Find clients and develop your business in the Netherlands

Grow your international sales

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.
Alliance experts has local people in the country who know the market and the business culture. We find and approach the right organisations for you. Our continuous presence in the Netherlands ensures trust and prompt follow-up.

Do your first approach with instantly

If you target people in the Netherlands in a specific industry or with a certain role in the company (like HR directors) you can do an easy first trial yourself.

With the tooling of our partner Instantly.ai you can define your target group, whether it’s 50 or 50.000 people, and send them a sequence of emails, directly in their inbox, for typically under 10 cents per target.

If you need support and tips on how to do this, please check this article.

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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.

Why use our business development services in the Netherlands?

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 know how to get the right attention

We help you to formulate a message specifically for the companies that you want to target, because we know what is important to them.

You Reduce your risks

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

Our approach for business development in the Netherlands

Alliance experts has a proven methodology to start or increase your sales in a new market. Our local teams in over 30 countries help you define your pitch and to find and convince the right sales channels or clients. The scan phase can be short, but is essential as preparation. The Launch phase may take several months, depending on the country.

Scan the market

 

  • We learn about your offering and what target group you want to approach
  • You receive a first list of  potential agents, distributors, partners or direct clients
  • Together with you we draft a localised pitch document
  • We discuss recommendations for next steps with you

Launch your product

 

  • We approach the companies on your list and find the right decision maker
  • We send your pitch and follow-up several times
  • We connect interested parties directly with you and join you in the first call
  • We guide negotiations and support you till your product starts to sell

Grow your sales

 

  • We help you search for more distribution channels or clients
  • We evaluate existing sales channels on their performance
  • We can do troubleshooting in case of complaints or logistic issues
  • We suggest new markets to expand your business in

Customer Experiences

” 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

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

Jing Zhang

Kamtec

” 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

” 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

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

Francis Huang

Würth

Companies we've helped with Business development services

Draka Polymer Films
Wella Professionals
Würth
Harley Davidson

Frequently asked questions

First determine who can be the end-users for your product or service. From who do they purchase now? Interview a number of key players in the value chain how they perceive your offering and ask them who is your competition. Only then you can position your product or service and effectively approach potential buyers.

In the Netherlands, just as many comparable countries, this all depends on your offering and the way you organise your sales. If you offering already sells in other countries, you have good chances, but you still need to figure out the market structure and the sales channels that perform best. We always recommend to do interviews with key players first.
Yes, the Netherlands is certainly open for international business, the country has trade relationships with many other nations and although there may be import duties, certification and other customs regulations, you can certainly sell your goods there.
First of all adhere to the local business culture and follow local ways of making appointments and structuring them. Also in the Netherlands, companies want to make profits so if you can show how your product or service contributes to that, then the interest will be not different than in other countries. Where possible, work with local partners or have your sales supported by an international business consultant.

Yes, we can certainly do that, because we have experienced business developers in the country. Of course it is important that your product is good, well documented and you have discovered the best sales processes already in your home country.

We are active in over 30 countries