Go-To-Market advisory France
France is not just another EU market
I help foreign B2B SaaS Companies win their first enterprise accounts in France and build the team that keeps them
Maïwenn Lecomte
Fractional head of sales - French market entry for B2B SaaS
CLIENTS
PREVIOUSLY BUILT REVENUE AT Akeneo BigCommerce Contentserv
Lengow Dn’D
Too many foreign SaaS close their French office within two years
The Pattern
I have seen it from the inside, twice, as the local lead of a foreign vendor. It is rarely the product. It is almost always the same three decisions.
1.Mistaking a French-speaking hire for a French strategy.
A remote rep, a full quota from day one, no local playbook. The engine has to exist : positioning, target accounts, first references, before anyone can be measured against it.
2. Importing the playbook instead of localising it.
Same messaging, same campaigns, same channels, same sales motion, just translated. French buyers research, trust and decide differently. Positioning, marketing and the sales cycle have to be rebuilt for the market.
3.Treating partners as a sales channel, not as the foundation.
In France, trust travels through recommendation. Integrators, agencies, consulting firms and tech partners already hold it with your future clients. Built well, that ecosystem is what makes a market presence last ; a commission grid alone never will.
2-3 WEEKS
GTM Diagnostic
A clear-eyed read on where you stand in France, and the fastest way forward — before you commit headcount.
Your ambitions for France against your current footing: customers, partners, team
Competitive landscape and the levers most likely to accelerate growth
A 90-day roadmap, presented to your CEO or board
MONTHLY RETAINER MIN 4 MONTHS
Fractional Sales Leadership
I lead your French go-to-market within your leadership team, then hand over to a permanent hire who inherits a working engine.
Month 1 — French pitch, sales stack, key-account targeting
Months 2–3 — Pipeline, first reference deals, partner activation
Month 4+ — Recruit, onboard and hand over to your team
MONTHLY RETAINER 3-4 DAYS A MONTH
GTM Advisory & Steering
Already present in France, or hiring locally, but traction has stalled? A senior hand on the wheel, alongside the team you already have.
Opening diagnostic: pipeline, positioning, partner base
Strategic steering with your local lead and HQ
Hands-on coaching on key deals, partners and priorities
SERVICES
15+ years selling tech in France. Now on your side of the table.
From early-stage vendors to an integrator to a Nasdaq-listed platform, I have sold, partnered and managed in the French market long enough to know where foreign companies lose time, and money.
I also co-founded Les After de la Tech, a recurring meetup of vendors, agencies and integrators in Nantes.
From zero
First sales hire in France at Akeneo, through to a French Tech 120 company
LES AFTER DE LA TECH PARIS - NANTES
Turnaround
Rebuilt Contentserv’s French business — partners and clients — in six months
Listed vendor
Opened France for BigCommerce (Nasdaq) as Country Manager
Considering France? Test it before you hire
A 30-minute conversation. Your context, an honest read.