Find clients and sell your products in Spain

Finding clients abroad is always a challenge, and business development in Spain is not different. You need the right contacts and once you reach the decision maker, you need the right sales pitch.

A lot of companies that want to enter the market in Spain do this with their general sales pitch. However, if you don't know the local regulations, pricing levels and your competition's product, sales meetings may be difficult to conclude successfully.

How to sell your product or service in Spain?

Spain is a vibrant and diverse market where you have good chances of introducing a new product. As of the latest data, Spain has a population of approximately 47 million people. According to the World Bank, Spain’s GDP per capita was about $30,370 in USD as of the last reporting year.

WHAT ARE THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN SPAIN?

As the country is recovering, it’s becoming more competitive and attractive to foreign investment. Spain’s array of promising industries are:

Textiles and Apparel
Food and Beverage
Metal and metal manufacturers
Chemicals
Shipbuilding
Automobiles
Machine tools
Tourism
Clay and refractory products
Pharmaceuticals
Medical equipment

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SPANISH BUSINESS CULTURE?

The business culture in Spain is generally relaxed. Spaniards value trusting relationships. While they may greet one another by kissing on the cheeks, you do not need to do so in business meetings. A handshake is more recommendable. Being great conversationalists, they will ask you about your background and personal life. Your honesty will gain trust and be a foundation for your business relationships. It is advisable to stay humble and non-confrontational.

WHAT ARE NEGOTIATION TACTICS IN SPAIN?

Do not be surprised if meetings do not follow the agenda.
If you want to discuss your business over a meal, you need to inform your counterparts in advance. Do take notes that in Spain, meal time is meant to relax and not to close deals. The one who invites will be the one to pay the bill.
Presentations can go at length.
The way you dress while doing business is important.
Personal networks are essential in this country. It will be beneficial if you have a local representative with an extended network.
Negotiations should only begin after you have already established the relationships.
Final decisions depend on people with senior positions in the company.

VAlidate the HS-codes you use for shipping

Almost every country or trade block in the world has its own detailing on the international HS-code list. With our report you strongly reduce the risk on misclassifications, delays and higher custom duties than expected.

Tell us what you want to ship and where to and we ask you all relevant questions to get to the most likely code.

Translate your website and check your SEO

Even if your business is really international, it may be wise to set up local website translations and check whether your text aligns with the culture.

This also counts for Spain and its inhabitants. People prefer reading in their own language and also search most of the time in their own language. Therefore you need to include the relevant keywords in your texts, and these may not be a direct translation.

With regards to content, my personal experience is that if you have a successful blog topic in one language, it is likely to do well also in other languages. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just make a proper translation.

Shipping your products

If you sell physical products, you need them to get delivered into Spain. Depending on the country you are in, this may be a challenge.

First of all you may have to pay import duties or settle VAT. This can be complex if you don’t have your own legal entity in the country.

There may also be non-financial bariers, like certifications or approvals to be obtained. Especially for food, cosmetics or medicine this may be the case. Check this in advance, even before you invest in your marketing.