Three Essential Concerns for Establishing a Workforce in Muslim Nations

1. Increasing Trade Volumes
in the Islamic World
Hints for Country Directors

2. Three Essential Concerns for
Establishing a Workforce in
Muslim Nations
1. Bilingual Sales Materials and
Manuals
2. Expatriates Versus Local
Company Representatives
3. Establishing an Office in Country
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3. Question: Can you
afford to miss
doubling sales in
Muslim countries?
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4. Bilingual Sales Materials and
Manuals
 It is important to understand that
many foreign nations do communicate
in English, but Islamic cultures will
generally resent.
 There is a sentiment that their culture
and language is not to be denigrated,
and thus local language fluency is
vital.
 The pride of any foreign culture must
always be understood and respected.
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5. ‫ثةيمانطاي كوردي‬
‫لة واشنتن‬
(WKI)
Washington Kurdish Institute
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6. Question: Are you
looking for quick
sales growth or
steady growth over
2-10 years?
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7. Expatriates versus Local
Company Representatives
 Prior to the 21st century, companies engaged
in Muslim markets had small, dedicated and
specially trained workforces.
 The personnel were conversant in applicable
tongues and had been living and doing
business overseas for extended periods of
time.
 Americans, as a rule, did not possess the
specialized skills or language fluency and
consequently there was some initial confusion
as how best to enter these markets.
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8.  Over the years a very interesting
pattern of efficiently completing
contracts and dealing in Muslim
countries emerged.
 The following table illustrates the
probability of successfully closing
contracts in the Muslim world
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9. Closing Contracts in the Muslim World
Very High
High
Medium
Low
Very Low
Expatriate without
Expatriate with comprehensive
local language Expatriate with
Local person, familiar with language skills, cultural Expatriate living in country with advanced
skills and language skills,
language and customs knowledge, living in country language skills and cultural understanding
temporarily in temporarily in country
and married to a local
country
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10. Question: Do you want to
have long term
relationships and
increasing numbers of
contracts and sales in
Muslim countries?
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11. Establishing an Office in
Country
 Not having a dedicated office in a country
definitely conveys the wrong message to
prospective clients.
 This indicates that you might not be
committed to maintaining a permanent
presence or you are not confident of
establishing a successful relationship.
 Prospective clients need to see evidence of
confidence and commitment before they
invest in products from a foreign company.
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13.  Mr. Gessner holds a Masters Degree in Public
Administration (MPA) from the Kennedy School of
Government at Harvard University.
 Mr. Gessner was the Washington Kurdish Institute
(WKI) Field Director/ Program-Manager in Northern
Iraq from October 2002 to September 2005. He has
worked throughout Iraq for more than twelve of the
past twenty years.
 He is fluent in German, English and has working
knowledge of Arabic, Kurdish and Malay.
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14. THE END
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