How to acquire clients abroad: a proven B2B plan

For many companies in the region, acquiring clients abroad is a natural direction for growth. The domestic market can be too small for specialized B2B offerings, and competition at home is increasingly fierce. However, deciding to expand is just the beginning. The key is to understand that acquiring foreign clients follows different rules than operating in the local market. In this article, we show how to approach this process methodically, based on proven frameworks and practical examples.

Where to start: choosing your market and entry model

Before you start looking for answers to the question of how to acquire clients abroad, you need to determine where and how you want to find them. The most common mistake is trying to enter all markets at once. This spreads your resources thin and prevents you from building a strong position anywhere. A company decides to test Germany, Scandinavia, and the Benelux simultaneously: one salesperson writes emails in German in the morning, in English in the afternoon, and browses Dutch industry forums in the evening. After a quarter, they have a few contacts from each market and no real deals, because there wasn't enough time anywhere to build more than a first contact.

Start by analyzing which geographic markets are closest to you culturally and business-wise. For companies in the region, natural directions include Germany, Scandinavia, and Western European countries. Look at industries that are growing in those markets and where your offering can be competitive in terms of price or quality.

Choosing your entry model is equally important. You can opt for:

• Direct export: you acquire and serve clients yourself from your home base. This model is demanding but gives you full control.
• Local partners: distributors, agents, or resellers who know the market and have access to clients. This is a faster path but requires sharing margins.
• Your own representation: hiring a local sales representative or opening a small office. The most expensive option, but it offers the greatest opportunities for brand building.

Remember that your choice of model affects your entire marketing strategy. If you go with partners, your marketing efforts must focus on generating leads for them, not on direct sales. If you operate independently, you need to build a complete customer service process in a foreign language.

Where to get a client database and how to segment it?

This is one of the most common questions we hear from companies planning expansion. The answer is simple: there is no single ready-made database that solves all your problems. A client database is the result of a thoughtful strategy, not a one-time purchase.

Start by defining an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) for the foreign market. This cannot be a copy of your domestic profile. Consider local conditions, company sizes, industry specifics, and how purchasing decisions are made. As the authors of the Reddot Growth report (2023) emphasize, “first align your message with a specific audience before you start scaling your campaign”. This is the foundation on which you build your entire strategy.

Where to look for data? Proven sources include:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: advanced filters let you reach decision-makers in specific companies and industries.
• Databases like Apollo.io, Lusha, or Cognism: they offer contact data, but require verification and are often expensive at a larger scale.
• Industry directories and trade fairs: these remain excellent sources of contacts, especially in traditional B2B industries.
• Own content marketing efforts: publishing valuable content in English or in the language of the target market attracts customers who leave their data themselves.

Segmentation is key. Do not send the same messages to the CEO of a large corporation and the owner of a small manufacturing plant. Segmentation criteria include position, industry, company growth rate, and even purchase intent. The more precise the segmentation, the higher the campaign effectiveness and the lower the risk of discouraging potential customers.

B2B sales channels abroad: what works in practice

Choosing B2B sales channels abroad depends on the specifics of your industry and target market. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but some methods work more often than others.

Cold email and cold calling

These remain among the most effective methods for acquiring foreign customers, but they require precision. The rules are clear: short messages, clear value for the recipient, and a soft call to action. Instead of asking “do you have time on Tuesday for a call?”, it is better to ask “is this interesting for you?”. As Reddot Growth research (2023) shows, soft CTAs open more conversations than hard ones. A salesperson sends 50 emails asking “do you have 15 minutes on Tuesday at 10:00?” and gets two replies, both rejections. They change one sentence to “is this even a topic for you?” and send another 50: this time twelve people reply. Also remember the technical basics: without configuring DMARC and DKIM, your emails will go to spam, even if the content is perfect.

LinkedIn and social selling

LinkedIn is a primary tool in B2B sales on foreign markets. It is not a place for automatically sending connection requests. Building relationships matters: commenting on posts, sharing valuable content, and connecting naturally. Remember that your activity on LinkedIn builds your personal brand, which is key to building trust in a new market.

