Go-to-market
·
In English
·
7 min
Mika Sievinen
Interim & fractional commercial leadership · 20+ years
Finland is an easy country to do business in — stable, transparent, relatively low on bureaucracy and way too wild corruption. It's also an easy country to enter badly, because the way business is done and sold here is quieter and more relationship-driven than many newcomers expect.
The pitch that wins in Germany, the UK or the US often lands flat in Helsinki, not because it's wrong, but because the Finnish buyer weighs it differently.
I've built sales in the Nordics for over 20 years, on both sides of the market. The good news: Finland rewards companies that enter it patiently and credibly.
Here's a practical playbook for market entry and for building a sales function that actually holds.
How the Finnish buyer actually decides
The Finnish B2B buyer is rational, understated and long-term. Big claims and hard closing techniques create suspicion rather than urgency.
What builds business here is credibility: showing that you understand the customer's reality, that you keep your promises, and that you don't over-promise.
In practice this means your sales cycle needs more patience early on, but rewards you with far lower churn later. A Finnish customer who trusts you tends to stay for a long time — so build for the relationship, not the quick win.
Establish the market before you build fixed structure
The most common and most expensive mistake is building permanent structure — hiring a country manager, opening an office — before you know whether the market carries. It's slow, costly and hard to reverse.
A smarter approach is to establish the market first and build fixed structure once you know it holds. That gives you proof before you commit large fixed costs, and it lets you learn what the role actually requires before you hire permanently.
START A CONVERSATION
Thinking about launching or scaling in Finland?
Tell me a little about your situation. I read every message myself and reply within a day.
or email info@detgodalivet.fi · LinkedIn
Build the sales function step by step
A sales function that holds in Finland isn't a hero salesperson — it's a system:
a clear ideal customer profile,
a documented sales process,
honest pipeline management,
and tools and data that are actually used.
Get those basics right and results become repeatable and measurable, rather than dependent on one person.
Start narrow. A sharp focus on the customers most likely to buy beats a broad "we help everyone" — especially in a small market where word travels fast and credibility compounds.
Interim or fractional leadership as a low-risk entry
This is where an interim or fractional commercial leader fits particularly well. You get someone who has built sales in the Finnish market before, who establishes the first customer relationships and sets the foundation — one to three days a week as a fractional leader, or full-time for a period as an interim.
In the fractional model the cost is typically €2,500–7,000 per month, a fraction of a full leadership salary and without the risk of a premature permanent hire.
Once the market is proven, you can recruit permanently — safely and correctly.
Summary
Doing business in Finland works when you understand the buyer (rational, long-term, trust-driven), establish the market before building fixed structure, and build the sales function as a system rather than around individuals.
An interim or fractional leader with Finnish experience is a low-risk way in — you get proof before you commit large fixed costs.
Frequently asked questions
Is it easy to do business in Finland? Finland is stable, transparent and low on bureaucracy, so the fundamentals are easy. The nuance is commercial: Finnish buyers are rational and long-term and buy on trust, so sales take patience and credibility rather than hard selling.
How do you enter the Finnish market? Establish the market before building permanent structure. Start with a credible local presence and prove that the market carries before you hire a country manager or open an office. Build the sales function as a repeatable system.
Can an interim or fractional leader help with entering Finland? Yes. A leader with Finnish experience establishes the first customer relationships and sets the foundation — fractional one to three days a week, or interim full-time for a period — so you can recruit permanently only once the market is proven.
START A CONVERSATION
Thinking about launching or scaling in Finland?
Tell me a little about your situation. I read every message myself and reply within a day.
or email info@detgodalivet.fi · LinkedIn