GTM Concierge: A Virtual UK Market Entry Plan

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For ambitious US/ Overseas tech and digital scale-up businesses seeking market entry into the UK, the challenges in this new ‘post-COVID’ world, have substantially grown. The obstacles seem insurmountable – with travel restrictions, the possibility of quarantine and lack of cohesive insurance cover.

“To support US/ Overseas tech firms facing these physical restrictions on expansion to the UK market, GTM Global has created ‘GTM Concierge’. A cohesive virtual plan to provide flexible short-term executive market-entry support for tech scale-up businesses to successfully set up and grow in the UK.”

Roddy Cameron, CEO of Westcliff Strategic Consultants

Roddy Cameron

GTM Global

Three Strands of Successful UK Market Entry

Prior to COVID-19, any US / Overseas scale-up business seeking UK market entry typically faced three key problem sets:

  • Compliance with UK laws and system – How to generate and remit revenue lawfully.
  • Localisation of sales and marketing collateral – Will the same go to market approach work in the UK as in the US/ overseas?
  • Getting Revenue fast – Identifying critical channel partners and securing some key ‘hero’ sales.

To a degree, these three strands could be managed from the US/ Overseas. However, in reality, each requires in-time-zone conversations, UK cultural awareness and HQ management bandwidth. The difficulty of maintaining this, at the pace that US/ Overseas tech firms are used to working, is currently exacerbated by COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Avoid the First Hire, First Fire, Trap!

Traditionally, any market entry business plan starts with the first hire of a ‘hunter’ sales rep. With no localised sales collateral, the sales rep finds things hard going and is often diverted to create (or hire an agency to create) something market appropriate – not what they were hired to do! This delays critical revenue generation. And with little or no agency management experience, the localisation project inevitably fails, sales targets are missed – and that first hire can become the first ‘fire’!

On the other hand, if all of the plans for market entry are done remotely from the US/ Overseasthis marginalises everything into narrow time-zone windows, limiting the ground that can be covered. The result is that the pace of market entry is slow, leading to missed targets, management frustration and dented credibility with investors.

GTM Concierge Provides Flexible Support Across all Three Strands

GTM Concierge brings time, focus and critical ‘boots on the ground’ back to UK market entry. It expands scarce executive bandwidth and accelerates the identification of solutions to market entry problems – builds your network of ‘friends and advocates’. And, most importantly, bridges the control/activity management gap to a permanently staffed autonomous business unit.

The benefits to any US/ Overseas scale-up are instant. Immediate, flexible, senior support in London for as long as you need it – but without a fixed commitment. Access to experienced business executives with the ability to represent the business, access multiple networks and triage solution providers. From a cost and resources perspective, the role adapts in line with needs of the business – by your side at each step as you grow into the market.

To find out more or arrange a call, please contact us and we will get back to you in the next 24 hours.

About GTM Global

GTM Global connects UK scale-up brands in digital and tech to a designated panel of experts from government, trade bodies and commercial partners to provide on-going advice and guidance on go-to-market strategy and international expansion planning.

By participating in the programme you can expect a mix of the following:

  • Advice and guidance from experts in international trade
  • Export readiness audits and market research reports
  • Access to a network of in-country specialists and trade partners
  • Go-to-market strategy development and market expansion planning
  • Compliance, regulatory and risk management planning
  • In-country distribution, sales and business development services
  • Access to overseas EDOs, accelerator programs and government support
  • Funding via an international network of investors and VCs
  • Curated promotions and offers for businesses transacting overseas

Author

Ian Collins
Ian Collinshttps://www.gotomarket.global/
Ian Collins, with an extensive background spanning over 30 years in business development and general management, co-founded GTM Global in 2015. His experience encompasses hi-tech industries such as security, artificial intelligence, business intelligence, and enterprise software solutions. In his career, Ian has started several tech companies, overseen two corporate ventures, executed a management buy-in, and led two business turnarounds. He has also been involved in buying, selling, and merging various of his companies, and has achieved two successful business exits. Ian's expertise is particularly focused on business growth strategies and leading-edge proposition development.

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