AREA 02 · INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY

Assess a market. Decide whether and how to enter.

From the study of the target country to the search for partners, ABD helps you reach a reasoned decision, including the decision not to go, and then prepare your first steps.

Present my project Explore the support
A modular engagement

From country study to first introductions.

International Advisory supports a company from the assessment of a market through to the preparation of its first commercial steps and, depending on the mission, their activation. ABD works at the level that matches your actual need.

Fictional project

To illustrate the method, the page follows the same project from one level to the next: a French industrial equipment manufacturer considering a first export market. Its assumptions, conclusions and deliverables are fictional and do not describe any completed mission.

Scope

A mission does not necessarily include all three levels. You can start with the study, with the strategy if the market is already validated, or directly with the search for partners. The levels selected, the deliverables and any introductions are agreed with you before work begins. At every stage, ABD can also help you bring in the relevant public support, such as Business France or Bpifrance.

Market assessment & feasibility

Assess the market and the feasibility of entry

Before committing resources to a new country, management needs to establish three things: that accessible demand exists, that its offer is acceptable to the market, and what the practical conditions of market access are. ABD investigates these questions and concludes with a reasoned recommendation.

  1. STEP 1The decision to inform

    Commit to entering the market, adapt the approach, test it, or defer it.

    This is the decision the study must make possible. Scoping sets it out from the start, together with the criteria for deciding and the scope of the checks.

  2. STEP 2The investigation

    Three lines of analysis

    Each line addresses a distinct condition for success. Its content is tailored to the product, the sector and the country.

    LINE A

    Commercial potential

    Establishes whether a volume of business is genuinely accessible to a new entrant.

    Accessible demandCompetitionOffer fitSector structure
    LINE B

    Conditions of access

    Identifies what the product must meet to be sold, imported and delivered.

    Applicable requirementsCustomsLogistics
    LINE C

    Risks and payment

    Measures the project's financial and operational exposure.

    International paymentCountry riskCurrency
    The points examined, line by lineRegulatory requirements, customs, logistics, payment terms: what the study covers

    A · Commercial potential

    Economic and business environmentThe country's momentum, commercial practices, how deals are actually done.
    Sector structureWho buys, who specifies, who distributes.
    Accessible demandCustomers, needs, and the share realistically accessible to a newcomer.
    CompetitionLocal and international players already present, their arguments and their prices.
    Offer fitProduct, price and positioning against the market's expectations.

    B · Conditions of access

    Product access conditionsSale as it is, or adaptation required.
    Applicable requirementsStandards, certifications, approvals, labelling or registrations to plan for, depending on the product.
    Customs constraintsProduct classification, duties and taxes, formalities and documents to anticipate.
    LogisticsShipping, lead times, storage and costs to build into the selling price.

    C · Risks and payment

    International paymentPayment practices in the market, terms, and security options to consider: letters of credit, guarantees, credit insurance.
    Project risksCommercial, country, currency and operational risks, ranked by likelihood and impact.

    On regulatory, customs, banking or insurance matters, ABD analyses and coordinates. Specialist checks are the responsibility of the competent bodies and professionals: the study is neither a certificate of compliance nor legal advice.

    Sources and level of verification

    The sources consulted, the level of verification and any exchanges with local players (importers, distributors, trade associations, institutional contacts) are set at scoping, based on the question and the budget.

    Each deliverable states what was consulted and verified. An exchange with a local player only appears if it actually took place. An indicative timeframe is given once the scope is validated, with an interim review for detailed studies.

  3. STEP 3The conclusion

    A recommendation based on reading the three lines together

    Proven potential is not enough if the conditions of access or the payment risk cannot be managed. The study selects one of the four outcomes below and sets out its reasons.

    Go ahead

    The conditions for success are in place.

    Based on: A confirmed · B manageable · C acceptable→ Define the entry strategy
    Adapt

    The market exists, but the offer, price or compliance must change.

    Based on: A confirmed · offer adjustment or a B requirement to resolve→ Adjust before committing
    Test

    The potential is plausible but must be confirmed on the ground.

    Based on: A to be confirmed · B and C compatible→ Limited first step: targeted prospects, a trade fair, a pilot partner
    Defer

    The conditions are not in place at this stage.

    Based on: a B obstacle or a C risk that cannot be managed→ Identify what would change the answer
  4. STEP 4The deliverable

    The decision note

    It records the analysis and the recommendation in a document management can decide on, and that remains usable by your teams.