Content marketing and SEO

Publishing content in English or the local language is an investment that pays off in the long term. Expert articles, case studies, and guides attract search traffic and build authority. This is especially important if you operate in a niche industry where customers look for specialists. Remember to use local keywords and adapt content to cultural realities.

Trade fairs and industry events

Participating in international trade fairs remains one of the most effective ways to make direct contacts. It is an opportunity to meet customers face to face, understand their needs, and present your offer. However, it is worth preparing very carefully: schedule meetings in advance and prepare materials in the target language.

How to build trust and credibility in a new market?

Trust is the currency of international business. Foreign clients often worry about working with unknown suppliers, especially from another country. That is why consciously building your brand image is so important. According to research by Hammerl and colleagues (2016), "consumers avoid brands associated with dissociative groups, even if the brand is functionally good". The same applies to the B2B market: if your brand does not inspire trust, clients will choose competitors, even if your product is better.

How to build credibility?

• Case studies and references: show concrete projects and results, ideally with numbers. If you have international clients, use their testimonials.
• Local certifications and standards: adapt to local requirements and show that you understand the market's specifics.
• Presence in local media and at events: publish articles in industry portals, take part in panel discussions.
• Transparency: show how you work, what processes you have, and who is behind the company. This builds a sense of security.

It is also worth remembering Heider's balance theory, as described by Hammerl and colleagues (2016). If a client from a reference group (e.g., a leader in their industry) positively evaluates your brand, others will be more likely to accept it. That is why acquiring the first, best clients in a new market is so important: they will become your ambassadors.

Measuring results and optimizing efforts

International expansion is a process that requires constant monitoring and adjustment. You cannot assume that a strategy that worked in Poland will work abroad. You need to measure everything and react quickly to changes.

Key metrics to track:

• Interest rate (i%): the number of responses from interested prospects divided by the number of emails sent. This is a better metric than the overall reply rate because it shows real interest in your offer.
• Customer acquisition cost (CAC): how much it costs you to acquire one customer in a new market.
• Customer lifetime value (LTV): how much you earn from a customer over the entire relationship.
• Conversion at each funnel stage: from first contact to signed contract.

Remember the feedback loop. Regularly collect feedback from your sales team: they know what works and what doesn't. Iterate campaigns based on data, not intuition. As Stavros Georgiades's (2022) model of dynamic coordination of creative groups shows, "the coordination process is cyclical, repeating with each new task, which enables continuous adjustment". The same applies to your expansion strategy: you must be ready for continuous modifications.

It is also worth remembering that acquiring international customers also requires changes in your internal organization, not just in marketing and sales. According to Georgiades's (2022) research, "Formal structures are essential as a framework, but it is informal practices that enable adaptation to the changing needs of the scene". In practice, this means you need to give your team space for experimentation and unconventional actions, while also having clearly defined processes and responsibilities.

FAQ: Common questions about B2B expansion

Where do I get a customer database?

You build your customer database from several sources: LinkedIn Sales Navigator, databases like Apollo.io, industry directories, trade shows, and your own content marketing. Segmentation and tailoring your message to a specific audience are key. Do not buy random databases: it is better to build a smaller but well-profiled contact list.

Where do I get customers?

You acquire customers through active sales efforts (cold email, cold calling, LinkedIn) and passive ones (content marketing, SEO, trade shows). The best results come from combining both approaches. Remember that you need to be patient in a new market: first results may only appear after several months of systematic work.

What are the 3 types of customers?

In the context of international expansion, we distinguish three types of customers: transactional customers (looking for the lowest price and fast delivery), relationship customers (valuing long-term cooperation and trust), and strategic customers (treating the supplier as a partner in growth). Each of these types requires a different approach and different sales arguments.

If you are looking for support in scaling your business to international markets, it is worth leveraging the experience of an agency that has been helping companies grow for over 16 years. In B2B lead generation, the key is combining strategy, tools, and continuous optimization. And if you need support in building a B2B marketing strategy for expansion, our consultants are happy to share their knowledge and experience.