Perhaps, a clear understanding of the differences between export and domestic marketing Sporadic activity, undertaken on an opportunistic basis. The amount of planning effort made prior to entering foreign markets is limited. In such a situation, exporting can not become a continuous and a sustained activity. “Perhaps the biggest mistake that a manufacturer can make in the development of is export business is to permit it to develop on an opportunistic basis- to let the foreign demand for his product force the development and direction of his export business”

In order to make exporting a sustained and continuous activity, it is necessary to undertake systematic planning on a long-term basis. This kind of strategic planning creates a framework for making operating decisions with relation to marketing in foreign countries. It is obvious that accurate information about the market variables is an essential input for systematic planning. Export Marketing Research can provide these inputs and facilitate decision making at various organizational levels.

Perhaps, a clear understanding of the differences between export and domestic marketing would aid appreciation of the important role played by research in successful export ventures. This is not intended to suggest that there is any fundamental difference between export and domestic marketing. The basis principles remain the same in both the cases though the perspective in which they are viewed changes substantially. Firstly, the distance between an exporter and his customers is ordinarily much wider than in the domestic market. This distance primarily connotes the marketing distance rather than the physical distance. The marketing distance is created by intermediaries standing between the exporter and the ultimate consumers of his products and the cultural distance arising our of the fact that these consumers are members of another culture and society. All these distances, together produce an information gap that must be overcome if a company is to plan its export sales rationally. A clear understanding of the information required to fill up this gap is of paramount importance.

As explained earlier, market research is a tool for systematic planning. It is, therefore, important to understand the planning process involved in export marketing that would lead to the various stages in which the information collection function can be undertaken.

The number of world-markets being very large, it is neither possible nor advisable for any one company to cater to all of them. A selective approach is necessary in the choice of export markets and therefore identification of market opportunities become an important function. On the basis of preliminary screening it is possible to eliminate many unsuitable countries from the large number of available alternatives. After narrowing down the number of alternatives, a more detailed analysis should be carried out to identify various segments of the market and to determine the sales potential of these segments. This analysis would lead to a final selection of export markets. Having made this selection, export objectives can now be set up and strategic planning of the various elements of marketing necessary to achieve these objectives can be undertaken. The next step in planning involves making this strategy operational by initiating a number of operational decisions through sales and profit budgeting manpower planning etc.