8 Practical Lessons on Going Global

Hi Team,

Fall is about to officially hit the East Coast, and with it comes the usual suspects—Starbucks pumpkin cream cold brew and Trader Joe’s pumpkin pancakes. It’s my favorite time of the year. Sorry, sue me.

Two quick announcements before we jump in:

First, over the past few months, I've been sharing retention roles on X and Linkedin with one goal in mind: connecting brands with retention experts who can truly make a difference.

Finding these experts can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, and on the flip side, it’s super challenging for job hunters to sift through all the confusing titles and roles. 

To cut through the noise, we kicked off a job board with vetted roles. I’ve already helped 5+ people land roles at leading brands this year, and we’re ready to go big. Give me a shout if you want to list a job there!

Second, I will be in London at the end of next week for the Ecom Expo. If you are there, please say hi!  

Ok. Onwards.

My first ecom gig was at a luggage company shipping to 64 countries. We quickly learned that international expansion isn’t just flipping a switch on your storefront. 

On the CX and retention side, the challenges get even trickier—and most people don’t think about them until they’re knee-deep in issues.

Today, I’ll share some of my early mistakes so you can globalize without the headaches.

How’s that for today’s goal?

Enough chit-chat. Let’s dive in.

This week’s news is brought to you by Passport, the international solutions provider empowering brands to elevate the end-to-end customer experience and reach their global potential.

Expanding internationally can be complex, but for brands like OneSkin, Woxer, Wildflower Cases, and KraveBeauty, it’s seamless. With Passport Global, an all-in-one internationalization and shipping solution, these brands are enhancing their customer experience and achieving growth through:

• Storefront localization and A/B testing

• Accurate landed duty & tax calculations

• Reliable global shipping and tracking

• Expert compliance management

• Hands-on customer service

"Passport has been instrumental in growing our international business. Before Passport, our international sales were less than 5% of our revenue, but now they account for over 10% of our total business."  – Andy Louis, VP of Operations at Carpe

Passport doesn’t just help brands like Carpe ship internationally; it streamlines the entire experience for overseas shoppers.

Looking for free international tips ahead of peak season?

Join Passport’s webinar with OneSkin, Flexport, and Loop on Sept 19!

Going Global: Lessons from the Field

When we think about going global, it’s easy to imagine flipping a switch on your storefront and suddenly serving customers from Tokyo to London. And sure, there are great tools to help you do just that.

But the reality? It’s a mountain of intricacies waiting to trip you up. From differing customer expectations to surprise forms and tariffs, going global is about knowing the neighborhood.

Lesson 1: Customers Expect a Domestic Experience, No Matter Where You Ship From

At the luggage company, we learned quickly that most customers had no idea where we shipped from—and frankly, they didn’t care. They expected a local, seamless experience.

Especially in the EU, where the mere mention of additional VAT charges was enough to send customers spiraling. If you’re running local ads in these countries, you better have your VAT policies crystal clear, or you’re in for a customer support nightmare.

And then there were the wild cases. Take Italy and Spain, for example. We had local post offices holding onto our suitcases, and if customers didn’t show up with an invoice and cash for the tariffs within a few days—well, they’d literally burn the goods. I still remember getting yelled at in Italian for that one.

Brazil wasn’t much easier—tariffs often cost as much as the luggage itself. The lesson? Be upfront about tariffs and VAT in your order process. 

According to Passport, the merchants they work with that ship DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) and include landed duty & cost calculations at check-out see a reduction in cart abandonments and a more seamless customs clearance experience.

Lesson 2: Culture Affects Product Preferences

One of the weirdest lessons we learned was how much product preference changes from region to region. We shipped equal numbers of toiletry bags and shoe bags to the US, EU, and China warehouses, only to find out that in Asia, those bags flew off the shelves, while in the US, they barely moved.

Cultural differences can totally shift product demand, and if you’re not paying attention, you’ll end up with warehouses full of inventory in one place and stockouts in another.

