Export Market Intelligence Training Course

Duration 10 days 19 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Export Managers, International Sales Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-M-046

Before you join: Participants should have basic commercial experience and familiarity with their organisation's products, customers or services.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Export decisions often fail because firms select markets using partial trade statistics, informal contacts or assumptions about buyer demand. Export managers need evidence that connects market size, import growth, competitor position, customer requirements, price conditions, access barriers and route-to-market options. Market intelligence must be credible enough to support management approval while remaining practical enough for sales teams and distributors to use.

This course teaches participants to design and carry out a structured export market intelligence process. Participants assess export readiness, define priority product-market opportunities, use trade and customs data, segment overseas buyers, analyse competitors, examine regulatory and market-access conditions, and test commercial attractiveness. The course applies PESTLE, Porter's Five Forces, market screening matrices, customer personas, value proposition design and weighted scoring models to export decisions.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with trade-data interpretation, sector cases, group analysis, market-entry simulations and individual application planning. Participants work progressively on a chosen product, service or export category, building evidence from the first week and improving their analysis through peer and instructor review. They leave with a structured export market intelligence dossier, including a ranked market shortlist, buyer analysis, market-entry recommendation and 90-day intelligence action plan.

The course is suited to professionals responsible for export development, international sales, market research, trade promotion, business development and commercial strategy. It is relevant to manufacturers, agribusinesses, professional services firms, technology providers, banks supporting exporters, public export agencies and NGOs developing trade programmes.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess export readiness using a capability and market-fit diagnostic
  • Define market intelligence questions, hypotheses and evidence requirements
  • Interpret import, export and tariff data using recognised trade databases
  • Screen and rank target export markets using weighted scoring criteria
  • Profile priority buyers, influencers and procurement routes within overseas markets
  • Evaluate competitor positions, value propositions and price conditions
  • Develop evidence-based market-entry recommendations and intelligence reports
  • Present a complete export market intelligence dossier and action plan

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce defensible target-market recommendations for senior management
  • Interpret trade statistics without relying solely on external research providers
  • Conduct sharper overseas buyer and competitor research
  • Build a practical evidence base for export sales conversations
  • Present market-entry proposals with quantified commercial rationale

For your organisation

  • Reduce expenditure on poorly qualified export market opportunities
  • Focus sales visits, distributor searches and trade missions on priority markets
  • Improve consistency of country selection across product and sales teams
  • Identify market-access, compliance and channel risks before entry commitments
  • Create reusable intelligence reports for export planning and investment decisions

Course modules

19 modules over 10 days

Participants can define the decisions, users and evidence required for an export intelligence assignment.

  • Export intelligence decisions: market selection, buyer targeting, entry and investment
  • Distinguishing market information, intelligence, insight and commercial recommendation
  • Decision-makers, users and approval gates within export development projects
  • Intelligence questions framed around product, market, customer and competitor uncertainty
  • Evidence hierarchy: primary research, secondary sources, expert interviews and observation
  • Research brief structure covering scope, decisions, deadlines, outputs and limitations

Participants can assess internal export capability and identify product-market fit constraints.

  • Export readiness diagnostic covering capacity, finance, compliance, service and management
  • Product-market fit assessed through customer need, differentiation and delivery capability
  • Value chain mapping from supplier inputs to overseas end-user outcomes
  • Exportable offer definition: specifications, packaging, service levels and documentation
  • Internal constraints recorded as assumptions, risks, dependencies and decision criteria
  • Readiness gaps prioritised using impact, urgency, cost and controllability ratings

Participants can create a research plan that specifies questions, sources, methods and quality controls.

  • Research objectives converted into testable market intelligence hypotheses
  • Question matrices linking decisions, indicators, sources and analysis methods
  • Desk research plan sequenced from broad screening to targeted validation
  • Primary research design: interview objectives, respondent profiles and discussion guides
  • Source evaluation using authority, currency, relevance, accuracy and coverage criteria
  • Research ethics covering confidentiality, consent, attribution and competitor information

Participants can find, interpret and qualify trade statistics for export market analysis.

  • HS classification structure and product-code selection for trade analysis
  • UN Comtrade data fields: reporter, partner, flow, quantity and value
  • ITC Trade Map indicators for import demand and supplier performance
  • Unit-value calculations separating price signals from volume changes
  • Mirror statistics used when national reporting data are incomplete
  • Data limitations: re-exports, transshipment, informal trade and reporting lags

Participants can estimate addressable export demand and distinguish attractive growth from distorted signals.

  • Apparent consumption estimated from production, imports, exports and inventory assumptions
  • Import growth rates calculated using compound annual growth rate
  • Demand drivers analysed through income, demographics, investment and consumption patterns
  • Seasonality identified from monthly trade flows and procurement cycles
  • Market maturity assessed through adoption, substitution and replacement demand
  • Triangulation compares trade data, industry reports, buyer evidence and field observations

Participants can build a transparent country screening model and prioritised market shortlist.

