Spain and France are often classified as secondary markets. This is a strategic mistake: they are two high-value growth corridors, with entry rules that differ from the UK and Germany.
When companies plan their European expansion, the usual sequence is the UK first, then Germany, then “the rest”. Spain and France end up in that “rest”, often assessed as second-order options. That choice holds only until you look at the figures.
France and Spain are respectively the second and fourth largest economies in the European Union, with diversified industrial bases, mature buyer ecosystems and — crucially — a lower level of intra-European competition than the English-speaking or German markets. The question is not whether they are worth entering; it is why companies usually enter them too late, and with the wrong model.
Spain: the Iberian corridor and the Latin American bridge
Favourable cost of entry
Market entry costs in Spain are generally lower than in the UK or Germany: professional services, local staff, office space and participation in trade events all cost less, which allows a longer presence for the same budget.
Medium-to-high decision speed
Contrary to a persistent stereotype, Spanish B2B buying cycles are often faster than their French or German equivalents. The difference is cultural: trust-building is more convivial, but once trust is established the deal moves.
Latin American adjacency
Spain is the natural point of access to Latin American markets for many European companies. A well-structured Spanish partner often already has active networks in Mexico, Chile and Colombia.
France: the market that rewards strategic patience
Trust before transaction
France rewards continuity of presence over speed of execution.
Structured institutional ecosystems
Chambers of commerce, sector federations and business clubs are concrete channels which, approached with precise questions, can cut weeks off the time needed to build a local network.
Account-based entry as the dominant model
For most B2B sectors, France rewards an account-based approach: few well-selected targets, deep relationship work, disciplined follow-up. The opposite model — volume outreach, fast conversion — very rarely works.
What changes compared with the UK and Germany
The key difference is not market quality: it is the weight of the relationship. The UK and Germany reward commercial clarity, speed of execution and transparency on numbers. Spain and France reward continuity of presence, the ability to build trust over time, and a willingness to take part in the local context before pushing the transaction.
This has an operational implication: an execution model that works in the UK may not work first time in Spain or France. Adjustments are needed — not revolutions, but precise calibrations of tone, pace and channels.
The strategic mistake to avoid
The most costly error is treating Spain and France as replicas of a neighbouring market with minor linguistic variations. They are markets with dynamics of their own. Approaching them with a playbook built elsewhere inevitably produces disappointment: a sales cycle that lengthens without converting, partners who show interest without activating, opportunities that cool after the first two meetings.
The correct approach is to treat them as full markets in their own right, with an adaptation effort comparable to that made for the UK or Germany.
The sequence that works
For many companies entering Europe, the most efficient sequence is not the UK first and Spain or France afterwards. It is the UK and Spain in parallel, or the UK and France in parallel, taking advantage of complementary dynamics: the UK rewards speed, Spain or France build depth.
Planning an expansion into Spain or France? We can help you build an entry adapted to local dynamics. Write to us at info@ulxima.com
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