ha-va.com | Export Manager | Export Partner DACH-PL-CZ
Export DACH-PL-CZ: How Curiosity Drives Market Entry and Business Growth
Asking Better Questions: The Foundation of International Expansion
⁘ Curiosity isn’t soft – it’s strategic. It’s the edge. It’s arguably the most underrated skill in business. The best managers aren’t the ones who are certain – they’re the ones who are curious. Because great business always starts with one thing: asking better questions. ⁘
Building Export Partnerships Across DACH, Poland and Czechia
I said something along these lines recently in response to a comment on a piece I wrote. And it struck a chord – probably because the thought itself is fresh. It came to me just after a conversation with one of my clients – or rather, business partners (which feels like a more accurate word).
He shared an idea for growing his company. And the reason he brought it to me? Simple: I always ask questions. A lot of them. I dig. I poke. I try to figure out why a business might not work. But I don’t do it to play devil’s advocate or to be difficult – I do it out of genuine curiosity.
Why Curiosity Is a Core Skill in Market Entry Strategy
Ever wondered where all these “standardised” methods came from – the 6ix Thinking Hats, the 7Steps, 5Whys, SCAMPER, PDCA, GROW, 5W2H? They’re not magical frameworks. They’re just structured conversations built around asking the right questions. That’s all. And if you’ve got natural curiosity, you don’t need to memorise every framework by heart – because curiosity itself will guide you to the right questions.
Business Development: From First Meeting to Market Expansion
As for the entrepreneur I mentioned – we first met in the most ordinary way. I was trying to sell him something. But I didn’t jump into a pitch. First, I built a relationship. I let him show me his world. And, over time, I became part of that world.
Now, we explore new markets together. We look for new opportunities to grow his business. All of that, every step – started with a question.
Empowering Export Teams to Build Real-World Partnerships
One of the more telling shifts he made was this: He took the shackles off his business development team. No more being glued to desks. He let them get out into the field – where the real conversations happen. And perhaps most importantly, he gave them permission to use their own methods. Not entirely unchecked, of course – there was guidance, some guardrails, the occasional nudge. But the reins were looser.
And guess what? He later told me… quite candidly… that my ideas made him a little uneasy at first… but then he saw the results. In his own words: “they were spot on”.
That’s when I gently suggested something even more daring: that most so-called incentive systems are, in fact… demotivating. But that’s another TED Talk:)
Source: ha-va.com – We act locally in Germany and Poland to build partnerships for your business