Many successful exporters first started selling internationally by responding to an inquiry from a foreign firm. Thousands of U.S. firms receive such requests annually, but most firms do not become successful exporters. There is no single answer, but often the firm that becomes successful knows how to respond to inquiries, can separate the wheat from the chaff, recognizes the business practices involved in international selling, and takes time to build a relationship with the client. Although this may seem to be a large number of factors, they are all related and flow out of one another. Most but not all, foreign letters of inquiry are in English.
Most large cities have commercial translators who translate for a fee.
Many colleges and universities also provide translation services. A typical inquiry asks for product specifications, information, and price. A few firms may know a product well enough and want to place an order. Most inquiries want delivery schedules, shipping costs, terms, and, in some cases, exclusivity arrangements. Regardless of the form such inquiries take, a firm should establish a policy to deal with them.