When a company enters a new market, it is tempting to start with a few salespeople and an operations specialist, then appoint a country manager once revenue grows. That can work for a limited pilot. It becomes harder when those first hires are expected to establish an entire business without someone making the decisions that connect their work.
Separate a market test from a committed launch
A pilot asks whether customers will buy, which channels work and what it takes to deliver the product. An experienced team from headquarters, supported by local expertise, may be enough to answer those questions. Keep the scope, budget and learning objectives explicit.
A committed launch is different: the company has chosen a market and intends to build a continuing operation. Someone needs to own the commercial plan, team structure and relationship with headquarters. In that situation, appointing the business leader early can help prevent disconnected hiring decisions.
Define the country manager’s mandate
A country manager is not simply a senior salesperson with a broader title. Depending on the business model, the role may include building channels, developing a team, managing operating priorities and coordinating cash flow and delivery with headquarters.
Before starting the search, agree on three outcomes for the first year. Then specify the decisions this person can make, the budget available and the support headquarters will provide. Accountability without the corresponding authority makes an already difficult Market Entry harder.
Build the team around how the business will work
A distributor-led model and a direct-sales model require different capabilities. Identify the customer journey before deciding on headcount: who opens the relationship, explains the product, agrees the commercial terms and supports the customer after the sale?
- For market validation, prioritise people who can test customer demand and report what they learn.
- For an established launch plan, let the business leader help define and select the first team.
- Add delivery, customer support and operating capacity as the workload becomes clear. Arrange the necessary finance, HR and legal support from the outset, using shared or external resources where appropriate.
Assess experience that connects the two markets
The strongest candidate may have built a career locally, worked across several countries or moved from headquarters. Look beyond that label. Can they understand local customers, work effectively with headquarters and explain where the operating model needs to change?
The useful first question is therefore not “Which job title should we hire first?” It is “What are we trying to establish, and who will be accountable for making it work?” The hiring sequence should follow that answer.