How Ukrainian B2B Companies Can Attract Clients in Global Markets: Sparklead’s View

During war-induced economic challenges and shrinking local markets, Ukrainian businesses are increasingly eyeing global markets for growth. Whether it's to increase sales and revenue, or secure more stable long-term business relationships, entering international markets can offer numerous advantages.

For some businesses, it's about learning from new partners, tapping into innovation, and expanding their product offerings. But for companies unfamiliar with the power of outreach, the question remains: how do you attract new clients on foreign markets?

Sparklead’s team is here to share proven tips for your new journey abroad.

Evaluating Priorities and Budgets

Before entering new markets, it's essential for companies to evaluate their priorities and available budgets. While inbound marketing strategies like content creation can be highly effective, they often take up to six months to start showing results. For businesses needing quicker access to leads, outbound lead generation—through tools like LinkedIn automation and email outreach—is a more immediate solution.

Outbound strategies don’t require complex sales funnels or specialized teams to get started. Sales or marketing representatives can handle these activities using a few essential tools.

Tools for Automating Outbound Lead Generation

Several automated tools are available that can simplify and expedite the lead generation process:

• Reply.io: This tool automates cold outreach across LinkedIn and email, with an AI-powered platform to streamline communication efforts.
• Expandi.io: A specialized platform for automating LinkedIn outreach. Expandi.io allows you to target specific contacts based on triggers like job openings or recent promotions, ensuring more relevant communication.
• Generect: This tool gathers and exports databases of leads, providing a practical alternative to LinkedIn Sales Navigator: This awesome tool offers contact details and email addresses.

Using these tools can help your business gather potential leads and initiate conversations with clients in international markets, even without extensive in-house sales teams. 

Key Channels for Finding Clients Internationally

Apart from outbound strategies, there are other digital channels where businesses can market their products globally:

• Product Hunt: An online platform where businesses can launch products and gather feedback from a global audience, helping raise brand awareness.
• Business Accelerators: Programs like YEP,  500 Startups, Google for Startups, can structure the startup process by helping businesses refine their lead generation strategy, pitch, and overall business model.
• Grant Programs: Many foundations, including the Ukrainian Startup Fund's Seeds of Bravery, offer financial and mentorship support to help businesses scale internationally during the ongoing conflict.

Omni-Channel Lead Generation Strategies

While outbound lead generation can bring faster results, it's equally important to create a long-term omni-channel lead generation strategy. For instance, businesses can pursue LinkedIn and email outreach simultaneously for maximum exposure. When done thoughtfully, these approaches can complement each other, leading to better engagement.

For example, when approaching leads on LinkedIn, begin with a friendly introduction, followed by a more detailed email a few days later. The email could include personalized information based on the company's profile or recent news, like funding or a partnership. 

Building a Positioning Strategy for SaaS Companies

For Ukrainian SaaS companies, it's crucial to develop clear positioning strategies when entering new markets. Start by identifying how your product meets specific needs in different industries and regions. It’s essential to articulate the unique value your product provides and what sets it apart from competitors.

While your SaaS product may have addressed one specific niche in Ukraine, other international markets could present entirely different demands and opportunities. Therefore, companies need to adapt their messaging and ensure it resonates with the target audience’s needs in each market.

Event-Driven Lead Generation

Industry events and conferences, both virtual and physical, offer excellent opportunities to secure qualified leads and convert them into clients. By scheduling meetings in advance and attending relevant events, companies can maximize their chances of landing international deals. 

After such events, it's crucial to follow up with new contacts quickly to continue the conversation and drive conversions.

Hiring Sales Teams or Using Professional Services

While it’s possible to manage outbound lead generation internally with just one or two sales managers and automation tools, scaling up often requires additional resources. Once businesses reach the point of expansion, investing in a dedicated sales team or outsourcing lead generation to professionals can significantly improve the results.

Best Practices for Launching Outbound Lead Generation Internationally

Here are some essential steps to ensure successful outbound lead generation:

• Plan your budget: Consider the cost per lead (CPL) and the customer acquisition cost (CAC) relative to the customer lifetime value (LTV). This helps to ensure profitability.
• Define your target audience: This includes customers, partners, and potential investors. Create detailed profiles for decision-makers, focusing on factors such as company size, industry, and roles.
• Build your contact database: Use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator or Phantom Buster to build and verify contact lists.
• Optimize email outreach: Use email address verification tools like Seamless.AI to ensure accurate contact information.
• Personalize your outreach: Create tailored messaging sequences for each contact, mentioning their company and specific pain points.
• Maintain professional profiles: Ensure that LinkedIn profiles used for outreach appear credible and feature at least 500 connections.
• Use CRM systems: Track the progress of your outreach efforts using CRM platforms or spreadsheets to monitor lead status and conversions.

We recommend using our template, 'Outreach Campaign Launch Stages', it’s designed to save time on campaign setup and provide clear guidance on each stage, minimizing confusion and allowing your team to focus on executing the campaign effectively.

The challenges of attracting clients in global markets may seem daunting, especially for businesses affected by the war and shrinking local markets. However, with a strategic approach that combines automation tools, thoughtful outreach, and participation in international programs and events, companies can successfully expand their global footprint. 

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If you want to make a successful and effective entrance into a new market, contact our SDR, Tetiana Lazutkina, on LinkedIn.