We live in a world of information overload. Why then, you might ask, do we need a blog from Dorian Drake?

Well, there are a few reasons.

Infrastructure Project

First, there is our perspective. With sales offices in 11 countries spanning four continents,  manufacturer clients employing our services in four different industries, and distributors and agents working with us in more than 100 countries worldwide, we have an uniquely broad lens on global trade. When a major event unfolds somewhere around the globe—an economic slow-down in Brazil,  a newly elected president in Indonesia, a currency devaluation in Europe, a new infrastructure project in the Middle East—our people on the ground help us and our manufacturer clients quickly assess the implications and adapt plans.

A second reason is our experience. Through our 1985 acquisition of Drake America,  we can trace our roots to 1947, when Drake was formed, and through Drake’s 1977 acquisition of Dodge and Seymour, itself once a global trading giant, all the way back to Dodge and Seymour’s inception in 1865.  We’ve been developing international markets for a long time and have the success stories and shin scars to prove it.

Yet another reason is our consultative approach.   All of our sales executives are Certified Sales Professionals* trained to ask questions designed to clarify challenges,  identify solutions and deliver value.  Building on this approach, we recently formed a consulting division, Dorian Drake Consulting (www.doriandrakeconsulting.com), which gives us another way to serve manufacturers looking to expand their international business. To fortify our consulting practice, we’ve contracted with four career international business consultants, whose insights you will read from time to time in our posts.

Finally, we’d like you to consider our award-winning experience practicing open-book management.  Inspired by Jack Stack and his ground-breaking book, The Great Game of Business, we have since 2002 shared our full financial results with our entire staff and invited people at all levels of the company to manage our profit & loss statement with us. This has illuminated for our people the various streams of income and expense that affect our bottom line and  empowered them to make better-informed decisions.  Along the way, it has transformed our culture and made Dorian Drake a better place to work.

In our blog, which we’ll refresh monthly, we’ll write about political and economic developments affecting global trade. We’ll comment on emerging markets—the opportunities, barriers to entry, pitfalls and keys to success. We’ll weigh in also about how best to develop a global product line, sales program, distribution network and sales organization. And from time to time we’ll share stories from the front lines of open-book management that we hope will inspire others to similarly open their books and empower their teams.

Our promise is that our posts will be engaging, informative and different from what you will read anywhere else. Why else would you want to read a new blog from Dorian Drake?

Ed Dorian Jr.
Frankfurt, Germany,
September 20,  2014

*Certified Sales Professional (CSP) is a designation conferred by the Manufacturers Educational Research Foundation (MRERF) for those who pass the exam certifying successful completion of MRERF’s three-day Certified Sales Professional class.