How to Revolutionize
Exports?
The Case of Estonia
Anu-Mall Naarits
General Manager
Marketingi Instituut
Estonia
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Re-independent since 1991
45,227 km2 (similar in size to
Denmark or the Netherlands)
1.34 million (68% Estonians,
25 % Russians)
Capital Tallinn (403,000)
Estonian
Currency Euro (2011)
Member of EU and NATO
(2004)
Member of Schengen zone
(2007)
http://www.investinestonia.c
om/?internalUrl=whyInvestIn
Estonia
Key sectors
 ICT and electronics
 Transport and logistics
services
 Business and financial
services
 Industrial machinery
and metalworking
Main economic indicators, 2010
GDP real growth (%)
3.1
GDP (current prices, billion EUR)
14.5
GDP deflator (%)
1.5
Consumer price index (%)
2.7
Employment (15–74 years old, thousands)
570.9
Employment growth (%)
-4.2
Unemployment rate (ILO)
16.9
Average wage (EUR)
791
Wage real growth (%)
-2.0
Current account (% of GDP)
3.6
GDP growth and inflation, 2002-2010
15
15
10,2
9,2
10
7,8
7,1
10
7,5
7,1
5
5
3,1
0
0
2002
2003
2004
-15
Source: Statistics Estonia
2006
2007
2008
2009
-3,6
-5
-10
2005
2010
-5
-10
gdp growth
inflation
-14,1
-15
A NEW TRAINING PROGRAM TO BE
LAUNCHED
Goals for the new program
• Increase export
• Help companies to find new export sales
managers
• Decrease unemployment among
graduates
The program
• Recruit 25 new export
sales managers to 25
companies
• 12 month export
training
• Personal mentor
• Study visits abroad
company
mentor
export sales
manager
Requirements
25 export sales managers
• Graduates
• 1st or 2nd job
• Fluent English, Estonian
+ 1 foreign language
• Experience from abroad
• Motivated to start sales
career
25 export companies
• Min 640 000 euros
export sales
• 20 - 250 employees
• Production or services
• Targets a new market
• Employs a new export
sales manager for 12
months
• Or appoints a person
from other position
Challenge to recruit
25 export sales managers
25 export companies
…during 2 months or the program would not start
Strategy
• Nationwide intensive media
communication to maximize the amount
of applicants
• Group selections to speed the process up
• Communicate clear course of actions to
partners, get them committed
Maximise
applications (3
weeks)
Test and
approve (1
week)
Match
companies with
candidates (3
weeks)
Match with
coaches (2
weeks)
CHALLENGE 1: GET ENOUGH
APPLICATIONS
Media campaign
• Intriguing name: Export
revolution
• Press conference
• 80 articles
• Advertising in central
media
• Mailing lists and
networks
• Social media
• Telemarketing for
companies
Results
Export sales managers
• 511 applicants
• 189 qualified
• 120 passed the language
test
Export companies
• 67 applicants
• 35 qualified
CHALLENGE 2: MATCHING
COMPANIES AND CANDIDATES
Challenges
• High risk decision for both parties
• Candidates with no previous experience
• How to know the sales potential of 120
candidates with almost no time?
Work fair
Schedule
• 5 days pre fair access to CV-s / to companies’
information
• 30 min pre-briefing
• 1 hour 120 candidates meet the 27 companies
• 30 min select up to 10 best candidates
• 1 hour schedule interviews
• up to 10 interviews 25+5 minutes
• Selection narrowed to 4-6 candidates
Final selection
• Managed by companies
– Meetings in companies
– Tests
– Personal assignments
– Group works
• First 25 got into the program
CHALLENGE 3: MATCH COMPANIES
AND COACHES
Matching with coaches
• 10 coaches
• 25 companies + 25 new export sales
managers
• Speed date 5 minutes meetings
• combination based on their preferences
LESSONS LEARNED
Key success factors
• Media support created an image of VIP (Very Important
Program). Meaningful name and “mission impossible”
were well understood!
• Extreme speed of recruitment sorted out the most
motivated from both sides
• Sense of competition increased speed of decision
making
• Daily internal communication with all participants
• Passionate participants: companies, candidates,
mentors, Marketingi Instituut, ITM Worldwide and
Enterprise Estonia
Key learning points
•
•
•
•
Motivation, motivation, motivation!
Graduates’ the CV-s do not show their potential
Program was not for unemployed
Innovative recruitment strategy sets extremely
high expectations to innovative training
methods
6 months later
• 1 company quitted, 1 export manager
quitted, 1 change of coach
• All the others are very happy!
• Export is increasingly popular among
small and micro companies!
Thank you!
Questions?
Top 6 export and import countries
Finland
Exports
17,0%
Imports
14,9%
Sweden
15,6%
10,9%
Russia
9,7%
8,3%
Latvia
9,0%
10,9%
Germany
5,2%
11,3%
Lithuania
4,9%
7,7%
Export
Import
Machinery and appliances
22,6%
23,5%
Mineral products
15,7%
17,5%
Wood and articles of wood
9,1%
2,8%
Base metals and articles of metals
9,1%
10%
Misc. manufactured articles
7,6%
Transport equipment
6,5%
7,1%
Chemical products
4,5%
8%
Food products
4,0%
6,3%
Live animals, animal products
3,7%
Textiles and textile articles
3,6%
5%
Plastics and rubber
3,2%
5,6%
Paper and paperboard; printed materials
3,2%
Other
7,2%
14,2%
Industrial Production