    • Scoping note, validated with you before the study: question, criteria, scope.
    • Findings for each line, with their level of confidence.
    • Reasoned recommendation and the conditions attached to it.
    • Points still to confirm, each with its source of verification.
    Decision note · PreviewFictional project

    First export market for industrial equipment

    Country studied: Côte d'Ivoire · scope validated at scoping · excluding field travel
    1
    QuestionDistributing our equipment in this market: on what terms?
    2
    Findings by line
    ACommercial potential: findings, confidence level, sourcesBConditions of access: blocking points and costsCRisks and payment: exposure, security options considered
    3
    Recommendation
    Go ahead, subject to conditionsDecisive condition: commissioning and maintenance provided locally.
    4
    Points to confirmTechnical capability of local partners to be checked

    Sources consulted and exchanges held: listed in the appendix. Illustrative content.

  5. STEP 5What comes next

    When the recommendation is to go ahead, including subject to conditions, the question becomes one of entry mode. The conditions still to be met become assumptions of the strategy.

    In the fictional project, the condition identified here, local after-sales service whose resources remain to be verified, becomes assumption A1. The study can also be a mission in its own right.
    Level 02 · Entry strategy
Market entry strategy & action plan

Define the entry strategy

The market has been judged accessible, where relevant subject to conditions still to be met, or the company has already validated it. What remains is to determine how to enter: through which entry mode, with what priorities and what resources. ABD compares the options against the project's assumptions, conditions included, and turns the recommendation into an action plan.

  1. STEP 1The choices to make

    Choose the entry mode, set the priorities and size the resources.

    Entry modeDirect sales, distributor, agent, integrator, local partnership or a combination.
    PrioritiesMarkets, segments and targets to address first.
    ResourcesBudget, teams, adapting the offer, export support.
    TimelineMilestones, responsibilities and tracking indicators.
  2. STEP 2Comparing the options

    Comparing options against the project's assumptions

    No entry mode is preferable in itself. The method makes the project's constraints explicit, then measures each option against them.

    Set the assumptionsThe project's constraints and expectations, validated with you.
    Assess each optionOn verifiable criteria: customer relationship, investment, technical capabilities, after-sales service, dependence, contract terms.
    Isolate the decisive criteriaThose that, given the assumptions, genuinely separate the options.
    Illustration of the method

    Choosing the entry mode

    Continuation of the fictional project: a French industrial equipment manufacturer, first export market.

    Fictional project
    Project assumptions
    1. A1Customers expect commissioning and maintenance on their premises.From the decision note · level 01
    2. A2The company does not plan a local entity in the first year.
    3. A3It wants to manage a few key accounts itself.

    The assessments in the summary apply to these assumptions only, not to entry modes in general.

    Summary · the three decisive criteria
    CriterionDirect salesDistributorAgent
    Technical capability and local after-sales serviceA1 Direct salesWeak point DistributorTo be checked AgentWeak point
    Upfront investmentA2 Direct salesWeak point DistributorFavourable AgentFavourable
    Control of the relationship with key accountsA3 Direct salesFavourable DistributorTo be checked AgentFavourable
    See the full analysis · 7 criteriaHide the full analysis
    Favourable To be checked Weak point Assessments relative to this scenario and assumptions A1 to A3, not a general rating of entry modes.
    Choose an option to read its seven criteria; the summary above compares all three.
    Criterion · in this scenarioDirect salesDistributorSales agent
    Control of the customer relationship FavourableDirect relationship: fully meets A3. To be checkedThe distributor owns the relationship: information sharing and joint management of key accounts to be arranged. FavourableThe company sells and invoices itself: compatible with A3.
    Upfront investment Weak pointRequires a team and an entity, ruled out by A2. FavourableLimited commitment if the partner buys, stocks and prospects. FavourablePaid mainly on commission, depending on the contract.
    Commercial presence Weak pointWithout a local entity (A2), presence limited to visits. To be checkedDepends on its real coverage and the place given to your range. To be checkedDepends on its portfolio and the time spent on your offer.
    Technical capabilities Weak pointCommissioning on the customer's premises expected (A1), handled from France. To be checkedTechnicians trained on this type of equipment? If not, training to plan. Weak pointCommercial role only: A1 remains for the company to cover.
    After-sales service Weak pointMaintenance on the customer's premises (A1) from France: long delays, high costs. To be checkedDecisive given A1. Workshop, technicians and a stock of spare parts are not a given: they must be confirmed. Weak pointNo after-sales service: A1 to be organised separately.
    Dependence on the partner FavourableNone. To be checkedHigh if exclusive: term, targets and exit conditions to be framed. To be checkedMore flexible, but termination terms vary with the applicable law.
    Contract terms To be checkedSales and payment terms and applicable law to adapt to the country. To be checkedTerritory, exclusivity, pricing, targets, after-sales service and exit to negotiate. To be checkedCommission, territory, exclusivity and termination indemnities.

