How to Export Goods: Two 10-Step Roadmaps

How to export has no single answer: the right roadmap depends on where your company starts. This guide covers two profiles, companies preparing to export from scratch and exporters opening up new markets, and sets out a practical, step-by-step process for each.

How to export: 10 steps for first-time exporters

If you have not yet chosen a product or a target market, work from the general to the specific.

Step 1: analyse global demand

Research demand country by country, at scale. Use data to show which regions have strong demand for which product categories. Sector reports from the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade and international trade databases are a good place to start.

Step 2: map existing suppliers and competitors

Find out who is already meeting the demand you have identified. Which countries lead, who are the major players and how are they positioned?

Step 3: analyse prices and terms

Look at the price ranges, payment terms and delivery terms competitors offer for these products. This becomes the basis of your own pricing strategy.

Step 4: choose or develop the product

Pick the product in your range that matches market demand. If it needs changes or further development to fit, pin those down now.

Step 5: prioritise target markets

Rank the markets open to that product by logistics distance, customs duties, regional trade agreements, required certificates, quotas and legal restrictions.

Step 6: complete documentation and association membership

To export from Türkiye, you need:

• A tax number and trade registry record
• Registration with an exporters’ association
• Product-specific conformity certificates (CE, ISO, etc.)
• A certificate of origin and any other documents the target country requires

Step 7: define your target buyers

Define the types of customer likely to buy your product in that country: wholesaler, distributor or retailer?

Step 8: build a prospect list and make first contact

List the companies that fit your target buyer profile and start a systematic outreach process. Email, LinkedIn and sector trade fairs are the main channels here.

Step 9: follow up, present and send samples

Follow up with interested buyers at regular intervals. Present your product and, where it helps, send free samples so the buyer can base the decision on hands-on experience.

Step 10: negotiate and close the sale

Once the buyer approves the sample, find out their target price, make your best offer and agree terms to close your first export order.

10 steps for exporters entering new markets

Companies with years of export experience need a systematic approach too. What works in a familiar market may not work in an unfamiliar region.

Step 1: run a white space analysis

Identify the countries and regions where you are not yet active. These white spaces are the map of your growth potential.

Step 2: research the region

Analyse the target region in depth: supply and demand in your sector, demographic and economic dynamics, and the trading environment.

Step 3: understand why you have not entered yet

Have you stayed out of that region by choice, or did the opportunity pass you by? An honest answer shapes the quality of every step that follows.

Step 4: map competitors and differentiate

If competitors are active in the region, position your product, pricing, after-sales service and marketing against theirs. Be clear about your strengths and weaknesses.

Step 5: no competitors? Find out why

A market that competitors have not entered can be an opportunity or a trap. Answer these questions:

• Are there local producers in the region, and what do they charge?
• Does your current product meet what customers there need?
• Are there regulatory or logistics barriers?
• Are currency risk and payment security under control?

Step 6: weigh cost against return

Set short-term investment costs (travel, adaptation, marketing) against long-term revenue potential. This gives your decision a rational basis.

Step 7: make an informed decision on risk

If the analysis is positive, take the calculated risk. When the data points to a strong position in the region, acting is less risky than waiting.

Step 8: set the strategy and build the team

Plan the target audience, product development needs, market entry campaigns, pricing strategy and the team you will assign or hire.

Step 9: contact customers and partners

Contact potential buyers as well as prospective distributors, agents and dealers in the region. Present your product and run a sample process where needed.

Step 10: close the deal and start exporting

Find out the buyer’s target price, make your offer and agree terms. Closing the first order in the new market makes your expansion official.

The two roadmaps side by side