Selling B2B in the European Union: A Market-by-Market Reality
The European Union is one market on paper and a dozen on the ground. I have built, hired, trained and managed sales teams across the EU, including in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Finland, more than once and for several companies, and here is how it actually works.
Is the EU actually your market?
A single market, a single currency in much of it, and 27 countries that each buy differently. The opportunity is huge and the regulation is real, from GDPR to local compliance. The mistake is treating "Europe" as one go-to-market. I help you pick the right entry countries and build from there, instead of spreading thin across all of it.
Why the EU is not one market
What works in Germany fails in France, and neither resembles the Netherlands or Poland. Language, business culture, pace and decision-making differ sharply: German precision and proof, French relationships and language, Dutch directness, Nordic consensus, the value-and-loyalty dynamics of Central and Eastern Europe. One message and one motion do not travel across the bloc.
This is exactly what I fix, hands-on. Monthly, no contract, no exit fines. If revenue is stuck, the call costs you nothing.
Book a 15-minute callThe markets
- Western Europe: Germany, France, the Netherlands, plus Belgium, Austria, Spain, Italy and Ireland
- The Nordics: Finland, Sweden, Denmark
- Central and Eastern Europe: Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czechia and beyond
- I have built and run teams across Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Finland
What I build and run across the EU
- Local, often native-language sales teams, hired, trained and managed
- Positioning and pricing built per country, not one EU template
- A local entity or partners where customers or compliance require it
- Tech support and customer service to local expectations
- The CRM, pipeline, forecast and accountability
How I would enter the EU
Pick one or two entry countries that fit your product, win them, and expand market by market with the local people each one demands. I run it hands-on, in the seat.
Related: the Nordics, Central & Eastern Europe, market entry.
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