Market entry
Market Expansion
Entering a new market is mostly a partner problem: who already has the customers, the trust and the local know-how you lack. Choose the market, the entry model and the partners, with warm introductions where our networks run deep.
- Format
- Scoped project
- Starts with
- A conversation
- Built for
- SaaS, ISVs, agencies
- Reach
- Global
What is partner-led market entry?
Partner-led market entry is entering a new country or region mainly through local partners, such as resellers, systems integrators, agencies or technology vendors, rather than by building a full direct sales team there first.
It trades some margin and control for speed and trust. Local partners already have customers, credibility and an understanding of how buying works in their market. The risk is choosing partners who sign enthusiastically and then prioritise their existing vendors, which is why partner selection and the first ninety days matter more than the agreement.
What is a market entry strategy?
A market entry strategy decides which market to enter, how to enter it, whether directly, through partners, through a distributor or through an alliance, and what the first year must prove before more is invested.
The useful version is specific: named target segments, a chosen entry model, localised pricing and proposition, the first partners to approach and the milestones that decide whether to scale, adjust or stop. A headquarters playbook copied into a new market is the most common reason entries stall.
What are the main market entry models?
The main market entry models are direct entry with your own team, partner-led entry through resellers, integrators or agencies, entry through a distributor, and strategic alliances with a larger local player; most companies combine two of them.
Direct entry gives control and costs most. Partner-led entry is faster and cheaper but depends on partner attention. Distributors suit markets with complex procurement or regulation. Alliances open doors quickly but tie you to someone else's priorities. The right mix depends on deal size, how much implementation the product needs, and how buyers in that market prefer to buy.
What is ecosystem mapping for market entry?
Ecosystem mapping for market entry is charting the partners, platforms, buyers and competitors in a target market before committing budget or headcount, so the entry plan is built on who actually matters there.
It answers practical questions early: which integrators serve your target customers, which platforms dominate, which competitors already hold the partner relationships you need, and who could introduce you. It is the difference between a shortlist of partners and a cold list of names.
What the data says about working across markets
Findings from the Global Partnerships Survey, our own research with 100+ partnership professionals, fieldwork October to December 2025. Every figure links to its source.
Partnering across borders is the norm, not the exception. Expansion is a question of how, not whether.
Entries stall on expectations, decision-making and time zones far more than on language.
Relationships in a new market are built in the room. Plan the travel into the entry, not after it.
Most partnership professionals adapt how they work for each culture. A new market needs the same care.
Cross-cultural communication ranks second only to relationship building among the skills that matter.
Entering a market through partners, step by step
Seven steps from choosing the market to proving it works. Each one narrows the next, so the budget is committed in stages rather than all at once.
- 1
Choose the market
Where is the demand we can win?
Compare candidate markets on demand for your category, the strength of local competition, how buyers there prefer to buy, and how ready the partner ecosystem is.
- 2
Map the ecosystem
Who matters there?
Chart the partners, platforms, buyers and competitors in the target market, and who already holds the relationships you will need.
- 3
Choose the entry model
Direct, partners, distributor or alliance?
Pick the mix that fits your deal size, implementation needs and appetite for control, and decide what stays direct and what goes through partners.
- 4
Localise the proposition
Why would buyers there choose us?
Adapt positioning, proof, pricing and packaging to the market, including the references and certifications local buyers and partners expect.
- 5
Recruit the first partners
Who do we approach first, and how?
A shortlist of partners ranked by fit and appetite, approached through warm introductions wherever possible, with a joint first opportunity agreed early.
- 6
Build the in-market rhythm
How do we stay present from a distance?
Time on the ground, a cadence that respects time zones and local ways of deciding, and a named owner the partners can reach.
- 7
Prove the first 90 days
What must be true before we invest more?
Milestones agreed in advance: partners activated, opportunities created, first deals won. They decide whether to scale, adjust or stop.
What you get
Scoped on the first call and written on one page: the markets in scope, the deliverables and who from your team is involved. Checking that your partner programme can carry a new market is part of the scoping.
- A market prioritisation, with the reasoning behind the choice
- An ecosystem map of the target market: partners, platforms, buyers and competitors
- An entry model recommendation, and what stays direct
- A localised proposition, proof and pricing guidance
- A ranked shortlist of first partners to approach
- A first-90-days plan with milestones that decide the next investment
- Introductions to named partners where our networks reach
Phase 1
Map
Establish what you are trying to prove, check that your partner programme can carry a new market, and map the target market's ecosystem before any budget is committed.
Phase 2
Plan
Choose the entry model, localise the proposition and pricing, and rank the first partners, with the milestones that will decide the next stage.
Phase 3
Enter
Make the introductions, run the first partner conversations with your team, and track the first ninety days against the milestones agreed at the start.
Who this is for
A good fit
- SaaS platforms, ISVs, agencies and system integrators with traction at home
- A target market chosen, or a shortlist to choose between
- Planning to enter through partners, not only a direct team
- Entering Europe, the Middle East, North America or Asia-Pacific
- Leadership ready to fund the first year properly
Not a fit
- No traction in the home market yet
- Looking for legal, tax or entity set-up advice
- Wanting leads bought in the new market rather than partners built
- Expecting a market to open without anyone spending time in it
New markets entered from the inside
These were permanent, full-time roles held inside these companies, not Convert Commerce clients. They include building a partnerships function from a regional launch, running a global partner framework and building alliances across four companies. References are available on request.
Shopify Plus
Full-time, in-house: partnerships and go-to-market lead, EMEA
Built the regional partnerships function from the EMEA launch, and the team delivered 154% of revenue target while the foundations were still being laid.
dotdigital Group PLC
Full-time, in-house: partnerships leadership, five years
Designed and ran a tiered global partner framework with PRM, co-marketing tied to the sales cycle and a partner ROI attribution model; partner-sourced and influenced revenue grew fivefold over 24 months.
Inviqa Group
Full-time, in-house: partnership function built from zero, across four companies
Established the partnership framework group-wide and built alliances with more than 40 technology and platform partners across Adobe, Salesforce, Shopware and Drupal.
How an engagement starts
- 1
A working call
Forty-five minutes on the market you are considering, what you need to prove there, and whether partners are the right route in. If they are not, you will be told so on the call.
- 2
A readiness check
A quick look at whether your partner programme at home can carry a new market, folded into the scoping. It is not a gate: it happens inside the scoping, not before it.
- 3
Scope, then start
A one-page scope: the market, the deliverables, who from your team is involved, and the timeline. Work starts once it is agreed.
Want to check your programme first? Run the Partnership Assessment. Need the ecosystem side of the new market? See Ecosystem & Platform Partnerships. Want the survey data on working across regions? Read the Partnerships Benchmark 2026.