INTERNATIONAL GROWTH READINESS PROGRAMME
Helping SMEs make better decisions about markets, customers, positioning and Route to Market.
A practical, decision-oriented programme for SME managers and the organisations that support them.
Assess readiness, prioritise export markets, understand customers, strengthen positioning, design a practical Route to Market and turn decisions into action.
Better decisions. Stronger strategies. Sustainable international growth.
26 years with
ITC – UNCTAD/WTO
Experience across
43+ country contexts
Export strategy and
SME Capacity Building
Practical training,
advisory and facilitation
THE INTERNATIONAL GROWTH CHALLENGE
Exporting is not a destination. It is a series of decisions
International growth does not begin with a list of attractive countries. It begins with a clear understanding of the business, its customers, its capabilities and the opportunities where it is most likely to compete successfully.
– Which markets should an SME prioritise?
– Which customers should it target?
– How should it position its offer?
– What Route to Market should it choose?
– How can its decisions be translated into practical action?
The International Growth Readiness Programme helps participants address these questions through a coherent and practical decision-making process.
WHO THE PROGRAMME IS FOR
Supporting SMEs—and the organisations that support them
The programme can be delivered directly to SME managers or adapted for organisations seeking to strengthen the quality and impact of their SME support services.
For SMEs
For companies considering export growth, entering new international markets or reviewing an existing export business plan.
The programme is particularly relevant for:
SME owners and managing directors
Export and international business managers
Marketing and commercial managers
Companies assessing their international growth readiness
Companies selecting or reviewing priority export markets
Companies seeking to strengthen positioning and Route to Market decisions
Participants leave with a clearer understanding of where to compete, which customers to serve, how to configure the offer and what capabilities and resources will be required.
For SME support organisations
For organisations designing or delivering practical support to internationally oriented SMEs.
The programme is relevant for:
Chambers of commerce and business associations
Export promotion and business support organisations
SME development agencies and donor-funded programmes
Consultants, trainers and SME advisers
Universities and business schools
International and private-sector development projects
The programme can support MSME competitiveness, institutional capacity building and more effective assistance to women-led businesses, young entrepreneurs and other underserved enterprise groups.
A STRUCTURED LEARNING JOURNEY
From readiness to action
The programme follows a connected sequence of decisions. Each stage provides the foundation for the next.
01 . READINESS
Assess the company’s objectives, current capabilities, resources and preparedness for international growth.
02 . MARKETS
Identify, compare and prioritise export markets where the company has a realistic basis for competing.
03 . CUSTOMERS
Understand customer needs, expected outcomes, habits and buying occasions, and identify meaningful target segments.
04 . POSITIONING
Configure the offer to address priority customer needs and competitor gaps in a way the company can deliver consistently.
05 . ROUTE TO MARKET
Determine how the company will communicate with customers, reach them, distribute its offer and generate orders.
06 . ACTION
Translate decisions into an export business plan supported by the necessary capabilities, resources, responsibilities and priorities.
WHAT MAKES THE PROGRAMME DISTINCTIVE
More than generic export training
The programme combines practical international business tools with a disciplined approach to defining the business, understanding customers and developing a position that the company can deliver.
Business Definition
What a company produces is not necessarily what its customers are buying.
A business should not be defined only by what it manufactures. It should also consider whom it serves, which customer needs it addresses and what provides a meaningful basis for differentiation.
A clear business definition guides which customers the company studies, which competitors it recognises, which offers it develops and where it allocates scarce resources.
Needs-Based Segmentation — NEHO
Customers who look similar may buy for completely different reasons.
The NEHO framework identifies meaningful customer segments through:
Needs
Expected Outcomes
Habits
Occasions
It moves segmentation beyond geography, age, industry or company size and focuses instead on the reasons customers choose and use an offer.
Positioning
Positioning is not simply a slogan or a statement about how a company wants to be perceived.
Positioning is the deliberate configuration of the offer to address unmet customer needs and competitor gaps, supported by the capabilities required to deliver it consistently.
Positioning may involve:
Cost
Quantity
Quality
Time and place
Product or service features
Sales conditions
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
Eight connected modules
The modules can be delivered as a complete learning journey or adapted to the requirements of a particular SME group, institution or development programme.
