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Unlock Germany: A Practical Guide for UK Businesses
HGA Takeaway
Unlock Germany: A Practical Guide for UK Businesses
Germany remains one of Europe's biggest commercial opportunities, but winning business there requires the right approach. Here's what UK brands need to know before entering the market.
Germany is a huge potential market for UK businesses, but simply taking what works here and repeating it there isn't necessarily going to get you the same result.
In this Business Academy session, Business Development Germany explored what the German market looks like right now, how UK businesses can reach German buyers and the differences in communication and business culture that are worth understanding before you start.
There are challenges. Germany has experienced years of economic stagnation and some of its traditional industries are under pressure. But that doesn't mean the opportunity has disappeared. Germany still has a vast business landscape and significant consumer wealth, while disruption can make businesses more receptive to new suppliers, ideas and solutions.
A challenging market doesn't automatically mean a closed market. Sometimes disruption is exactly what creates the opportunity for somebody new.
Takeaway 1
Don't write Germany off because of the headlines
The economic picture in Germany hasn't been particularly exciting in recent years. Real economic output in 2025 was broadly at its 2019 level, so businesses are right to ask whether now is really the best time to enter.
The other side of that picture is a country that still has considerable wealth, a substantial business landscape and a large consumer market. For the right business with the right proposition, there is still plenty to go after.
The question isn't simply:
"Is the German economy growing?"
A better question is:
"Is there a German customer with a reason to buy what we're offering?"
Takeaway 2
Give German buyers a reason to choose you now
One of the most useful questions from the session was also one of the simplest: why should a German customer choose you now?
Your answer needs to be stronger than "we're a great British brand". Think about the problem you're solving and whether you can offer an advantage around cost, time or expertise.
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COST Can you provide better value or help the customer reduce costs elsewhere? |
TIME Can you make something quicker, simpler or more efficient? |
EXPERTISE Do you bring specialist knowledge, innovation or experience that the buyer needs? |
Takeaway 3
Choose the right route into the market
There isn't one single way to enter Germany. The session highlighted three broad routes, with local sales support potentially helping businesses at different stages along the way.
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Direct from the UK Test the market and sell into Germany while maintaining your UK base. |
Local partners Work with people or organisations that already understand the market and have local relationships. |
Your own presence Build a dedicated presence in Germany when the opportunity and scale justify it. |
Takeaway 4
You need to be found AND start conversations
Reaching German buyers can involve both inbound and outbound activity. Inbound helps potential customers find you through things such as content, search, PR, events and networks. Outbound means proactively identifying and starting conversations with relevant people.
Potential routes include:
Content and SEO
PR
Trade fairs and events
Networks and associations
Introductions
Social media outreach
Phone outreach
Personal meetings
Takeaway 5
LinkedIn works, but ditch the generic sales pitch
LinkedIn absolutely has a place in German B2B sales, but the approach matters. The session highlighted that German audiences can be sensitive to an immediate commercial approach.
Authentic outreach and genuine posts can work well. And if you do have something commercial to offer, being clear and direct can be more effective than wrapping it in lots of marketing language.
Authentic beats generic.
Takeaway 6
Trade fairs can be brilliant, if you prepare properly
For Home & Gift businesses, this is a particularly important one. Germany has an enormous trade fair culture, with events ranging from international flagships such as Ambiente through to smaller specialist and regional fairs.
The advice from the session was not simply to turn up and hope for the best. Identify the right fair, understand its audience and arrange meetings before you arrive.
Before booking a German trade show, ask:
Is this actually the right fair for our target customer?
Who attends?
Which buyers or partners do we want to meet?
Can we arrange meetings before we travel?
Do we need to exhibit, or would visiting first give us enough market intelligence?
A well prepared visit can also be incredibly useful before you commit to exhibiting. Trade fairs give you an opportunity to understand competitors, see what buyers are responding to and learn how the market operates first hand.
Takeaway 7
Phone outreach can work, but research first
Individual, serious B2B phone outreach can work in Germany, but this isn't a numbers game where the aim is simply to dial as many companies as possible.
Research the company, identify the relevant person and understand why your proposition could be useful to them before making contact.
