Find clients and sell your products in the Netherlands

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

The Netherlands is an interesting country to do business in, and can also serve a stepping stone to other European countries

As of 2024, the Netherlands has a population of approximately 17.67 million people.

The Netherlands boasts a robust economy, ranking as the 18th largest in the world. A significant portion of the EU’s natural gas comes from the Netherlands. The country’s GDP per capita is impressively high at around $48,860, reflecting its economic strength.

Amsterdam, the capital, is the most populous city, followed by Rotterdam and The Hague. The country’s terrain is notably low-lying, with a significant portion below sea level.

Doing business in the Netherlands

Finding new clients requires a clear offering and to-the-point communications. The decisive part is getting to the right person first by phone, which is still difficult to do in English. Therefore translated introductory materials and a Dutch intermediary will be essential. Once you have a meeting, you can do further explanation yourself.

YOU’LL GET AROUND WITH ENGLISH EVERYWHERE

No matter where you are, people speak at least basic English and if you try to utter some words in Dutch as a foreigner, you mostly will get a response in English. This common knowledge of English has many advantages:

Product packaging or manuals hardly need to be adapted;
You can keep your marketing slogans in English, it’s only useful to translate the rest of the advertisements;
If you work with local staff or vendors, communication difficulties will be limited.

It’s also very well accepted to have agreements in English and there is no need to translate them in Dutch to make these legally binding.

GOOD CHANCES THROUGH THE INTERNET

The internet broadband penetration is one of the highest in the world, thanks to the phone and coax networks that are all around the country. The Dutch are also very much open to online sales and it is easy and cheap to arrange payment for the goods and services you sell though the internet. There is no specific preference for Dutch products, if you have a good deal, you’ll be able to sell it.

Who actually decides?

Business development abroad fails more often on the wrong contact than on the wrong product. Decide first whether you sell to end users, to a procurement department or through a partner: each asks for a different pitch and a different price level.

Expect to adapt three things per market. The language of your materials, your proof — local references count for more than global ones — and your price positioning against the local alternatives.

Do you need help in the Netherlands?

Our service providers are local specialists. They know the market, the regulations and the parties that matter, and they can support you with the steps on this page.

Ask a professional

Finding your first clients in the Netherlands in three steps

Step 1

Define the target group

Describe the companies or consumers you want to reach, the budget they have and the problem you solve for them. Skip this and every later step costs more time.

Step 2

Build a list and approach

Collect 50 to 100 relevant companies, find the person who decides, and reach out in the local language by email, LinkedIn or telephone.

Step 3

Follow up and localise

Track what you hear back and sharpen the pitch on it. Add local proof: translated pages, references from the region and a local number or partner.

Find clients and sell your products in the Netherlands