Cenk Yıldırımer

Former export director; mentor on entering overseas markets and building dealer networks.

In a 25-year career Cenk Yıldırımer served as export director of a machinery manufacturer and built a dealer network in 40 countries. At Çimlen he helps startups that want to sell their products abroad with market selection, finding dealers/distributors and customs processes.

His advice

Instead of entering many countries at once, he recommends concentrating on a single market for 12 months. In market selection he uses a decision table that scores language, competitor density, payment habits and regulatory factors.

Topics

Market selection and entry strategy
Distributor agreement and exclusivity
Export incentives and customs documents
Combining trade fairs and digital channels

Role at Çimlen

He runs the first market selection workshop for export-oriented startups and introduces alumni startups to foreign distributors. Before sessions a one-page agenda is requested and afterwards the actions are shared in writing; to meet, use the mentor meeting request form.