Think:
Company → Contact → Conversation → Next step
A humble, honest and direct conversation can be more successful than an overly polished script. And don't panic if things don't happen immediately. The webinar stressed that contacting and decision making can be slower than UK businesses are used to.
Takeaway 8
Be careful with cold email
This is an important difference for UK businesses to understand. The webinar highlighted that prior consent is generally required for email marketing in Germany, including B2B communications, subject to limited exceptions.
In other words, don't assume that the cold email strategy you use in the UK can simply be copied across into Germany.
Important
The webinar references §7 UWG and notes that prior consent is generally required for email outreach, including B2B. Businesses should check the rules that apply to their own activity before running a German outreach campaign.
Takeaway 9
When you do email, make it personal and precise
Generic mass outreach isn't the approach being recommended here. Communications should be individual, precise and relevant to the recipient.
The sender should also be completely clear. The presentation highlighted German imprint requirements alongside the importance of an authentic approach and proper follow up.
Relevant. Personal. Clear. Credible.
Takeaway 10
Adapt your communication, don't just translate it
Entering another market isn't simply a translation exercise. How you communicate the proposition can be just as important as translating the words themselves.
The webinar cautioned against treating cultural tendencies as hard rules, but highlighted some useful differences UK businesses may encounter. German buyers can place considerable importance on detail, written agreements, evidence, proven performance and clearly defined terms.
That might mean putting more emphasis on:
Evidence and relevant references
Product quality
Certifications where relevant
Reliable service
Clear pricing and terms
German language support
A proven track record
Takeaway 11
Don't assume your UK sales message will land the same way
The strongest selling points in the UK aren't automatically going to be the strongest selling points in Germany.
The presentation used an example of a translation services provider to demonstrate this. Depending on the buyer, arguments such as technical expertise, competitive pricing, German support, certifications, native speakers and relevant references could all carry different weight.
Don't ask "What do we want to tell them?" Start with "What does this buyer actually care about?"
Takeaway 12
Patience really matters
Perhaps one of the most important things for UK businesses to understand is that opening doors in Germany can take time.
Decisions may be weighed and compared more thoroughly, conversations can take longer to progress and a promising contact doesn't necessarily turn into an order overnight.
Slower doesn't necessarily mean "no".
The session's advice was clear: allow time for relationships and opportunities to develop rather than abandoning the market because the first few conversations don't convert immediately.
For Home & Gift businesses
What does this mean for our industry?
For UK Home & Gift brands looking towards Germany, there are some particularly useful lessons to take away.
Germany has an established retail landscape and a significant trade fair culture. For brands considering international growth, that creates opportunities to research the market, meet potential partners and buyers and test where your products fit before making a major investment.
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RESEARCH Understand your target buyer, competitors, price point and the events that matter before investing heavily. |
ADAPT Review your sales message and communications rather than simply translating your UK materials word for word. |
BUILD Treat Germany as a market where relationships, credibility and consistent follow up may take time to build. |
Put it into practice
Thinking about Germany? Start here
1. Define your German customer
Who are you actually trying to sell to and what problem are you solving for them?
2. Test your proposition
Does your current sales message focus on the things a German buyer actually values?
3. Identify where buyers meet
Research relevant trade fairs, associations, networks and other routes into your market.
4. Plan your outreach
Make it personal, relevant and appropriate for the German market rather than simply copying your UK approach.
5. Give it time
Build relationships, follow up properly and don't expect every promising conversation to become an immediate order.
The HGA Takeaway
Germany is a big opportunity, but approach it as Germany, not an extension of the UK
1. Don't be put off by the economic headlines. Germany still has a vast business landscape and significant consumer wealth.
2. Give buyers a clear reason to choose you based on something that matters to them.
3. Research the market before committing heavily and consider different routes to entry.
4. Trade fairs can be fantastic for learning and meeting buyers, but preparation is everything.
5. Authentic, individual conversations generally beat generic sales outreach.
6. Adapt your communication and sales message for the German market rather than simply translating it.
7. Be patient. Opening the right doors can take time, but that doesn't mean the opportunity isn't there.
One question to ask before entering Germany
"Why should a German customer choose us now?"
If you can answer that clearly from the customer's point of view, you've got a much stronger place to start.