Marketing and business representation in the United States 

Foreign market expansions are resource-consuming endeavors that are neither cheap nor short-term in their nature. That is why moving into the most competitive markets requires detailed preparation and commitment to the process.  

Here are some initial truths about expanding into the American marketplace. Previous success in Europe or Asia won’t guarantee you immediate success in the US. Why? Much of that is down to the cultural fact that “America likes to trade with America.” That maxim will filter through the structures of your company as well as its internal statutes, which are likely to greatly impact how your business performs in the US. For example, highly regulated industries like food, pharmaceuticals, professional services, or transport, may demand more than you expect, and you may face regulations that are not always completely understandable. 

One of the best ways to understand your business’ readiness for an expansion to the US is to conduct a feasibility study. Such a study will provide a long-term business development plan for the American market and clearly define the steps needed to move forward with the expansion.

Understanding a client’s business as best as possible allows us to find the most effective solutions for their visions. We are able to provide services ranging from a feasibility study to a full business representation in the US. 

Marketing in the US is fundamentally different from marketing in much smaller markets in European countries. First, marketing and sales are generally more aggressive and require polished selling and presentation skills.  Second, the size of the market means both great competition and a great opportunity to sell your products, but also a need for clear client targeting and quality customer service to create differentiation in a highly-competitive environment. 

A good rule of thumb to follow is that what usually works in Europe or Asia, likely won’t work in the US, at least not completely. Over the years, we’ve come across many great companies with excellent products and services that have invested considerable resources in marketing in the US, but ended up abandoning their market expansion because their strategy proved to be unsustainable. Companies that don’t have a strong customer base in place usually fail due to two things: they refuse to move their strategy away from what they use in their domestic market, and they are reluctant to hire local business development specialists. We can help you define the strategy and help you hire local talent.

A business development specialist on the ground can play an essential role in selling your services, especially in a B2B segment, and it is well worth your investment. That is why we are prepared to recommend a clear form of marketing and sales, suitable sales channels, and help you hire a local representative. We are happy to offer the drafting of a feasibility study as well as a complex, long-term cooperation, in which we will undertake full responsibility for managing your American branch and all the necessary details. We cooperate on such a basis with several clients, most notably XLAB Realtime. You can read about it in our case study. We can easily take care of all administrative needs of your company and ensure full business representation in the United States.

Entering the US market always requires a well-thought-out marketing and business strategy. As we have already mentioned, expansion into the US is a resource-consuming endeavor that is neither cheap nor short-term. Many European companies look for and even expect more affordable and faster solutions. But in our years of experience, a majority of these cases see the business plans fail and end up costing companies much more time and money in the long run than had they hired a local sales representative from the start.