Expert How to build an international business through a strong team

Expert: Yulia Borisenko, founder of CILCO

International business It’s not just numbers, contracts and logistics. It's people. You can build the perfect supply chain, negotiate with reliable partners, find the best routes, but if the team works inefficiently, the business will stall. Today I’m going to talk about how a strong team becomes the foundation of a sustainable international business and what mistakes can destroy it.

Why team is more important than strategy

When we started international at CILCO, I made the same mistake as many entrepreneurs: I focused more on strategies, numbers and deals than on people. But then I realized that even the most thoughtful strategy won’t work if it’s led by people who aren’t ready for international business.

An example from my experience: We once hired a commercial executive who, on joining our team, immediately digitized virtually every movement of the company and sales department. We had a huge television set on the wall, on which more than 20 digital and quantitative indicators of the company were displayed. But here's the trouble - the indicators either did not change at all, or changed with the speed of the snail.

In addition to the metrics panel, our Commercial Manager has implemented many tables, including P&L, call statistics, call quality assessments, and even week-to-month picture and chart reports. You'll say, "Wow, that's it!" It’s so cool to digitize a business, especially at a time when no one wants to work with signs and charts – it’s a success! And I'll say this: trying to digitize people is a lost cause.

Yes, there should be key metrics that the company tracks and that really impact the success of the business and the team. But it is impossible to bring this process to a systematic level, in which the main meaning is lost - team management.

How did this story end with us? We realized that our people are not being manipulated, motivated, or developed. The endless collection of figures, reports, emphasis on metrics and lack of human communication with the team led to a terrible situation – people began to burn out. Our bravest employee literally opened our eyes. Since then, we have made an important decision: working with the team above tables, digitization and total control.

Plans will not be carried out if only soulless figures are demanded of people. What’s more, we overlooked that the sales team employed people who were not qualified but were willing to make 100 calls a day. Demand from everyone was the same – numbers, numbers, numbers.

We were at a dead end. We broke up with the commercial manager almost immediately when we found out what was going on inside the team. The sales team was reassembled again, but with new principles and vision, which I will discuss below.

3 major mistakes in the formation of an international team

Mistake #1: Hire “cheap” employees and hope they grow
Many companies save on specialists in foreign trade and logistics, take "universals" who "know something" about customs, but eventually face problems. In international business, it is critical to hire professionals and build a strong team immediately.

Mistake #2: Only rely on those who are already in the company.
“Grow our people, they will learn everything” is a good idea, but not always. In foreign trade, not only knowledge, but also connections, experience in working with international markets are important. Sometimes it’s better to bring in an expert with experience than spend years training your team.

Mistake #3: Lack of a culture of internal learning
In international business, the rules are constantly changing. If the team does not develop, it loses its competitiveness. It is important to introduce a system of training, exchange of experience and regular upgrades of knowledge.

How we built a strong team at CILCO: 5 principles

1. Hiring A-players.

There is no place for random people in international business. We look for the best people, even if it takes longer.

1. Developing a culture of responsibility

Each member of the team understands that their mistake is a risk for the entire company. This creates a high level of involvement.

1. Prepare the team for crises

We model critical situations, train employees to make decisions quickly and not get lost in uncertainty.

1. Building Internal Transparency

We have clear communication processes and rules so that there is no “spoiled phone” and loss of information.

1. Creating an environment for growth

We invest in training, send employees to international forums and stimulate their personal development.

How it works for us.

• Firstly, our company has organized an internal school in two formats:

First For new employees in the form of a knowledge base that is constantly replenished.
Second - 6-month training program for students who practice in our company and want to pursue a career in foreign trade.

Our best employees can receive full compensation for training or retraining.

• Second, team selection and development are based on core values and principles:

Absolute honesty and ultimate transparency
Mutual aid
An endless desire to learn and develop

This is only a small part of our corporate culture, which allows us to build a large-scale system and not to move away from employees, to be close, to work hand in hand, to be a team.

International business This is primarily a team. If your company employs professionals who share common values, are able to quickly adapt and take responsibility, you are not afraid of any crises.

Build strong teams and your business can grow even in the most challenging environments.

Plans for the future

Our company intends to leave a mark in history, and this requires: a strong team, well-coordinated work, combining the experience of the best specialists and an irresistible desire to get better every day!

How do you build your team for international business? 

Expert contact:

Yulia Borisenko, founder of CILCO

Phone: 89260280166

Mail: Julia.borisenko@cilco-project.com

TG channel: https://tme/juliaborisenko FEA

Information about the company will be linked to the article.