International Press Production
International Press Production is a growing e-production management firm located at Herringston Barn near Dorchester. Since launching in 2003, IPP are already working in 63 countries worldwide, and growing fast in both China and the United Sates of America.
Bob Cottell, MD, spent a year developing his unique company and, in the future, he plans to be open 24/7 to serve the demands of his South American and Far Eastern clients.
The company specialises in storing, adapting, producing and distributing marketing materials for clients worldwide. In so doing they make clients more competitive and responsive, as well as making their lives easier. Delivering high levels of service are achieved by combining people and technology in the most effective way. The focus is on providing an effective service rather than just an efficient service.
Bob explained, “This business is all about good communications, to ensure that marketing materials are modified or translated if necessary, produced and delivered accurately in the right place, and on time. As the RLN said at a seminar I attended last year, language is only around 20% of communication. Thus sending an e-mail doesn’t mean you’ve communicated clearly with someone as it can be misinterpreted, ignored or lost, this wastes time and money and is ineffective”.
“We have given all our UK staff a Chinese name”
IPP has recently set up an office in China and expects to turnover £300,000 in this first year. Bob did a lot of research before going, including attending seminars and sourcing multilingual staff and translation agencies through the RLN “ Working with the RLN and UKT+I has been very valuable for our firm. I’m very grateful for all the help, introductions and continued assistance” he said.” We now take cultural issues very seriously. With China for example I took gifts with me, but to ensure they were appropriate, I took books about Dorset with pictures of where I’m from. This went down very well as it gives a talking point and begins the all-important relationship building process.
"We’ve also given all our staff a Chinese name, similar to how Chinese do when they are in the UK. People want to know whom they’re dealing with, as I witnessed with another businessman from the US. He started talking numbers before getting to know the client, and subsequently losing face and a business opportunity. You have to accept hospitality as it is offered and have a relaxed and open mind as well as being a seasoned negotiator. Using an interpreter is also something that should be thought about and planned for, as it can seriously affect communications.”
On his first visit to China Bob went to Hong Kong and Shanghai and is working with clients there, but has since decided on opening his China HQ in Dalian, North Eastern China as costs are 10-20% cheaper there without compromising effective communications. Bob is returning in December 2007 to recruit more staff. In the UK he’s now collaborating with Minyan Hiam from the Bournemouth based firm Business and Travel Bureau, who is also a fluent Spanish speaker.
“I hope Minyan will work for us in both China and the Americas where we plan to expand our operations by using the cost effective benefits of sourcing products and suppliers from Central America. From our experience in China we now have a business model that we shall replicate in the States”.
After meeting IPP last year, James Piriou of the RLN SW said, “IPP initially asked us for assistance in setting up in China, translating documents and sourcing multilingual staff. I’m very happy that we’ve been able to assist IPP with all three requests, and I’ve been amazed at their progress. The fact that all IPP staff now have Chinese names makes a great positive face giving gesture to their Chinese counterparts. By continuing with theses cultural initiatives there is nothing to stop IPP from taking on the superpowers! I look forward to advising them with setting up in Central America as I have worked and travelled there extensively”.
Visit the Intenational Press Production website at www.internationalpressproduction.com.
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