!!   IF YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THEM WITH MARKETING, TRADE SHOW ATTENDANCE/FUNDING, SOLID INVENTORY, TECHNICAL SERVICE AND SUPPORT AND SALES SUPPORT THEY WILL BECOME APATHETIC AND NOT CARE ABOUT SELLING YOUR PRODUCT!!!  PERIOD!!!

If you are interested in exporting and selling in Mexico, and your idea is to invoice and ship product south of the border while waiting for profits to roll in, think again.  You will most likely fail.  Mexican distributors are going to expect constant support from their manufacturers (and they should!!! That’s the way it works in most countries).  If one of your distributors tells you that they will be at 4 trade shows throughout the year in Mexico, and you fail to send an employee to at least one or two such events, your distributor will likely interpret this as a spit in the face.

However, when you constantly support your Mexican distributors after selling and exporting to Mexico, you will notice their interest in pushing your product.  I’ve even been in situations where Mexican distributors were so pleased with the support they were getting from manufacturers, they hired a sales rep exclusively for that manufacturer’s line!  More on supporting your Mexican distributors tonight or tomorrow with another reference to our trip to Puerto Vallarta.