The first sale in a new market is usually the hardest. You have no local references, the buyer doesn’t know you and switching supplier is a risk for them. In this guide, we explain how to win your first B2B sales abroad, with concrete steps you can apply even if your company is small and has no presence in the country.
Why the first sale is the hardest
- Lack of trust: the customer doesn’t know you and has no references for your work in their market.
- Perceived risk: switching supplier can affect their operations, and nobody wants to be the first to try.
- Your limited knowledge of the market: business practices, timelines and key people you don’t yet know well.
- Long cycles: in B2B, several people are involved and decisions take time.
The good news is that each of these barriers can be reduced with a deliberate strategy.
1. Define a very specific ideal customer
The more specific the profile (sector, size, the problem they must have, the decision-maker’s role), the easier it is to get the message right and find the right companies. A profile that is too broad dilutes the effort and makes it harder to learn from the results. A useful question: which of your customers in Spain would most resemble the ideal customer in that country?
2. Offer a small way in
A buyer who doesn’t know you is unlikely to sign up to a big commitment. A limited entry offer, such as a pilot, an initial project or a trial with a defined scope and timeframe, reduces the perceived risk and gives you the chance to show results. Define clearly what it includes, how long it lasts, what result you expect and what happens next if it works. The relationship grows naturally when the first project goes well.
3. Lean on references and local partners
- Cases and results from customers in Spain or other countries, explained clearly and, where possible, with their permission to cite them.
- Introductions through contacts, associations, chambers of commerce or complementary companies.
- Taking part in trade fairs and industry events where your target customers are.
- Alliances with companies that already sell complementary products or services to your ideal customers.
A recommendation from someone trusted is worth more than many cold messages.
4. Combine prospecting channels
Combining email, LinkedIn, calls and face-to-face meetings works better than relying on just one. What matters is that the message is relevant and that there is follow-up. A simple pattern:
- A short first email that raises a specific problem and asks a question.
- A LinkedIn connection request with a personalised note.
- A second email a few days later with a useful fact or example.
- A call or message suggesting a short conversation.
- A final, friendly closing message that leaves the door open.
You can read more about how to measure what works in prospecting.
5. Keep a consistent sales process
In B2B, sales cycles tend to be long and progress uneven. What helps most is having a defined process: who makes contact, when follow-up happens, how opportunities are recorded and what counts as a real opportunity. Without consistency, many opportunities go cold simply for lack of follow-up. If you don’t have the internal capacity to keep it going, you can outsource part of the sales work.
6. Turn the first sale into a success story
When you close the first deal, document the problem, the solution and the results, always with the customer’s permission. That case will be your best argument in the next conversations, on your website and on your profiles. For more ideas on the next step, see how we approach international projects with the IBD Method.
Mistakes that delay the first sale
- Targeting everyone instead of a specific profile.
- Proposing too big a commitment to a customer who doesn’t know you.
- Giving up after the first contact goes unanswered.
- Not recording conversations or lessons learned.
- Switching markets after a few weeks without giving the process time to mature.
FAQs
How long does it take to win the first sale in another country?
There is no single timeframe: it depends on the sector, the deal size and the complexity of the decision. In general, it is wise to allow several months of consistent work before assessing results.
Is it better to start with a pilot or a full proposal?
A well-defined pilot usually makes the customer’s decision easier, because it reduces the risk they take on and lets you show results before committing further.
Do you need a local partner to sell in another country?
Not always, but a partner, distributor or intermediary with a good network can open doors and add credibility, especially in markets where personal trust carries a lot of weight.
How INOBERICA can help
At INOBERICA, we help innovative B2B companies enter new markets, both domestic and international, and reach the decision-maker. We work from Bilbao with a practical approach: defining the market and the target customer, preparing the proposal, opening conversations with decision-makers and measuring what works. You can learn about our Innovative Business Development approach or tell us about your project so we can work out together where to start.
