IN our ongoing series highlighting the traits of successful exporters C vision, commitment, focus, research, planning, training, relationship building, quality, adaptation and energy C the next trait we come to is focus.

According to the dictionary, focus means to concentrate attention or effort.

Straightforward, you may think, but its not that easy to do. Remember the saying: When youre up to your neck in alligators, its difficult to remember that you originally came to drain the swamp?

Our experience with swamps and alligators may be limited, but when youre up to your neck in difficult customers and hard-hearted creditors, its difficult to focus on why you started business. Turned on its head, focus could be described as not being distracted by irrelevance. Not that customers or creditors are irrelevant, but the focus of your business is continued existence C long term. You need to focus today on what will avoid the same distractions tomorrow.

For some, the best way to focus on something is to measure it. Measuring focuses behaviour toward an outcome C if your measure of success is profit, your behaviour will change toward achieving that goal.

But while some prefer the carrot, others favour the stick. Senator Patrick Leahy, during the Enron investigation, said: I found that the best way to focus somebodys interest is to have them know if they do wrong, theyre going to jail.

That may work for some people, but our jails are still full. Some say the best way to focus is to take a break. Just walk away for a while. Easier said that done. Most of us feel indispensable.

And yet, none of us really is indispensable, and, if distractions are the problem, removing yourself from them for a while might work.

Thats particularly important with the myriad distractions of international trade.

Logistics, payment, culture, language and distance C all those factors that differentiate overseas markets from our own are potential distractions from what you want your customers to feel. To be successful in international trade, indeed in business, isnt just about doing more of what you do now. It means focusing on what you need to do, and then doing it well.

Focusing isnt something we do naturally and there are 200 countries in the world C you cant serve all of them at once. You need to focus first on what you want your business to be. Focus then on what you need to do to achieve that.

UK Trade & Investment can offer advice and support to companies involved in international trade.To find out more, call 0845-05-05-054.

ñ David Coppock is North-East trade director for UK Trade and Investment