Korea
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Country starter pack<br />
Getting started in <strong>Korea</strong><br />
33<br />
Have a good website before you go. A website for your<br />
business is your corporate brochure – prospective<br />
customers and agents will usually go straight to it to<br />
check you out. The website needs to be informative and<br />
attractive – it doesn’t need to be loaded with information,<br />
but be cleanly laid out with interesting graphics. If<br />
applicable, use customer or client endorsements<br />
and photographs to show your products or services.<br />
Make sure that contact details are easy to find and<br />
use – preferably a direct email with a photo of the staff<br />
member. Also consider having a version in <strong>Korea</strong>n to<br />
ensure it is readily accessible.<br />
Attend trade shows and exhibitions. Numerous trade<br />
shows and exhibitions take place in <strong>Korea</strong> throughout the<br />
year. They can provide an excellent opportunity to meet<br />
potential customers face to face. Arranging appointments<br />
in advance to meet pre identified contacts at niche<br />
industry events is advisable if you want to make effective<br />
use of your time.<br />
Building relationships and making connections<br />
To get the most of your visit, be well prepared before you<br />
arrive. Don’t waste valuable time in <strong>Korea</strong> doing what you<br />
can do back in Australia. Training courses and seminars<br />
that can expand your knowledge about <strong>Korea</strong> and doing<br />
business in a different culture are offered by various<br />
organisations in Australia, including Asialink Business,<br />
Austrade, the Export Council of Australia and state and<br />
territory governments.<br />
Make sure to prearrange as many of your meetings as<br />
possible, that you have information on the people you<br />
are meeting with, and that you reconfirm meetings a<br />
day in advance. Australians on the ground in <strong>Korea</strong> also<br />
strongly recommend that when traveling to <strong>Korea</strong> - you<br />
should have your next trip dates booked and arrange<br />
follow up meetings for then. This helps demonstrate<br />
to <strong>Korea</strong>ns you value the relationship, assisting to build<br />
trust. Carrying business cards is essential, and you should<br />
follow up with those who have provided their cards to you.<br />
Within 48 hours of each appointment, you should send<br />
an email thanking your contact for the meeting, providing<br />
follow-up information and noting, if necessary, that you<br />
will get back to them within a specified time period on<br />
particular requests. This will leave a good impression and<br />
demonstrate you are someone with whom business can<br />
be reliably done with.<br />
Many Australian cities have sister-city relationships<br />
in <strong>Korea</strong> such as those between Townsville (QLD) and<br />
Suwon, Parramatta (NSW) and Jung-gu, Burwood<br />
(NSW) and Geumcheon-gu, and, most recently,<br />
Strathfield (NSW) and Gapyeong County. There are also<br />
sister-state relationships, which include those between<br />
Queensland and Gyeonggi Province, New South Wales<br />
and Seoul, South Australia and Chungnam Province, and<br />
Victoria and Busan. These relationships provide additional<br />
assistance such as networking events and a network of<br />
existing relationships. Representative offices may also<br />
exist. Check with your local or state government for more<br />
details.<br />
An easy-to-navigate, well-constructed and<br />
up-to-date website is crucial.<br />
It allows you to:<br />
• Present your product to your overseas<br />
potential customers and business partners<br />
in cost-effective ways.<br />
• Project the impression of a professional<br />
and trustworthy business.<br />
• Convey that your business is “modern”<br />
and uses new technology.<br />
• Avoid problems with time differences.<br />
• Introduce and promote new products<br />
while selling directly to customers.<br />
• If possible, have a website with content in<br />
<strong>Korea</strong>n. Make sure translations are done<br />
correctly.<br />
• Design your website for a <strong>Korea</strong>n<br />
audience. Consider seeking professional<br />
help to do this as ‘trendy’ websites are<br />
crucial in <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
• To make it easier for <strong>Korea</strong>n users to find<br />
your website, host your website in <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
Having a <strong>Korea</strong>n domain name such as<br />
.kr demonstrates to your customers your<br />
commitment to having a strong presence<br />
in market.