Opening Latin America for any company is a challenge. I remember the complexities of that challenge pre-internet days. I was curious, given the times we are living in and with the Covid-19 virus spreading worldwide, what it was like opening a market in Latin America today.
I called International Sales and Business Development Consultant, Michael Roy, a true expert with opening foreign markets, especially those in Latin America to get his take on what is happening today. We discussed a specific example of when his company debuted a communications technology product with a Bluetooth user option. BT technology transmits its signal via UHF (ultra-high frequency) radio technology. This frequency required certification by local communications and aviation government institutions across all LATAM markets. “I was tasked 
with leading this process and liaised between the manufacturing plant in Mexico, our US headquarters, and each of the certifying LATAM markets,” Michael said.
Brazil has the third largest aviation market in the world. “I contacted their equivalent of the USA’s FAA and FCC to learn their requirements, procedures and timeline to better inform our US sales, marketing, engineering, and legal departments and the manufacturer in Mexico,” Michael said. “What seemed to be a straightforward process turned out to be a multifaceted challenge that involved a team effort by all departments concerned. As the product was being readied for the market, not all of our departments were prepared for what this effort would actually entail. When it comes to working with the LATAM market, there is no such things as ‘business as usual’. My colleagues were lost when confronted with the complexities of its bureaucracy, timelines, multi-tiered decision-making process, and certification requirements.”
As in any foreign country, a huge of amount of business is dependent on securing these certifications. Properly achieving certification, in a timely manner, required that Michael manage the certification’s administrative requirements across all departments. “I had to educate my colleagues on the ins and outs of doing business in LATAM, some of which are very particular to the region. I remember having lengthy discussions with my colleagues on issues such as photographing the product’s internal/external assembly; labelling the boxes being imported, the technical translation of the new user manual, and the placement of the agency’s certification code.
After six months of intensive labor, education, and teamwork we met our deadline. The new product was successfully imported into those markets and we quickly saw that there was a tremendous demand for it,” Michael said.
Bottom line? Sales spiked for the remainder of the fiscal year. The revenue forecast was the revenue pipeline would exceed $5.25M.
Watch full video interview below.
Michael can be reached via LinkedIn or his Career WebFolio.
Fred Coon, CEO
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