    Illustrative scenario, assumptions and assessments. In a mission, the criteria and assumptions are set with you at scoping and documented from the sources consulted: another project may lead to another option.

  3. STEP 3The recommendation

    One option recommended, subject to conditions

    The recommendation is conditional on the assumptions: it states what must be confirmed before committing, and what would change it.

    Recommendation · fictional project

    Look for a distributor able to provide commissioning and local after-sales service, subject to verifying its actual resources, while continuing to manage a few key accounts directly.

    Reasons
    • A1: local after-sales service is decisive: a distributor with a technical team is the option best placed to provide it quickly. Its resources remain to be verified.
    • A2: the upfront commitment stays limited, with no local entity.
    • A3: the management of key accounts can be organised by contract with the partner, to be negotiated.
    To verify before committing
    • The distributor's workshop, technicians and stock of spare parts.
    • Information sharing on key accounts, exclusivity and exit terms.
    What would change the choice
    • No distributor has a credible technical team: sales agent, with after-sales service organised from France or by a local service provider.
    • Volumes justify a permanent presence (A2 lifted): direct sales, possibly at a later stage.
    • The product needs neither commissioning nor maintenance (A1 lifted): the sales agent becomes a serious option.
  4. STEP 4The deliverable

    The market entry plan

    An operational document, ready to share with your teams and financial partners. It brings together five elements, shown below for the fictional project: reasoned recommendation, priorities, entry mode, partner profile and a 90- or 180-day roadmap.

    Where relevant, the plan flags the export insurance or financing schemes worth examining. Findings are presented once the assumptions have been validated with you.

    Market entry plan · PreviewFictional project

    Industrial equipment · first export market

    Recommendation

    Look for a distributor able to provide commissioning and local after-sales service, subject to verifying its actual resources, while continuing to manage a few key accounts directly.

    Based on assumptions A1 to A3 · the distributor's technical resources to be verified before committing.

    Priorities
    • Segment: industrial companies whose equipment requires regular maintenance.
    • Launch area: the area covered by the selected distributor.
    • Accounts managed directly: selected with you.
    Entry mode
    • Recommended: distributor, subject to verifying its technical resources; exclusivity to be decided according to the coverage and commitments offered.
    • Ruled out at this stage: direct sales (A2), agent alone (A1).
    Partner profile
    • Industrial equipment distributor.
    • Technical team in place or trainable.
    • Regional coverage and a complementary range, with no competing product.

    Serves as the specification for the partner search (level 03).

    Roadmap · first months
    • Month 1 · Prepare: confirm the distributor profile, adapt the presentation of the offer.
    • Month 2 · Approach: shortlist partners and open the first conversations.
    • Month 3 · Decide: compare the partners met, set the tracking indicators.

    Full horizon of 90 or 180 days depending on the project. Recommended milestones, with no commitment to results.

    Illustrative content from a fictional project.

  5. STEP 5What comes next

    The partner profile defined here serves as the specification for the partner search.

    The strategy can also be commissioned on its own when the market is already validated. The public support bodies that can be brought in, including Business France and Bpifrance, are presented at the end of the page.
    Level 03 · Prepare and activate
Partners & introductions

Prepare and activate the first steps

The objective
Identify the partners to approach and prepare the first conversations.
ABD carries out
The search for and shortlisting of partners; where the mission provides for it, introductions and support for the first conversations.
You receive
A reasoned shortlist: why each player was selected, what remains to be confirmed.

Starting pointThe partner profile defined at level 02, or your own criteria if the strategy is already settled.

Three distinct commitments, depending on the agreed scope

Partner search

Core of the mission
  1. 1Define the profile and criteria
  2. 2Search for relevant partners
  3. 3Review the available information
  4. 4Deliver a reasoned shortlist
  5. 5Validate priorities with youNo contact without your agreement

Introductions

If planned
  1. 6Prepare and organise the first contacts

First conversations

If planned
  1. 7Compare the feedback and decide on next steps
The seven steps in detailSelection criteria, research sources, content of the shortlist and of introductions
  1. Partner search · core of the mission
  2. 1
    Define the profile and selection criteria

    With you: type of partner, geographic coverage, customer base, technical capabilities, complementary or competing ranges, elimination criteria.

