In talking with Matti Lattu, the CEO of Finnish e-invoicing automation provider Heeros, it seems that in a nutshell, to successfully land a Finnish business in the Netherlands demands adherence to three rules: (1) Get a grasp of Dutch small talk; (2) Raise a war chest of at least a million euros; (3) Don’t send off no lonesome cowboy.
A dozen Finnish companies will be participating in the ‘Software from Finland to European Markets’ programme from September 2018 to May 2019. All of them happen to be Software as a Service (SaaS) providers, albeit operating in a variety of industries, from finance automation to logistics and from Internet of Things (IoT) to food supply chain monitoring. According to growth consultant Erkki Tuomi, who leads the programme, a common obstacle to growth is when a company tries to serve every customer they have with the same attention.
"The Dutch are not keen on thinking very long-term; they’d rather go for the quick win. Therefore, as a Finnish entrepreneur, you’ll need to pitch well and follow up fast. Don’t expect they’ll call you back after three months.” What ambassador Cees Bansema has learned *about* the Finns, he says, is that they have not only a very efficient, but also very harmonious society. And *from* the Finns he says he’s learned that it’s actually quite okay in conversation to pause for a few seconds.