INTERNATIONAL MARKET ENTRY: RECOMMENDATIONS ON BUYER-SELLER LINKAGE CREATION

This article translates export promotion rhetoric into practical steps for creating durable buyer–seller linkages for Bangladeshi firms. It identifies credibility gaps—quality variance, delivery uncertainty, documentation errors—and shows how targeted interventions close them. The paper recommends pre-competitive consortia for sampling, digital catalogues with verified specs, escrow and trade-credit options that share risk, and after-sales protocols. It emphasises market intelligence, segmentation, and the role of diaspora brokers in opening doors. The analysis further proposes KPI-based support from chambers and agencies, so that matchmaking events and missions convert into signed framework agreements and repeat orders rather than stand-alone photo-ops. The piece concludes that linkages flourish when information symmetry, finance, and service discipline are designed into the export journey from day one.

The body starts with a pipeline model of export sales: prospecting, qualification, technical due diligence, trial orders, ramp-up, and key-account management. Section One specifies firm-readiness checklists—spec compliance, test reports, packaging, Incoterms familiarity, and digital documentation—paired with coaching to close gaps quickly. Section Two details discovery tools: curated B2B platforms, category-specific showcases, and data-driven outreach that targets buyers’ replenishment windows. Section Three outlines transactional enablers: export factoring, performance bonds, and neutral inspection to reduce perceived counterparty risk. Section Four focuses on service levels—OTIF delivery, complaint resolution, and warranty policies—and proposes shared service centres for SMEs to professionalise these functions. Section Five turns to metrics: conversion rates, cycle times, retention, and average order value, with dashboards that agencies and firms review jointly. The conclusion argues that market entry is less about one-off access than about building institutional memory—playbooks, datasets, and trust mechanisms—that make every subsequent deal faster, safer, and larger for both sides.