1. International Growth Readiness Assessment
Assess business objectives, export experience, capabilities, resources and organisational preparedness before committing to international expansion.
2. Selecting the Right Export Markets
Develop a structured basis for identifying, comparing and prioritising markets where the company is more likely to compete successfully.
3. Needs-Based Segmentation and Customer Targeting
Identify meaningful customer groups by examining their needs, expected outcomes, habits and buying occasions.
4. Competitive Positioning and Value Proposition Design
Define how the offer will address priority customer needs and competitor gaps and determine what the company must deliver to support that position.
5. Turning Market Research into Strategic Decisions
Define information requirements, distinguish useful evidence from general market data and convert research findings into practical business decisions.
6. Designing a Practical Route to Market
Determine how the company will communicate its offer, reach customers, manage distribution and generate orders in priority markets.
7. From Strategy to Action: Capability and Resource Planning
Identify the capabilities, responsibilities and resources required to implement the company’s international growth decisions.The five-resource framework:
Human Resources
Physical Assets
Financial Assets
Information and Know-how
Networks and Alliances
8. Reviewing and Strengthening Export Business Plans
Review the coherence of the company’s decisions, identify gaps and strengthen the export business plan as a practical guide for implementation.
FLEXIBLE DELIVERY
Adapted to participants, organisations and programme objectives
The International Growth Readiness Programme can be delivered in different formats while preserving the coherence of the methodology and learning journey.
Executive and focused formats
Executive briefings
Focused one-day workshops
Management sessions
Programme orientation events
Programme formats
Multi-session learning programmes
In-person workshops
Online meetings
Hybrid programmes
Group assignments and facilitated exercises
Advisory support
International Growth Readiness Assessments
Export business plan reviews
Advisory and coaching support
Export market selection assignments
Customised workshops
Institutional Capacity Building
Capacity Building for SME advisers and consultants
Training of trainers
Facilitator development
Institutional programme design
Tools and frameworks for supporting SME decision-making
The scope, duration and delivery format can be adapted to the profile of the participants, the SME portfolio and the objectives of the commissioning organisation.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME ADVISER
Gültekin Özaltınordu
Export Strategy Advisor & Market Entry Expert
International Growth Adviser, Trainer & Author
Gültekin Özaltınordu is an international trade and SME development professional with 26 years of experience at the International Trade Centre – UNCTAD/WTO (ITC), followed by international advisory and consultancy assignments.
His work has covered 43+ country contexts and has included export strategy, international growth readiness, export market selection, SME development, training, advisory services and institutional capacity building.
He has worked with SMEs, chambers of commerce, export promotion organisations, business support organisations, consultants, trainers and donor-funded programmes across different regions and levels of economic development.
His approach combines structured analysis with practical facilitation, helping participants move from information and ideas to clearer decisions, stronger export business plans and realistic implementation priorities.
International Growth Readiness | Export Market Selection | Needs-Based Segmentation | Positioning
Route to Market | Export Business Plan Review | Capacity Building
PROGRAMME RESOURCES
Explore the programme and methodology
The following resources provide an overview of the programme and introduce selected elements of its methodology.
International Growth Readiness Programme Brochure
A learner-friendly introduction to defining a business through customers, needs and differentiation—not products alone.
Business Definition
A learner-friendly introduction to defining a business through customers, needs and differentiation—not only through the product it manufactures.
Needs-Based Segmentation — NEHO
An introduction to identifying meaningful customer segments through Needs, Expected Outcomes, Habits and Occasions.
Positioning
An explanation of positioning as the deliberate configuration of an offer to address unmet needs and competitor gaps.
DISCUSS A PROGRAMME
Interested in strengthening international growth decision-making among SMEs?
Let us explore how the International Growth Readiness Programme could be adapted to your organisation, SME portfolio, training initiative or development project.
The programme can be delivered as a complete learning journey or tailored around selected priorities, participant groups and delivery formats.
Gültekin Özaltınordu
Export Strategy Advisor & Market Entry Expert
DIRECT CONTACT
Gültekin Özaltınordu
Export Strategy Advisor & Market Entry Expert
International Growth Readiness Programme
PRACTICAL. STRATEGIC. RESULTS-ORIENTED.
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