  • Longlist criteria combine demand, accessibility, profitability, risk and strategic fit
  • Weighted scoring model assigns evidence-based ratings to candidate markets
  • PESTLE analysis identifies external conditions affecting export attractiveness
  • Knockout criteria remove markets with unacceptable access or payment risks
  • Sensitivity analysis tests ranking changes under alternative criterion weights
  • Market shortlist documented with assumptions, data gaps and validation priorities

Participants can assess country conditions that affect commercial viability and export risk.

  • Political risk indicators interpreted for policy stability and contract enforceability
  • Macroeconomic analysis covers inflation, exchange rates, growth and credit conditions
  • Country risk matrix distinguishes probability, impact, warning signs and responses
  • Foreign-exchange exposure assessed across pricing, payment terms and remittance routes
  • Sanctions and restricted-party screening requirements identified before market engagement
  • Scenario planning compares base, upside and downside country conditions

Participants can identify market-access requirements and assess their commercial implications.

  • Tariff schedules interpreted using HS codes, origin rules and preference schemes
  • Rules of origin assessed for preferential duty eligibility
  • Non-tariff measures identified through technical, sanitary and labelling requirements
  • Market Access Map used to compare tariffs and regulatory conditions
  • Conformity assessment routes: testing, certification, inspection and product registration
  • Compliance costs incorporated into landed-cost and market-entry assessments

Participants can segment overseas demand and select priority customer groups for research and sales action.

  • Segmentation variables: industry, application, size, location, behaviour and purchasing criteria
  • B2B buying-centre mapping identifies users, influencers, buyers and approvers
  • Customer personas built from needs, constraints, triggers and decision criteria
  • Jobs to Be Done identifies functional, social and emotional buyer motivations
  • Segment attractiveness assessed through size, growth, access, margin and fit
  • Priority segments translated into research targets and account-selection rules

Participants can profile target buyers and identify how they search, evaluate and purchase suppliers.

  • Buyer profiles capture ownership, locations, product lines, volumes and supplier base
  • Procurement process mapping identifies tender stages, approval paths and buying cycles
  • Voice of Customer interviews uncover needs, objections, language and evidence requirements
  • Account prioritisation scores revenue potential, accessibility, urgency and relationship strength
  • Digital buyer signals gathered from company sites, tenders, trade fairs and directories
  • Contact strategies aligned with buyer roles, procurement routes and timing

Participants can assess competitor positions and identify defensible points of differentiation.

  • Competitor universe includes local firms, importers, global brands and substitutes
  • Porter's Five Forces assesses rivalry, entry barriers and buyer power
  • Competitor profiles compare offers, channels, pricing, claims and service models
  • Win-loss analysis identifies selection factors and recurring commercial objections
  • Value curve analysis contrasts attributes valued by priority customer segments
  • Intelligence validation separates verified facts, estimates, rumours and assumptions

Participants can assess price viability, margins and commercial attractiveness within target markets.

  • Landed-cost model includes product, freight, insurance, duty, taxes and clearance
  • Incoterms 2020 responsibilities compared for cost, risk and customer expectations
  • Price benchmarking uses competitor offers, unit values, tenders and distributor quotes
  • Market price corridors distinguish entry price, target price and walk-away price
  • Channel margins modelled for agents, distributors, wholesalers and retailers
  • Profitability scenarios test volume, currency, freight and discount assumptions

Participants can evaluate market-entry routes and define evidence required for partner selection.

  • Entry modes compared: direct sales, agents, distributors, licensing and joint ventures
  • Channel mapping identifies importers, wholesalers, retailers, platforms and service partners
  • Distributor due diligence covers coverage, capability, finances, reputation and conflicts
  • Partner scorecards rank candidates against commercial and strategic selection criteria
  • Go-to-market responsibilities allocated across exporter, partner and customer teams
  • Channel conflict risks assessed between direct accounts and intermediary arrangements

Participants can design credible primary research to validate desk-based export findings.

  • Interview sampling selects buyers, distributors, experts, regulators and competitors ethically
  • Semi-structured interview guides sequence context, needs, evidence and closing questions
  • Question design avoids leading language, false precision and unsupported assumptions
  • Trade fair research plans define targets, observation criteria and follow-up actions
  • Mystery shopping boundaries considered against legal, ethical and reputational requirements
  • Interview notes coded into themes, evidence statements and actionable implications

Participants can convert mixed evidence into clear findings, judgements and recommendations.

