Business development managers in Germany

Part-time & Flexible

We provide strategic business development services to grow your presence in Germany. We help you customize your offering for the country and follow-up on leads or approach new clients.
Especially technology products or sales to businesses or governments may have long sales cycles. Our continuous presence in Germany ensures trust and prompt follow-up.
International business development
50 +
Clients supported
1
Flights saved
0 +
Countries
$ 0 M
Generated on turnover

How to sell your product or service in Germany?

Germany is one of the largest markets of Europe, but also a conservative one and difficult to penetrate from abroad.

As of 2024, Germany’s population is estimated at about 83.25 million people. This represents a slight decrease in population growth, with a density of approximately 239 people per square kilometer. The country has also experienced significant immigration, including a substantial influx of refugees.

Germany is a major global economic player, renowned for its industrial output and robust economy. The country has a strong focus on manufacturing and export, especially in the automotive and machinery sectors.

SELLING TO BUSINESSES IN GERMANY

Germany is home to tens of thousands of businesses ranging from small sole proprietorships to large conglomerates. In fact, a large part of the reason for the prominence of Germany’s economy on the world stage can be linked to the small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) of the Mittelstand. So be prepared for smaller and mid-sized companies with a family member as the director and a long-term vision.

STRUCTURE OF GERMAN BUSINESSES

Most German companies empower a few senior managers. Larger companies (AG & GmbH) are governed by a Supervisory Board (Aufsichtsrat) which chooses the Management Board (Vorstand). The management board however is the final decision-maker on matters affecting day to day management.

Work and personal lives are rigidly divided, and Germans subscribe to the ideal that there is a proper time and place for every activity. Talking about personal subjects and politics should be avoided, and the focus should be on work-related things, even in the limited small-talk.

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE AND PROTOCOL IN GERMANY

  • Germans do not think a personal relationship is needed to do business.
  • They will check your academic credentials and the life span of your company.
  • Germans respect authority, so acquaint them with your seniority level.
  • Germans do not encourage an open-door policy- please knock before entering a meeting.
  • German prefer formal communication.
  • Follow the protocol is to build and maintain business relationships.
  • Germans take hyperbole, big promises with a pinch of salt.
  • Germans are direct and can be even blunt.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MEETINGS IN GERMANY

As Germans are very focused on efficiency, meetings may only be scheduled for half an hour and only then if it is clear what the purpose of the meeting will be. This requires a very clear and focused approach, in which you show that you have found out already something about the company and its challenges. Slogans are disregarded, proof is important.

Germans place a high priority on academic and technical education and business houses value the same. Mostly, companies are run by technocrats rather than lawyers and accountants. Meetings are often large with a designated specialist from each area involved in the matter under discussion. People are expected to contribute to the debate when discussions touch their area of expertise but are not necessarily expected to have an opinion on everything.

WHAT ARE NEGOTIATION TACTICS IN GERMANY?

  • Generate your strategy in advance and communicate it to others
  • You can conduct a group session for the sake of clarity of thoughts
  • Prepare all resources in advance
  • Keep your presentations formal and straight to the point
  • Give examples and facts for clear insight
  • You might want to hire a German translator to help you with writing materials
  • Be punctual at all costs

Trade shows in Germany

Germany has many trade shows which are an excellent way to showcase your products and to orient yourself on the market. However, due to the sheer size of these shows chances are small that a purchasing manager or decision maker will accidentally visit your booth. A dedicated business development approach may yield more results for substantially less than the costs of a booth.

If you decide to have your booth at a German trade show, be well prepared and have your message tailored to the European and especially German visitors. It might be a good idea to contact relevant prospects in advance and invite them to your booth.

Why use our business development services in Germany?

We know the market from inside-out

We work with local teams, who already know the market, speak the language and know the business culture.

We are active in over 30 countries

We can compare different markets and as we can help you in all of them, we only favor the market that may work out best for you.

You Reduce your risks

We help you avoid cultural misunderstandings, compliance issues, and other risks associated with entering a new market.

Try our services in Germany

Our structured approach: scan - Launch - Grow

The best way to learn about a market is to start reaching out and adjust your sales pitch on-the-go. This is what we do in our Scan-Launch-Grow approach. 

1st month

We scan the market

We dive into your product and what sales strategy has worked for you in other countries. We show you offering to various potential customers to collect feedback. And we review your competition so that we can determine the best market entry strategy. 

2nd month

We launch your product

Together with you we develop a first pitch for your target group. We extend our long-list of potential targets further and start reaching out, getting to the right decision makers and pitching your product. And we discuss the results with you, in order to optimise your strategy further.

3rd and next months

We grow your sales

We keep searching for new clients and reach out to them. We also follow-up on previous contacts we had and on leads that you bring in. We introduce you to interested parties, but we can also support in meetings or close deals on your behalf. Every month we review our results.

Customer Experiences

” Alliance experts has helped us with clear insights in a market which was relatively new to us. Even under difficult circumstances they found good dealer candidates. “
Alliance Expert found distributors for Harley Davidson

Vitello Benevetti

Harley Davidson

” Alliance Experts’ tailored strategies boosted our Europe market presence phenomenally. Exceptional service, highly recommended! “
Jing Zhang

Jing Zhang

Kamtec

” Invaluable local insights led to great distributor matches. Their approach revolutionized our market entry strategy. Highly recommend! “
Francis Huang

Francis Huang

Würth

” Outstanding service! Found the perfect partners in within a few months. Our international sales skyrocketed thanks to their expertise. “

Mehmet Aksoy

RR Engineers

” Alliance Experts strongly supported our growth in African markets. Innovative, effective strategies, and superb communication. “
James Martin

James Martin

Brabantia

” During our cooperation Alliance experts showed an effective approach and tracking, professionalism and provided the services reliably and on time. “
Nouraldine Banaeinejad

Nouraldin Banaeinejad

CAN Home appliances

Companies we've helped with Business development services

Draka Polymer Films
Harley Davidson
Wella Professionals
Würth

We are active in over 30 countries