For Vietnam IT vendors, expanding into Europe, the US, and Australia is an exciting opportunity. Many companies have excellent engineers, strong technical skills, and reliable delivery. Yet, when they try to go global, they often struggle to keep international clients long-term. Why? Because successful market entry is not only about technology — it’s also about how you collaborate.
From years of experience helping Asian IT companies scale, we’ve seen that Western clients consistently care about three critical capabilities beyond technical expertise: direct communication, ownership, and proactivity.
1. Direct Communication
Western businesses value clarity and speed. In Asia, communication often leans indirect, with focus on form and politeness. But for European, American, and Australian clients, what matters most is:
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Clear, simple messages delivered quickly.
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Transparency about limits — saying “I don’t know” or “I need more time” is acceptable and builds trust.
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Avoiding unnecessary agreement — saying “yes” to everything can damage credibility.
Direct communication shows professionalism and reduces misunderstandings in cross-border projects.
2. Taking Ownership
Clients in Western markets respect vendors who take responsibility. Ownership is not just delivering tasks — it’s about managing problems as they arise.
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Flag issues early instead of hiding them.
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Take responsibility for mistakes and explain how you will fix them.
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Show leadership by offering solutions rather than excuses.
Counterintuitively, openly sharing mistakes can increase client trust — it demonstrates accountability and reliability.
3. Being Proactive
Proactivity is a sign of partnership, not just service delivery. Western clients look for IT vendors who bring ideas to the table. This can be done on three levels:
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Problem-solving without being asked — fix small issues and inform the client afterwards.
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Adding extra value — propose improvements or optimizations beyond the original scope.
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Over-delivering — when asked for A and B, deliver A, B, and a little extra C.
These actions show that you are invested in the client’s success, not just completing tasks.
Embedding These Capabilities in Your Team
To truly go global, IT vendors must build these capabilities into company culture:
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Define clear philosophies (e.g., “Be proactive,” “Communicate directly”) and make them visible to the team.
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Reinforce behaviors during weekly meetings — ask how team members demonstrated them.
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Train newcomers on how to work with Western clients from day one.
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Monitor communication and correct indirect or rigid styles in real time.
Final Thoughts
For Vietnam IT vendors, market entry into Europe, the US, or Australia is more than offering great technology at competitive prices. Success depends on how your team communicates, takes ownership, and proactively adds value. These “soft skills” are, in fact, hard requirements for building long-term partnerships.