Gateway to European Union using a five simple steps, methodology, in five quarters

We built a simple methodology, tested for 15 years and it proved to be a success. Of course not all the business can embrace the same timeline but, strategically speaking, those are the safe steps. Grus Consultor, as consultant, will guide your steps through the entire process, assisting in all the activities and making sure the plan is realistic and doable.

This methodology was developed for  non-European Technology Companies  to set foot in Romania as a gateway to the European Union using a five simple steps methodology, in five quarters. 

1 A solid Marketing plan at the end of the first Quarter

We, at Grus Consultor, need an immersion session together with the customer before the kickoff. It takes approximately two weeks in which we aim to understand the governance model, learn about products and services, existing customers, policies and group mechanisms, and assess the team.

After induction, a lot of opportunities might appear in the fast go to market solutions like:

• Rollout possibilities,

• Up-sale,

• Cross-sale.

After that, Grus Consultor team, together with the Marketing team, will define the target markets/niches for the short run. For each niche, we need to select the right products and services that you can address the market with, segment the audience and produce messages and materials adapted to the different verticals and audiences.

The consultant can do an undercover research on competition, understanding who the competition is, what are the differentiators and where are the tariffs in the local market.

Note: You may need to put together a calendar of Local Exhibitions, Online Conferences and Professional Associations events. You need to show presence. If you sponsor local events in professional association’s congregations, you may have the chance to send messages at the CEO level, customized and focused ones.

One of the most important thing to do is to start considering synergies with other companies, look for channel partners that have a complementary portfolio and same mind-set, look for strategic alliances. Grus Consultor will prepare plans and meetings for these activities.

After a couple of months you should be able to have a Marketing Plan, telling you:

• What to sale

• To Whom

• When to sale

• The price

Based on this plan, the products and the channel, you can start on recruiting the sales team.

2  Representative Office in the Second Quarter

At the end of the second quarter, you are practically owning a Representative Office in Romania and start selling with a minimum investment. You are now having Sales in Romania, Delivery, Implementation and Support from Abroad.

Up to now, we can estimate a first Quarter of planning, a second quarter of sales and, after a half year, when there is already a solid pipeline and maybe already the first contracts, therefore you can plan for the phase three: Deliver from Romania.

Based on the existing pipeline and/or contracts we are going to start recruiting implementation teams and train them. 

3  Third Quarter, Start Hybrid delivery

Now, you can start implementing projects using mixed teams, local teams are learning and the abroad teams are assisting. At the same time, we start extending the technical teams in order to be able to transfer the support locally. 

Also, this phase is the moment we start looking to evaluate potential companies for Distribution Channels and Local Partnerships.

4  BAU, Fourth Quarter

Now you can start maximizing profit, transferring 100% of the sales, implementation and support effort in Romania.

5  Fine Tuning - Quarter Five

Finetune Romanian team and start cultural integration and roll out entirely the governance model, hierarchies and targets.

Conclusion

To summarize you can expect to have each Quarter:

1. A solid Marketing plan at the end of the first Quarter, including a pool of candidates for the sales team.

2. Start selling in a Representative Office logic in the second Quarter. Start recruiting the Implementation team.

3. Deliver locally in the third Quarter. Start recruiting for local support.

4. Work as a local Company, BAU. From the fourth Quarter. 

5. Fifth Quarter may be the time to start maximizing profit in your home market by completely transferring implementation and support in Romania.

That is a simplistic yet doable  approach in localizing a product company in Romania. Five steps, Five Quarters.