Nicole Wienen - British Consulate-General, Dusseldorf

I cover the Life Science sectors in Germany. My aim as a Trade Officer is to help UK companies find business potential and be successful in exporting their products or services to Germany.

Some people have an image of a Trade Officer being something of a jet-setter. Well, that's only partly true. I do travel a bit when attending trade fairs or delivering seminars, sometimes to exotic destinations like Manchester, Newcastle and Barnsley. And most of the time I fly in and out so quickly I have to remind myself which city I've just visited.  

Attending events, especially trade fairs, can be exhausting and usually involves a lot of walking, a lot of talking and absorbing lots of information during the course of a long day, but it’s hugely rewarding when you've delivered for your client and helped secure a business win.

Key to delivering in this job is to know the product before you try to generate interest amongst German companies. Quickly establishing a dialogue with the client company is essential; it's equally important to have a good understanding of the market place and its regulations. Establishing a good network of local contacts is crucial and I try to attend as many sector networking events as possible. But the office is where my Assistant and I sweat long hours over market research, company profiling, match-making and event planning.

This job has confirmed for me that British and German business cultures are in many ways very similar and yet very different. Often the challenge is to help breakdown barriers and establish some common ground. Despite the cultural differences, these two market leaders have a lot to offer each other and it is great when the work I do helps narrow the gap and deliver a bit of business.

It can take some time for a UK company to break into the German market. Satisfying quality standards, product testing and product registration are just some of the hurdles I help UK companies navigate. My team and I also try to manage expectations, guiding UK companies through the necessary administration and German business protocols. I am currently arranging a seminar in two UK regions and taking along German sector specialists to talk about the regulatory issues of the German Healthcare market. Bringing both sides together like this is a proven successful formula.

Seeing your efforts result in business success for the UK is not only rewarding, but gives you a great buzz. I love the job I do and in doing it I meet great people from a fascinating sector that makes a difference in peoples’ lives.  So, typically, every day in the life of a UKTI Trade Officer is busy, challenging, exhilarating, different and great fun.