Cindy King

Cindy King

King Business Tools
My name is Cindy King and I help businesses with cross-cultural marketing, international sales and strategic international social media networking.
  • 0 comments 864 reads
    Posted on 2011-07-05

    On this blog I write to inspire professionals in the trenches of international business. But this blog also attracts a high number of international business students, and yesterday I received this message on Facebook:

    I’m a recent university graduate with a major in marketing I came across ur blog and found it very interesting. I have not found a job yet but my main focus is international marketing maybe in research. I really enjoy studying other cultures. Any advice on where to look for job openings or what my next step should be?

    It’s obviously the season for questions from graduates looking...

  • 0 comments 539 reads
    Posted on 2011-04-27

    When it comes to market research for international audiences, it’s tempting to outsource everything if you can afford it. And today many people today try to do their international market research online. But when you do lots of online research you can get complacent.

    No matter what your business is, there comes a time when you must have direct contact with the people. People in your international markets.  You can pick up lots of useful information when you communicate with others in person. And this information can prove to be vital when it comes to people who live in a different country, have a different lifestyle and a different way of thinking. Unfortunately I meet a number of people who seem to avoid picking up the phone.

    Here are the most useful tips I have found when connecting with people in your international markets by phone.

    #1: Do Your...

  • 0 comments 571 reads
    Posted on 2011-04-26

    iconcatim How Collaboration Impacts User ExperienceYesterday I wrote about my recent culture shocks when comparing the American way of live to what I’m used to in Europe and how this can provide some insights for international marketers.  What surprised me was that they are all from a “green” perspective.

    There is one other area where cultural differences explain something that had puzzled me previously.

    But let me back up first…

    A Bit Of Smart Card History

    One of my first jobs in Europe was to do international market research in the banking sector.  At the time France...

  • 0 comments 1,090 reads
    Posted on 2010-12-28

    iconcatib 3 Top Excuses For Not Developing An International BusinessOne of the reasons why I started this blog 3 years ago was because I hear too many objections from businesses about why they’re not going international.

    I live in an area outside of Paris where there are a lot of small and mid-sized businesses. And almost every time I leave my house I run into a successful business owner or local business man.  After the usual greetings, and given my international business background, this person almost always tells me they want to develop...

  • 0 comments 953 reads
    Posted on 2010-12-27

    iconcaticm Better Business Blogging Building a blog takes a lot of work, and when you’re blogging for business it requires even more effort. In addition to blogging, you also need to make sure your blogging is aligned with your business model and you have to come up with a solid content marketing plan.

    The trouble is many things are in flux.  Your blogging and content marketing will change as you learn more about your audience.  And blogging requires a high level of investment that is not always easy for to sustain. Because quite simply: life happens.

    This is why the blogging journey is often bumpy.

    Break From Blogging

    For the first time in two and a half years I was forced to take a break from blogging here on this blog.  It was not planned.  But more than one thing got in the way in different areas of my life.

  • 0 comments 1,083 reads
    Posted on 2010-08-30

    The international aspect of social media can lead to some interesting discussions. Jessica Faye Carter over at Technicultr recently brought up the question of whether social sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn should collect information about their user’s ethnicity and she asked me what my thoughts were.

    The Big Roadblock To Ethnic Marketing In France

    Now I’ve spent many years in international marketing, I live in France and have a French company.  So my first thought was that a French company would not be able to do this.

    There is a law prohibiting anyone from keeping any information related to race.  This law is widely regarded as a measure to prevent discrimination, but it also severely limits any form of multicultural marketing in France.

    Here’s what...

  • 0 comments 1,743 reads
    Posted on 2010-07-04

    Culture impacts international business in a wide variety of ways. I’ve been taken by surprise many times by the extent of its impact. It’s difficult to identify all of the ways culture impacts business because culture evolves over time. This means different cultures are evolving at different speeds and in different directions.

    The advice given in books written only a decade ago can be counterproductive today. And the cultural insights we picked up on our trips after university may not help us in international business today.

    So what can you do in an environment where cross-cultural miscommunication and blunders pop up unexpectedly. Well one of the best tactics to work effectively in an international environment is to develop an open mindset.

    Open Mindset

    What is an open mindset?  It’s...

  • 0 comments 1,392 reads
    Posted on 2010-07-01
    It’s easy to tell it’s the end of the school year because I’ve had several requests for international career guidance. As it happens, I recently attended my eldest daughters graduation from University and was lucky to be visiting her through the hiring process while she landed her first “real” job.

    This reminds me of how starry-eyed life can be when you’re young and how this contrasts with the sometimes harsh world of international business.  But first let me answer the two latest requests for international career advice here.

    Cross-Cultural Career

    One reader asked me for advice on how to enter into a “cross-cultural career”. To me this seems like a bit of an odd question because cross-cultural skills are essentially strong people skills and can be used in many different careers. I don...

  • 0 comments 1,173 reads
    Posted on 2010-06-30

    In international business your clients will look for you online because they expect a certain form of communication online from an international business. But they’ll need to find you online first and this is why search marketing is critical for your international marketing success today.

    I recently came back from a trip to Toronto where I attended the Search Engine Strategies Conference. At the summit much of the talk on international search was about language and how many people fail to get the “translation” right for search marketing and this causes businesses to lose money.

    But international marketers know that language is just the visible part of the challenge. Mastering the navigation among different languages while keeping your business focus requires a deeper skill set. And beyond this, there are the...

  • 0 comments 1,968 reads
    Posted on 2010-06-28

    Here is my article which was first published on Social Media Examiner:

    Are you still using the standard Twitter backdrop? If you’re looking leave a lasting impression, you should consider swapping out that plain-Jane image for something more exciting.

    Your Twitter background helps convey your brand and convey a positive first impression.

    This is the second of a two-part series of tips to create a strong Twitter profile. In the first part, we covered the first five steps to creating your Twitter profile. Now let’s talk about your image.

    Creating Your Twitter Background

    By changing the default Twitter background on your Twitter profile, you show your...