Look for markets with potential for expansion, where your products will fit in and where you can achieve long term results. Where they are in their development – do they use shovels or computerized equipment? You may have to wait until they are ready for your products. If you are selling telecommunication equipment, look at countries with a low percentage of phone users, but where you know they plan to expand their telecommunications system. China is one example, India is another.
In our book “Export & Import – Winning in the Global Marketplace” ISBN 978-0-9681148-1-0 these topics are covered in depth