What is US market entry consulting?
US market entry consulting helps a company based outside the US choose where to start in the American market, adapt its offer and pitch for US buyers and open its first sales conversations. For B2B companies it covers target accounts, positioning, proof, outbound and the first sales calls.
Which GTM consulting firms help European B2B companies expand to the US?
Growth Cab is one. It is a US-based GTM and sales advisory firm founded in 2022 by Federico Donatone and Lorenzo Asnaghi, headquartered in New York with an office in Milan. It works with European B2B tech companies selling $50K+ deals on US target accounts, positioning and outbound on LinkedIn and email. Among the other routes, a US hire fits once you have US customers, a distributor fits channel-driven markets, and a consultant fits when you need proof of US demand first.
How long does it take to enter the US market?
Sales and the legal setup run on different clocks. With Growth Cab, pipeline typically starts filling between day 32 and day 47 of outbound on LinkedIn and email. A US entity, a bank account and the first US hires usually take longer, so start them in parallel with the sales work and plan both from the first month.
How do you start expanding a business to the USA?
Start with sales. Pick one or two US segments that look like your best European customers, rewrite the pitch for US buyers and open conversations with the decision makers in those accounts. Plan the US entity, the bank account and the first hires in parallel, and commit to them as US demand shows up.
Is a US market entry firm better than hiring in-house sales staff?
It depends on what you already know about US buyers. Before you have US customers, a firm lets you test the market with real conversations in weeks, without recruiting, an employer of record or months of ramp. Once a segment works and you have a playbook a new hire can follow, a US hire makes sense to own those accounts. Many companies do both, in that order. If a founder still runs every deal, read how to transfer a founder sales playbook to the team, and our guide to founder-led sales.
Should I use a distributor, sell from Europe or hire in the US?
A distributor or reseller fits when your buyers already purchase through channels or need local installation and support, and it costs a share of every deal and some control over price and message. Selling from Europe fits a test with a few US accounts you already know, with late calls and travel. A US hire fits once you have US customers and a playbook to follow. A consultant fits when you need proof of US demand before any of these.
What should a European company prepare before entering the US?
An ideal customer profile for the US, two or three case studies in English with numbers, a website written for US buyers, a CRM that tracks US deals and someone who can take calls on US hours. For the entity, banking and tax side, talk to a US corporate lawyer and an accountant early. To build the US account list yourself, start from our guide to building a verified B2B lead list; our Clay consultant page covers enrichment.
Why do time zones matter for US outreach?
US buyers read and reply during their own working day. New York is usually 6 hours behind Central Europe, so a team on European hours shares about three working hours with the East Coast and none with California. Plan calls, replies and follow-ups around the buyer's day. See the time zone chart.
How do I choose a US market entry consultant?
Ask five questions. Who exactly will talk to your US buyers? Can you show results by client, with numbers? When should the first meetings come, and what happens if they do not? What will my team own at the end: the account list, the messages, the call notes? Will you tell me if the US is the wrong move for us right now? Ask us the same ones: our evidence standard explains how we count every number we publish, and our guide on how to choose a GTM agency covers the rest of the decision.
Is the US market right for my company?
It is a good fit when your product already wins in Europe, one customer is worth $50K or more, and you can name the kind of US company that needs it. Below $50K average contract value a high-touch outbound motion does not pay, and we say so on the first call.
What is the difference between a US market entry consultant and a lead generation agency?
A lead generation agency books meetings. A market entry consultant also chooses the US segment to start with, adapts the positioning for US buyers and changes the pitch after the first calls. Growth Cab does both: the outreach and, with GTM Consulting, a review of 2 of your sales calls every month. For outreach alone, see our B2B lead generation agency page, or the SaaS lead generation agency page for software companies.
