EXPORT INDUSTRY DONNELLY SPIRE
Steps to SUCCESS For companies considering entering a new market, having local knowledge and insight can be the difference between success and failure. We spoke with Donnelly Spire co-founder Andreas Schürrle to discover more about how to get this right the first time.
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here’s a lot to consider when a business decides to expand their horizons – the right market for their services, the need to understand both the market and potential competitors and budgetary concerns. There are other, less clear, factors too – the local business culture, customs, communication issues and so on. Entering a new market by trial and error, however, can prove both costly and time-consuming. So how does one land feet first and avoid the risk of failure? That’s where Donnelly Spire come in. They provide a market delivery and business development service, working with companies that appreciate the need for local knowledge but don’t want the expense of an immediate direct presence on the ground. They offer in-depth insight and experience within a number of European markets – localised information, fast track access to decision makers and a proven hands-on methodology. Donnelly Spire take a three-pronged approach. First, they spend time understanding what their client wishes to achieve. Then they create a detailed market entry plan that drastically reduces the risk element – whether logistical support or partners on the ground are required, who the main competitors will be, and any regulatory, legal or compliance factors that may be an issue. And then they go out into the market, validate their client’s local proposition and line up qualified leads. Their sphere of influence includes Italy, France, Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic and the UK – and the list is growing. “It is less costly to use a company InBUSINESS | Q1 2016
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like Donnelly Spire than to place a salesperson on the ground without any support – they are likely to fail as they are a small fish in a big pond without a boat,” explains co-founder Andreas Schürrle. “How can an Irish person negotiate a complex sale in Germany, Italy or France? You need to be fluent in the local language, but must also understand both the non-verbal language and the interests of each of the players.”
PARTNERSHIP An official partner of Enterprise Ireland, with which it conducts occasional training programmes, Donnelly Spire counts a number of Irish firms as clients, both past and present, including Dublin-based CarTrawler (one of the largest providers of car rental technology in the world) and technology firm ABM Data Systems, which develops automated customs declarations technology. Their work is quite varied – Schürrle recalls a project in collaboration with a Cork-based reseller of fitness products, which wanted to attend the FIBO trade show in Cologne – Europe’s largest fitness trade show – but were unsure of where to begin. “They didn’t know
They provide what is essentially a market delivery service, working with companies who appreciate the need for local knowledge. where to find a local stand builder, how to keep everything within the budget, and where to stay on short notice,” says Schürrle. “They contacted us about six weeks prior to the show, and we delivered everything. They had a perfect stand, material in German, and hotels. All they had to do was fly over and collect the key.” For Schürrle and Donnelly Spire, the partnership is everything. They don’t simply work with as many clients as possible, opting instead for a careful approach – they choose to work with clients for whom they can deliver real and tangible results. Most of these clients have worked with them for at least four or five years – a concrete barometer of quality and success. “Working closely with our clients, we really understand our customer needs,” Schürrle explains. “We deliver value by matching their requirements with our export knowledge, expertise and network, thereby delivering a new market.”
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