  3. 2
    Search for relevant partners

    Distributors, agents, integrators or other players, using trade directories, industry associations, trade fairs, registries and institutional contacts.

  4. 3
    Review the available information

    Activity, coverage, references, capabilities and fit with your project.

  5. 4
    Deliver a reasoned shortlist

    For each partner: why it was selected, what was verified, what remains to be confirmed.

  6. 5
    Have you validate the priorities

    You choose which partners to approach and in what order. No contact is made without your agreement.

  7. Introductions · if the mission provides for it
  8. 6
    Prepare and organise the first contacts

    Approach message and presentation tailored to the partner, first contact or targeted introduction, preparation of the first conversations with you. Whether and how an introduction can be made is assessed according to the country, the project and the contacts available.

  9. Support for the first conversations · if the mission provides for it
  10. 7
    Compare the feedback and decide on next steps

    Summary of responses, comparison of the partners met, choice of next steps.

What you receive

Reasoned partners, not a list.

  • Selection criteria validated with you before the search.
  • Reasoned shortlist: one profile sheet per selected partner.
  • Approach materials and organisation of first contacts if planned
  • Summary of conversations and recommendation on next steps if planned

Out of scope unless specifically agreed: commercial representation, negotiation and signing of contracts, management of a distribution network.

Shortlist sheet · 1 of 3Fictional project

Partner A · regional industrial equipment distributor

Profile sought: distributor with a technical team and regional coverage
1
Grounds for shortlistingCovers the target area · complementary range, no competing product identified · industrial customer base
2
Sources of the assessmentPublic information on activity, coverage and ranges, referenced in the sheet
3
To verify with the partnerWorkshop capacity and technicians · stock of spare parts · interest in exclusivity to be checked
Estimated fit with the profile soughtStrong

Also shortlisted: B, integrator · C, agent representing several brands. Next step: client validation of priorities, before any contact.

Public export support

Bringing in the right support for your project.

Public bodies support French companies internationally. The challenge is knowing which ones to approach, when, and with what file. ABD helps you identify them, points you to the right contacts and helps you prepare your applications.

Export support network

Business France & Team France Export

Business France is the national agency responsible for the international development of the French economy. Together with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bpifrance and the Regions, it runs Team France Export, which brings together advisers in the French regions and teams abroad.

What ABD can do for you
  • Depending on the country and the project, identify the relevant offices and contacts within the Business France / Team France Export network.
  • Point you to the right contact, in your region or in the target country.
  • Prepare with you the questions to ask and the information to present before your meetings.
businessfrance.fr teamfrance-export.fr
Export insurance and financing

Bpifrance Assurance Export

A subsidiary of Bpifrance, Bpifrance Assurance Export manages public export guarantees in the name, on behalf and under the control of the French State. Its solutions aim in particular to support prospecting, facilitate bonds and prefinancing, secure exports and protect against currency risk.

What ABD can do for you
  • Examine the export insurance and financing solutions that may be relevant, for example Assurance Prospection for your prospecting expenses.
  • Help you prepare your application: target markets, prospecting budget, action plan, documents to gather.
  • Place these solutions within your development plan, together with your bank and advisers.
Assurance Export on bpifrance.fr
Please note

ABD does not act on behalf of Business France, Team France Export or Bpifrance, and has no privileged access. The offices available, the applicable solutions and eligibility depend on the country, the file and the decision of each organisation.

Two distinct services

International Advisory or Contact Desk?

The two services can complement each other. They don't start from the same point.

ABD Contact Desk
You have already chosen the companies to approach.

ABD identifies, within those companies, the people matching the roles you are looking for and delivers their professional contact details. Reaching out remains your responsibility.

Discover Contact Desk
International Advisory
You still need to choose the market, the companies or the partners.

ABD helps you choose markets, search for relevant companies or partners, define your strategy and, where the mission provides for it, facilitate the first introductions.

Present my project
Take the next step

Let's talk about your international project.

Tell us about your market, your offer and the decision you need to make. Together we define the scope of the mission, the deliverables and, where relevant, the introductions planned.

Present my project ABD replies with the first scoping questions.
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