Founder-Driven Sales: The Foundation of Market Entry
One of the biggest mistakes that companies make when entering the U.S. is hiring a local salesperson to initiate the first sales. There are numerous reasons why this approach often fails: A Short Path to Failure Difference Between Selling and Discovering a Repeatable Process: There is a significant difference between making a sale, finding the first customer, and discovering a repeatable sales process. Starting your U.S. sales effort by hiring a local sales rep is akin to hiring someone to drive your car but asking them to build the car and the road first. The Magic of Founder-Driven Sales Founder-driven sales bypasses these challenges and ensures a higher likelihood of success in the initial phase of U.S. expansion. The founder has all the history and can relate the company story in a way that no new hire ever could. Founders also have the necessary gravitas back at the home office to break through the inevitable issues that come with supporting a new U.S. office. The founder’s time in the U.S. might start at two weeks per quarter and incrementally grow as demand and opportunity increase. This phase of founder-driven sales continues until a repeatable sales process is established, tested by hiring one salesperson who can make sales on their own. Typically, this initial phase lasts between 12 and 24 months. US Market-Entry Sales Stages A simple way to look at the best path to scaling sales in the US is that you will go from Founder-driven sales also emphasize the importance of personal relationships and trust-building in the early stages of market entry. The founder, as the face of the company, can directly address customer concerns, negotiate deals, and foster long-term partnerships. This hands-on approach not only helps in making the first few critical sales but also lays a strong foundation for future growth. How to Get US Sales Traction Resources For more on this topic, we suggest reading The 3 Truths of Gaining U.S. Sales Traction About MEET helps international B2B & B2G companies gain traction and scale in the U.S. through trade shows, events, and strategic connections. Contact Bill Kenney for a no-obligation conversation: bill@meetroi.com or +1 (860) 573-4821.
