Is Your Team Ready to Sell to US Buyers?
- Dr. Elke Framson
- Jan 16
- 3 min read
A practical 5-question checklist for European teams aiming for more than polite enthusiasm.
This checklist isn’t about English proficiency or product quality. It’s about how your team shows up, adapts, and persuades in US business contexts.
Can Your Team Pitch Your Value in 60 Seconds?
For US buyers, it’s important to see the relevance of a product quickly and clearly. What problem do you solve? For whom? And why should they care? If your team takes too long to get to a buyer-focused value statement or if they bury it amidst company history and technical details, potential buyers will tune out before you’ve had a chance to get true interest.
Test this: Record your team’s pitches and time them. How quickly and clearly do they articulate the specific problem they solve for their American target group? Aim for 45 seconds max.
Score: My team can do this
o Consistently
o Sometimes, but not consistently
o Not at all
Does Your Team Have a Relatable Story?
For many sellers of complex technical products, it’s all about features and data. US audiences, however, connect more easily through stories than detailed descriptions. Customer success stories can spark interest by showing the transformation brought about by your product.
Test this: Bring your team together for a storytelling session. Can they confidently and effortlessly share a relatable story that demonstrates the value of your product — and that can easily be retold by someone who's never heard it before?
Score: My team can do this
o Consistently
o Sometimes, but not consistently
o Not at all
Can Your Team Ask Confident Buyer-Focused Questions?
Whether it’s a sales call or a trade show pitch, US buyers expect a conversation, not a monologue. Asking questions is a key part of that. The right questions also ensure that you don’t over-explain aspects that are not relevant to your potential buyer.
Test this: Ask your team to brainstorm effective buyer questions. Quality matters more than quantity. Are your team’s questions likely to move the conversation forward?
Score: My team can do this
o Consistently
o Sometimes, but not consistently
o Not at all
Is Your Team Prepared for US Trade Show Dynamics?
US trade shows are not about sitting in the booth and waiting for someone to approach and show interest. They are proactive and high energy. Your team must be able to initiate conversations, maintain them with engaging questions, and exit them politely. They must also be able to gather contact information for follow-up.
Test this: Ask your trade show team for the specific language they’ll use to carry on a three-minute conversation and gather information. Do they have the right words to accomplish it?
Score: My team can do this
o Consistently
o Sometimes, but not consistently
o Not at all
Can Your Team Read the Room and Pivot When a Presentation Isn’t Landing?
US audiences want interaction and they are expressive – but they are often not explicitly critical. In a presentation or pitch, your team may be hyper-focused on getting the language right and getting through without too many mistakes. Reading the room and noticing a drop in energy and attention can be a huge challenge for non-native speakers, even if their skill level is high. Adjusting to unexpected changes an even greater one.
Test this: Simulate different realistic scenarios and roleplay them with your team. Do they simply push through their slides or are they able to pivot — for example, shorten or reframe what they had prepared? Or engage their audience ad-hoc?
Score: My team can do this
o Consistently
o Sometimes, but not consistently
o Not at all
If you answered “Sometimes, but not consistently” to even one or two of these questions, this isn’t a language performance issue – it’s either a communication strategy gap or an authenticity challenge.
Many European teams don’t lack the language skills to have successful conversations with US buyers, but the insights on how to conduct them. Others understand what’s needed but are reluctant because it feels unfamiliar or inauthentic to their usual communication style.
Both problems can be solved. With the right frameworks and practice, these skills become natural and you can adapt your approach without compromising who you are. That’s where I come in. I offer short-form workshops that teach sales-critical skills like storytelling, and I design intensive trainings for US-facing teams. Contact me to find out more.
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