7 ‘Dud Tips’ for Companies Entering the US Market

Aiming for the stars-and-stripes land with your product? Make sure not to follow the advice from this article.

Hi, I’m Andrew Grechkin, founder & CEO of KIDDIO – a company specializing in online math and social-emotional classes for kids. We operate in a variety of markets worldwide: the United States, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Each start in a new country is a challenge where thorough pre-launch research is half the battle.

Still, even after proper preparations, the immediate sales experience can be full of surprises. Here are a couple of universal headaches, as well as US-specific rabbit holes for you to avoid:

1. Copypaste is the key: take everything as it was in your home land and bring it overseas. Don’t bother with doing custdevs and taking consultations from experts in product niches.

I’ve seen way too many companies try to slam through the door rather than make the effort to fit in. Entering the market doesn't work that way. For example, we adjusted our seemingly universal learning materials based on which country the students using our products were in. Even after minor changes implemented with the help of local educators, we started to observe the increase of students' engagement in the trial classes. There’s nothing more satisfying than making a product better at the preliminary stage, trust me.

2. Don’t pay any attention to the differences in communication and unique qualities of American English because the transatlantic cultural gap is a myth.

Smiling, being chill and speaking straightforward (hello to stereotypes about Americans!) is not enough. To gain the trust of your United States based consumers, at least a part of your team should be US natives. Local business developers, country-managers, or customer care specialists will cost more but they are worth every penny in the long run.

3. Use supporting services that Americans have not experienced; they will appreciate your originality.

You can easily fall into the category of scammers without doing anything bad. Just provide your american customer, say, with a link to the unfamiliar payment system – damage is done, time to enjoy the results!

4. Make phone calls your weapon of choice when communicating with clients. If you manage to get a landline phone number, that will be just perfect!

In our online learning service, live chats with clients win over phone calls in all possible ways. Marketing fact: minimizing the reach by phone allowed us to increase customers satisfaction by 5%. 

5. Be a blind optimist and don’t listen to those who say that starting sales in the US is expensive. 

Start small, estimate your costs, hope for good, plan for the worse, have a deep pocket – you all know what to do here.

6. Remember: in every controversial situation with a client, the law is on your side! 

 Don’t even try to push for your rights when a customer happens to be unhappy with your service. Give them the upper hand no matter the circumstances, be ready to make a refund upon first request, and it will save you from trouble.

7. And the last one: as a foreigner, you don’t need to have a slightest understanding of the internal politics of the United States. Republicans, democrats – who cares? – it will never impact your business.

Of course, you need to adjust your product to the local community’s preferences. Political orientation makes a significant difference in attitudes, beliefs and consumption behavior.  Why not use this knowledge to your advantage? 

To summarize, the quality research and test sellings help validate your marketing strategy and allow you to obtain useful insights on improving your product.

Before launching on a full scale in a new country, be sure to check off:

- CustDev and problem interviews

- competitor analysis

- analytical agencies reports

- recent scientific publications 

- marketing and communication channels

- social and cultural patterns of local customers

Speedy growth with your business, see you in the new markets!