International Entrepreneurship: How to Find American Customers

The United States is known as the Land of Opportunity, and to the outside world it looks like a huge, homogeneous market. Many foreign entrepreneurs think so. How difficult it is to launch my product there. After all, it has proven to be very popular in my country many times. Soon he will be able to sell to 300 million Americans. “

They couldn’t be more wrong. Having personally experienced starting and leading dozens of technology companies in both Europe and North America, I have seen that there are so many different countries in America. America in traditional East Coast glued-on shirt business etiquette and America in hoodies and sneakers. Embracing the Silicon West Coast tech startup community culture couldn’t be more different from each other. I learned from him one of the most important factors for success. If you get Americans hooked on your product, your business will succeed.

Sure, there are unfamiliar regulations, visa and permit questions, and taxes to learn, but these are all solvable problems. However, finding and delivering his customers, the 300 million American consumers, in a giant haystack is another matter. And it’s not just about truly listening to their needs and finding ways to quickly adapt our products. This is the key to the successful expansion of the United States. And it seems difficult in a vast country like America. Unless you employ a methodical process for carving this giant elephant into digestible pieces.

Below is my advice for achieving this in seven methodical steps.

1. Listen seriously to potential customers and develop sales leads from day one

Your customers are your most effective confidantes. This may seem obvious, but Echo’s Chamber of Commerce focuses on the unique features of their products rather than going back to basics to understand the customer pain points they need to solve. You’d be surprised how many entrepreneurs fall into the trap. The American market may have different wants and needs than other markets. The only way to really know is to ask! Engage with potential customers and get feedback from the start to build trust, close deals, and establish relationships that help ensure long-term customer loyalty.

2. Identify the problem to be solved and the target audience for the problem to create a marketing plan.

The most successful marketing plans are built around coming up with customer-centric solutions that directly address customer pain points. But the only way to know the problem you’re trying to solve is through extensive primary research that provides a clear path to product and market fit. Identifying pain points early can save countless hours and thousands of dollars when effectively adapting your messaging to the market and allocating resources.

3. Align the sales package with the customer’s needs and create a sales plan

Once the problem and product market fit have been established, sales channels, organization, pricing and compensation plans should be determined based on responses to various market factors. Sales are not one-size-fits-all, so having some flexibility in what you offer can make a difference in how customers choose you over your competitors and who you serve. You can build trust that you know what your customers want and what tradeoffs they want. Consider to receive products and services.

4. Prioritizing Product Adaptations to Create a U.S. Product Roadmap

Certain products that work in other countries may not work in the United States. This could be an engineering issue or just a different user experience. It’s important to look at your product through the eyes of an American. How will they use it? What will confuse them? Don’t hesitate to test until you find the most intuitive solution for your customers.

5. Install the Right Systems and the Right Business Settings

Once you know what products your customers want and how they prefer to deliver them, what tools and technologies should you put in place both in the back and front of your home? is important to recognize. From marketing and sales to fulfillment and customer service, everything needs to be tailored and scaled for US customers.

It’s a good thing you started generating leads from day one, as these tools form the foundation for building your business setup. This goes hand in hand with determining the appropriate legal setting. By partnering with service providers and relying on widely used tools and systems, you can limit risk, ensure out-of-the-box support, and accelerate time to start. It’s not worth reinventing the wheel here.

6. Make sure you have enough funds to expand into the US

Don’t start until you have secured the money. Implementing lead generation, developing a marketing and sales approach, developing US-specific product features, and implementing back-office systems are expensive, time-consuming, and require the right team members, so have a strong team member. It’s important to be prepared. A funding plan was developed and it was clear where the funding would come from.

7. Don’t suffer alone and don’t be afraid to ask for help

Many entrepreneurs may try to take a do-it-yourself approach as a cost-saving measure. However, challenging the US market alone is a daunting task and is often more time consuming and expensive overall. Don’t try this alone, especially if it’s your first time setting up a business in the US. And don’t be afraid to ask experienced US expansion builders for help. They know what works and what doesn’t, have access to experienced partners and service providers, and perhaps most importantly, an established contact network. enter.

However, he insists that he employs a systematic framework so that he always asks witnesses before seeking help, and that he can proceed step-by-step and receive data and documents that he can share within his home organization. please. Such partnerships can be a great way to mitigate risk while learning how to adapt to the U.S. business environment, find potential partners and customers, and gain valuable and repeatable advice and support.

The bottom line is…

Overall, starting a business in the US can be a challenging but rewarding endeavor. The United States is the single largest developed market in the world, so focusing on the right strategic areas, taking a methodical approach and maintaining a rigorous customer centricity will not only find American customers, but also serve them. You can maximize your chances of getting hooked. your product. International entrepreneurs can increase their chances of success in the U.S. market by following his proven 7 steps to global expansion.