Phonetic alphabets were a foreign language dictionary

Another reason for its success was the maritime trading culture of Phoenician merchants, which spread the alphabet into parts of North Africa and Southern Europe.[9]Phoenician inscriptions have been found in archaeological sites at a number of former Phoenician cities and colonies around the Mediterranean, such as Byblos (in present-day Lebanon) and Carthage in North Africa. Later finds indicate earlier use in Egypt.[10]

Some wiki stuff on the origin of the Phoenician alphabet.

Traders need to understand the local vernacular. A Phoenician can send an assistant a to  foreign land, with a local dictionary in hand. Papyrus was the thing back then.  Simple verbally repeating in the local dialact get a Phoenician a bed and breakfast, so the local Phoenician diction would be of great help.

The Phoenician alphabet captured the limited number of vocalizations we are capable of. Like a court stenographer, these few symbols allowed one to rapidly capture the local dialect. Then any other agent can repeat the language though it is not natural.

Like Latin grammar, it spread because of the great utility along the trade routes. The two technologies improved trade over the euro-asian continent.  Latin is nothing more than a structured dictionary for Indo-European. Phoenician was a verbatim copy of particular items and action, likely.