You are the sales manager of a small company with sales in the United States. About 30 percent of your business is mail order, and the remainder is from your two retail stores. You recently created an e-store on the Web and a few days later received an order from a potential customer from a city near Paris, France. The shipping charges listed on the Web are all for locations in the United States. You don't want to lose this $350 order. You know you can use the postal service, but the customer indicated she wanted the item in about a week. Here are some details you will need: value $350; total weight of the package, 2.5 pounds; package dimensions, 4 inches high by 6 inches wide by 1 inch thick; U.S. zip code, 97035; and French zip code, 91400. (Note: It's not fair to call UPS or FedExuse the Internet.)

How practical would it be to encourage foreign sales? Your average order ranges from about $250 to $800. All prices are quoted plus shipping and handling. You handle a fairly exclusive line of Southwestern Indian jewelry that sells for about 15 to 20 percent higher in Europe than in the United States. The products are lightweight and high in value.

How much are the FedEx and USP shipping charges?

Air express seems logical, but how much will it cost?

Should the company encourage foreign sales?

What other distribution methods are available?