Find clients and sell your products in the United States

Finding clients abroad is always a challenge, and business development in the United States 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 the United States 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 the United States?

The United States of America has a population of 327 million. In 2022, 83% of the population lived in the cities, and this percentage is slowly rising. The average income per capita is almost 60,000 USD. This is promising to sell your goods, but you’ll have to know where to start.

The United States (the US) has 50 states, five territories, and a federal district. The country is governed by the federal government, having fifty states and a federal district. The US is one of the world’s first constitutional republic countries, with from January 2017 Mr. Donald Trump as the president.

Economic structure of the United States

Being one of the largest economies in the world, the US has a significant influence on the global market. With a big consumption market, diverse culture, and a developed economic system, the US is a tempting destination for many international businesses. Diversity is characteristic of the US market.

Opportunities in the USA per region

New York

Consumer industries and real estate industries are at a benefit due to affluent, cosmopolitan consumers.
Financial capital of the world
Hub for media, social media, and innovation

California

Consumer industries and real estate industries would do good in this state with the same reason as in New York’s.
Logistics capital for US-Asia trade flows
Home for technology companies
Hub for start-ups
High tech manufacturing in the industries of aerospace, defence, match, and semiconductor equipment

Massachusetts

Life sciences capital of the world due to research and commercial clusters

Texas

Houston as the world’s capital of oil and gas industries.
Immigration of professional classes lead to:
Economic diversity
Opportunities for consumerism and real estate

North Dakota

Potential for oil and gas investments
Shale Boom
Primitive infrastructure that is very appealing to companies and real estate industries.

Washington

Home to Boeing
Hub for global aerospace
Home to tech giants

United States business culture and etiquette

The Americans have a strong emphasis on individuality. They value individual performance and personal competence. The work environment is open and informal; they welcome ideas and different opinions. However, the casualness of the work environment may appear to be rude and foreign to people from other cultures. Time is very important in the US. It is considered as a tangible asset which needs to be spent carefully. Wasting time will create a negative impression and Americans do not like any negativity in any form.

What are negotiation tactics in the USA?

You should always be punctual. Being late is considered as impolite and disrespectful.
The Americans strive to achieve the best results as soon as possible.
Deadlines should be strictly adhered to.
You should shake hands firmly and should not avoid eye contact.
Business cards are exchanged when you want to keep in touch with the person.
Negotiations are very deal-focused. You should try for mutually beneficial results.

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 the United States 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 the United States. 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.