Don’t know where to start on a new market?
Posted on March 11, 2006
Start by looking for friends.
In my 4 years and something in software sales and management I had the chance to enter new markets with new products several times. Actually, I’m doing this right now, trying to push new e-payment services for software developers on Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.
Usually, when you are entering a new market you are looking for potential customers or business opportunities because you need to make some sales. But the better way to enter a market is to look for friends. Let me explain what I mean by friends.
It’s really difficult to go for the sales from the beginning. You have to know the market, have a product suitable for it and find a way to sale it. That’s not very easy when you are talking about a foreign market, with a different culture, different language, and, basically different anything. So don’t look for customers in the beginning, look for friends. Friends might me willing to help, might be advisers and might know some of your potential customers. And the good thing is that even if you don’t have anything to give back, they will still help.
That’s how I found Martynas from Lithuania, Head of Sysadmins at Gaumina - a really nice guy. He helped me understand how the Lithuanian market works, what chances I have, and were to look for them. He spent some good time explaining me all kind of stuff that I could never got from any official adviser, or market researcher. If you are wondering why he helped me, I think I won’t be mistaken too much if I tell you that people usually want to help other people. There is a thing in people minds about helping colleagues and your company. And of course there is free beer for him if I get to Lithuania 
Well, thank you Martynas! Will keep in touch
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