To help navigate cultural nuances, including seasonality and holidays, Passport put together a free 2024-2025 global holiday calendar that may be helpful. 

Lesson 3: Not All Markets Are the Same—Consult Your Local Customers

I was consulting with a high-end skincare brand recently that was crushing it in Europe, but when they launched in the US, their top SKUs there just weren’t moving here.

Same ads, same products, completely different results. A lot of this could’ve been avoided by interviewing early customers in each region and hiring local consultants to understand the market before scaling.

Lesson 4: Cultural Nuances Are Key

At Jones Road, hiring a UK-based CX associate was a game-changer. Even though we both spoke English, the cultural differences were massive.

From understanding the subtleties of British humor (read: passive-aggressive) to navigating customer expectations around shipping, they had a huge leg up and helped educate the rest of my team. (TY, Emily!)

For example, Royal Mail delivers to the entire UK in less than a week, which means customer patience levels are way different when you have a slight delay.

Lesson 5: Navigating Regulatory Compliance in Different Regions

From GDPR in Europe to specific labeling requirements in different countries, each region has its own set of rules. 

I was recently talking with a brand that launched in the EU and quickly learned their email marketing tactics didn’t exactly fly under GDPR. 

Some of the main issues? Pre-checked consent boxes, a lack of clear opt-out options, and sending emails to customers who hadn’t explicitly opted in—big no-nos under GDPR.

In addition to GDPR regulations that impact your marketing efforts, a lot of brands avoid global expansion because of fiscal and product compliance regulations that vary by region. 

For example, Carpe, a fast-growing antiperspirant brand, was running into all kinds of customs delays that kept their international sales limited. They ended up utilizing Passport's Seller of Record program to handle international taxes in countries that require local registration, allowing them to more easily enter markets within a matter of days. 

Make sure you’re working with local experts like Passport who understand the legal landscape in each region, because the last thing you want is to get hit with fines or have products held at customs for something as simple as labeling.

Lesson 6: Language Localization Goes Beyond Translation

When you’re just starting out, it’s fine to kick things off with some basic translation to get your MVP out the door. But as you see growth, it’s crucial to invest in real localization. It’s not just about translating words—it’s about adapting to cultural norms, idioms, and even slang.

I worked with a brand that translated their product descriptions into German, thinking they had nailed it. But after talking to customers, they realized their taglines and marketing didn’t land the way they thought it would. 

What works in English doesn’t always translate the same way culturally. As your brand grows, don’t just rely on word-for-word translations—make sure your messaging resonates with your new customers in a way that feels natural, both linguistically and culturally.

Lesson 7: Customer Support Across Time Zones

Global growth means 24/7 customer service becomes more than a nice-to-have—it’s essential. When your customers are spread across time zones, response times can be a dealbreaker.

At the luggage company, we underestimated just how crucial it was to have a support team that could handle inquiries around the clock. A customer in Singapore doesn't care if your support team in Tel Aviv or NYC is off the clock—they just want their issue resolved.

Whether it's hiring multilingual reps in different time zones, a great AI bot, tapping an international partner like Passport with a service team to manage troubleshooting on your behalf, or offering robust self-service options, make sure your CX feels global.

Lesson 8: Logistics and Supply Chain Optimization

Going global can wreak havoc on your supply chain if you’re not prepared. Ensuring that your stock levels are balanced across multiple warehouses and that shipping routes are optimized for speed and cost efficiency is no small task.

One thing we learned the hard way was how much time we wasted with shipments bouncing between different regions because of poorly planned stock distribution.

Oh, and you’d be shocked as to how many weeks it could take for a container to get through customs, given the time of year and the “random” special additional checks. It’s like TSA on steroids.  

Keep an eye on your data, and make sure you're continually adjusting your supply chain strategy to meet demand in real-time.

That’s it for this week!

Any topics you'd like to see me cover in the future?

Just shoot me a DM or an email!

Cheers, 

Eli 💛

P.S. Looking for inspo on your next email/sms campaign? 

I know you will love this.