Help! Our German branch doesn't deliver what we need.

The more accurate our assessment of your current situation is, the better prepared we will be for your first meeting. After all, we don't want to waste your - and our - valuable time with additional questions which we could clarify in advance.

Depending on the mentality and region, the initial situation varies. Americans, for example, are considered pragmatic. They often regard problems of their German branch as fundamental debates which complicate business beyond necessity. "Chinese often strike Germans as reserved and secretive," reports freyraum Senior Consultant Andrea van Baal, who has worked in Taiwan and with Chinese companies for a long time. Often one has the impression of being held responsible for things, but not receiving essential information.
At freyraum marketing, we know the sensitivities and the breakdowns in communication between headquarters and German subsidiaries. After all, we have been working for American corporations as well as for companies from China, Taiwan, UAE or Switzerland since 2011.

In publicly traded companies, time and success are measured by the quarter, and the share price is a frequent topic of conversation. A fast return on investment (ROI) is very important. Typically, there is a person in charge of everything at headquarters. There are plenty of documents. Branches are expected to execute whatever the head office decides - even if it is not suited to local realities.

For unlisted companies, it is important to understand the management's or investors' concerns: rapid growth, an IPO, or selling the company.

Owner-operated or family businesses are special. That's because every investment is about spending the owner's or the family' money. Therefore, special reasoning is often required.

A proper understanding of the sales model is vital for successful business operations. Even if headquarters and branch offices use the same terms, they do not necessarily mean the same thing. This is an important lesson we have learned over the course of several decades in business. For when a U.S. Vice President International Sales says, "business partner," he most likely refers to something quite different from what the head of his sales department in Germany has in mind.

We know the entire ICT value chain from the perspective of all stakeholders. This is because we have been serving manufacturers, distributors and system houses since our very beginnings.

Working with many international customers, we know that distribution can be a tricky issue. For example, people who work successfully with Ingram Micro in the USA often cannot understand that the rules of their channel business may not apply and cooperating with Ingram Micro in Germany does not automatically lead to a similar success story. The role of distributors, the value a collaboration is supposed to add, and the collaboration as such differ significantly from region to region. Even if the local distributors belong to the same global group.

"Talking to each other has never done any harm." This is the motto we work by. We are curious and want to get to know you, your company, and your tasks. Our business is "people business", so trust is very important for us. We believe that a positive answer to the question: "Are we a suitable match?" is an essential prerequisite for successful cooperation. After all, we don't want to waste any time - neither yours nor ours.