“The life of a typical entrant is nasty, brutish, and short.” - Paul Geroski
Most businesses that have decided that their home market isn’t enough for what they are trying to achieve, will set their eyes on conquering new markets. However, the vast majority of businesses that begin expanding internationally will fail. Millions of dollars, years of wasted time, if not flat out just pulling the plug on the whole project, there’s a certain naivety that companies possess when they start expanding outside their home market. Not to paint a doomsday picture, but the importance of having a well-planned approach to entering new markets and international expansion, in general, is paramount.
It all starts with a step-by-step roadmap for entering a new market. But first, let’s see if this is for you. If none of these bullet points resonate with you, then there’s really no reason to continue reading:
- Your company has a tech or SaaS product and you don't know which sales model you should deploy entering a new market
- Your company is based in a smaller country and potential clients are dwindling (eg. you have outgrown the market)
- Feeling lost about your company's future in new markets
- You have trouble pinpointing the exact markets you should go after
- You are unsure about local cultural differences and possible language barriers (for example, entering DACH markets)
- What hires do you need to make before you can launch your internationalization efforts
- How to find the right salespeople, do you go local or hybrid
There are many potential reasons but let's move on and see if this is worth it to your company.
Hi, I'm Petri Rinne
I am a hands-on strategy consultant and advisor with more than 30 years of experience specializing in internationalization, market entry, and go-to-market strategy for B2B tech companies. I've worked with companies ranging from startups to big Fortune 500.
Companies come to me when they need help with their international expansion strategies and execution. Whether it be about gaining clarity on how to proceed, crafting the strategies and plans, or building local sales teams in target markets.
Cross Borders, Conquer Markets: Your Guide to Successful Expansion.
Having a well-planned international expansion strategy is crucial. The world is becoming more connected and expanding into international markets can offer significant opportunities for growth, increased revenue, and brand recognition.
I’m talking about proper market research, having a product-market fit, and a robust go-to-market plan. From my experience, founders and CEOs expanding into new international markets for the first time often fall into the trap of thinking their current home market strategy can be deployed into a new market. What ends up happening is that they’ll burn through a lot of cash and don’t get any meaningful results in the first few years. There are no cutting corners, companies need to find time to do their homework.
Founders and CEOs who have done it before, know exactly how difficult it can be.
However, since you are here reading this, chances are that you have an idea or at least a sense that what you’re about to embark on needs the preparation it deserves, to maximize success and minimize risks.
But now you might find yourself in a position of uncertainty. What are the steps you need to take to be ready to take your business abroad and launch new markets? What plans do you need, what kind of strategy do you deploy, direct sales or partner channels, do I hire new people? Where do I find people with the necessary experience and networks?
Take the uncertainty away with my Market Entry Blueprint.
Gain clarity on your company’s international expansion. I will personally, first, tell you if your company is ready to expand internationally. If yes, walk you through all the strategies, plans, and the next steps you need to take in order to be ready. In case you need to hold on for now, I will highlight things you first need to tackle.
“Petri's support and advice in building our international go-to-market strategy and funding round were proactive, effective, and successful.”Tero Alanen, CEO at Taimer
“We were in the middle of entering a new market and we needed a solid, structured sales process and streamlined sales management guidelines, to rapidly expand our global footprint. Petri delivered just that.”Janne Anttila, CEO at Analyse Solutions
What’s included
A 2-hour 1:1 workshop with you and/or your team over Zoom or Google Meet. This will give me information to assess your current situation, your goals, timelines, and steps you have already taken.
Additionally, we’ll go over the points below in order to have a clear picture. I hope you have them prepared or will prepare them for the remote meeting. I will also ask you to send me supportive documentation and materials.
- Ideal customer profile (now/future) cooperation pro’s and con’s, cases?
- Ideal partner profile (now/future, if applicable) cooperation pro’s and con’s, cases?
- Target markets and prioritized markets, geographic, verticals
- Competition and positioning
- Objectives and metrics (big picture, milestones)
- Sales team (present and preferred) and sales model, reporting
- Technical pre-sales
- Budgeting
After the workshop, you will receive a professional, documented report on your present situation and next steps to be taken.
What you can expect
The Market Entry Blueprint will result in you having a clear vision and plan of action, a roadmap for your company’s international expansion. The confidence that you can time the expansion properly and avoid making the costly mistakes that many companies do.
Note: I can only take a few clients a month. There are no spots left for the month of July 2024.
If you wish to get a slot for the next month, act fast.
Frequently asked questions
“Petri has been a great resource for us in launching our business in the Nordics. They were able to qualify and progress several potential customers quickly and in a very professional manner.”Oksana Krutybich, Director of Partner Relations at Miratech
“With Petri's excellent network and hunter attitude, we were able to find the right partners for a successful market entry in Finland.”Franck Attia, CEO at Straneo