  • Evidence matrices link claims to sources, confidence ratings and decision implications
  • Triangulation resolves conflicts between trade data, interviews and industry reports
  • SWOT analysis distinguishes internal capability from external market conditions
  • Assumption logs record uncertainty, ownership, validation actions and review dates
  • Insight statements connect observed patterns with commercial consequences and choices
  • Recommendation logic separates findings, interpretation, options and preferred action

Participants can translate intelligence findings into a staged market-entry plan.

  • Market-entry objectives specify revenue, accounts, channel reach and capability milestones
  • Beachhead strategy focuses resources on one priority segment and route
  • Value proposition statements connect customer pains, proof and differentiated benefits
  • Ninety-day action plans sequence validation, partner engagement, compliance and sales actions
  • Milestones assign owners, deadlines, resources, dependencies and decision gates
  • Key performance indicators track pipeline quality, conversion, margin and market learning

Participants can prepare concise intelligence reports for management and commercial teams.

  • Executive summaries state decision, recommendation, evidence and required approval
  • Market attractiveness charts present rankings without obscuring underlying assumptions
  • Country scorecards communicate indicators, sources, ratings and confidence levels
  • Buyer and competitor profiles formatted for sales-team use
  • Data visualisation principles select charts matching comparison, trend and composition questions
  • Report quality assurance checks calculations, citations, logic and recommendation consistency

Participants can establish an ongoing process for maintaining export intelligence after market entry.

  • Intelligence cycle defines collection, analysis, dissemination, feedback and review
  • Early-warning indicators monitor tariffs, competitors, exchange rates and buyer activity
  • Source registers record access conditions, update frequency, ownership and reliability
  • Customer-facing teams capture field intelligence through structured reporting templates
  • Data governance assigns stewardship, version control, confidentiality and retention rules
  • Quarterly market reviews refresh assumptions, priorities, risks and action plans

Participants can build, review and present a complete export market intelligence dossier for a selected offer and target market.

  • Research brief defines product scope, decision question and target geography
  • Market screening evidence supports a ranked shortlist and chosen priority market
  • Demand, buyer, competitor and access findings integrated into one evidence base
  • Commercial assessment tests pricing, channel options, risks and expected returns
  • Market-entry recommendation specifies segment, route, actions, milestones and owners
  • Peer review challenges evidence quality, assumptions, logic and implementation feasibility

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Export readiness diagnostic template
  2. Weighted market screening matrix
  3. Trade data analysis workbook
  4. Buyer and competitor intelligence profile set
  5. Market-entry recommendation report template
  6. 90-day export intelligence action plan

Who should attend

  • Export Managers — need defensible priorities for international market development
  • International Sales Managers — need buyer evidence to focus prospecting resources
  • Business Development Managers — need structured market-entry recommendations for growth decisions
  • Market Research Analysts — need export-specific methods for trade and customer intelligence
  • Trade Promotion Officials — need practical tools to advise exporting firms
  • Commercial Strategy Managers — need quantified evidence for country and segment selection

Skills and tools covered

Export market screeningTrade data analysisBuyer segmentationCompetitor intelligenceMarket access analysisEntry strategy reporting

Tools and standards

ITC Trade Map, UN Comtrade, Market Access Map, Porter's Five Forces

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short technical briefings followed by guided interpretation of trade data, country evidence and buyer information. Cases from manufactured goods, agribusiness, services and technology exports show how intelligence changes commercial choices. Group exercises apply screening criteria, competitor analysis and customer segmentation to realistic export scenarios. Simulations test decisions on market prioritisation and channel selection. Participants progressively apply each method to a selected product or service, receiving instructor feedback and peer challenge before preparing their final dossier.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic commercial experience and familiarity with their organisation's products, customers or services. Experience in sales, marketing, export operations, market research or business development is helpful. Participants should be comfortable reading tables, comparing commercial information and discussing market decisions. No prior export management qualification, advanced statistical training, specialist customs knowledge or experience with trade databases is required. Those bringing a product category, target region or current export challenge will gain the most direct application from the course.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need general commercial awareness and familiarity with a product, service or customer group. Prior export experience is helpful but not required; the course explains trade-data sources, market-access concepts and research methods from first principles.

Bring information about a product, service, target region or current export question where possible. Useful materials include product specifications, current markets, customer types, indicative prices and any previous research.

It is designed for export managers, international sales staff, market researchers, business development professionals and trade promotion personnel. It also suits commercial managers preparing a new country-entry or export-growth proposal.

General export management courses commonly focus on documentation, logistics, payment terms and contract processes. This course concentrates on selecting markets, understanding demand, assessing buyers and competitors, and producing evidence for market-entry decisions.

Participants can use the templates to review current export markets, assess a proposed country entry or improve distributor selection. The final dossier is structured for discussion with management, sales teams, export advisers or potential partners.

The first part establishes research planning, trade data, country screening and market-access analysis. The later sessions focus on buyers, competitors, pricing, channels, primary research, reporting, monitoring and development of the capstone dossier.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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