GTM Glossary · Market Entry
Market Entry Mode
The structural choice of how you operate in a new country: direct, through partners, through an employer of record, or via a local entity.
[01]What It Means
Each mode trades control against speed and cost. A local entity gives full control and the strongest procurement standing, but takes months and carries fixed obligations. An employer of record puts a seller in-market in weeks without a legal footprint. Distributors buy reach at the price of owning the customer relationship.
[02]Why It Matters
The mode decides who owns the customer, the data, and the learning. Public-sector and regulated buyers in Europe frequently require a local contracting party, so the mode is sometimes a qualification criterion rather than a preference.
[03]Where It Goes Wrong
[04]Related Terms