LATAM Founders: US Sales and Go-to-Market

We help our LATAM clients struggling with these challenges

  • No local market knowledge of business networks

    Many founders from Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, etc., have built successful products at home, but navigating U.S. sales processes (longer B2B sales cycles, formal procurement, multiple stakeholders) can be daunting. They may not know the buyer personas or decision-makers in U.S. enterprises, nor how to map and approach them effectively.

  • Language and cultural barriers

    Even highly capable founders struggle with pitching and selling in English. Many investors (even Latin American VCs) hesitate if a founder’s English is poor – fearing they can’t communicate with global customers or follow-on investors. This extends to sales: if a founder/early sales team isn’t comfortable selling in English, closing U.S. deals is harder.

  • Softlanding US Market Entry

    An increasing number of LatAm startups are aiming at the U.S. to scale. Programs that assist “softlanding” (market entry) are burgeoning in response. For instance, Chile’s Impacta VC recently launched a Miami softlanding program and saw nearly 40 startup applications for just 13 slots – all seeking help to expand sales in the U.S. Each of those selected startups already averaged ~$480k in annual sales, yet they felt U.S. expansion was tricky without guidance.

  • Hitting the Growth Wall

    Founders also worry that without U.S. traction, they’ll hit a growth ceiling. Latin America’s markets are big but fragmented, and enterprise deals can be slow (often involving conservative, family-owned conglomerates). By contrast, the U.S. offers one huge, relatively homogeneous market of high-budget customers. In short, the opportunity is huge but so is the learning curve – hence the growing interest in our “Strategic Sales Lab” service to accelerate this learning.

Ana Carolina, Founder & CEO, BOLD DIGITAL (Miami)

“The coaching was really good! These are the business things no one teaches”

We will help you win in the US market

Strategic US Sales Lab

You’ve built a solid product. Even found success in Latin America. But now you're trying to break into the U.S. — and the sales aren't working.

This kills your momentum and access to funding.

The 5 Key Buyer Roles That Drive U.S. Deals

Maximize your time—grab our free insights before we talk.

FAQs

Is it worth it?

The Strategic Sales Lab service is positioned to be cost-effective relative to the ROI. For example, if the Lab charges $5,000 for a comprehensive program that helps a startup close its first U.S. customers, that investment is minor compared to the potential revenue or the increase in company valuation upon raising funds.

What if I don’t have the funds right now?

As an alternative to cash, Startup IQ will take a small equity stake aligned with your incentives. This way, the program doesn’t reduce the startup’s cash flow – a model many founders are familiar with thanks to accelerators.

What other alternatives do I have?

Understanding the pricing of similar services helps gauge the Strategic Sales Lab’s viability:

  • Hiring a Fractional Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) – These are experienced sales leaders who work part-time with startups. In the U.S., standard rates range roughly $250–$500 per hour for top talent. One agency advertises fractional CRO services at about $350/hour. Many fractional executives work on a retainer: e.g. 1 day per week could be ~$10K/month. For startups on a tight budget, some fractional leaders might accept equity or success fees in lieu of high cash comp.

  • Joining Accelerators & Bootcamps – Traditional accelerators don’t charge cash, but take equity. For instance, 500 LatAm’s deal effectively “prices” their 4-month program at 10% equity for $300K capital. Platanus Ventures’ deal equates to valuing their program at around 5.5% equity for $200K (a high $3.6M valuation given to early startups, meaning it’s founder-friendly).

  • Paying for Founder Sales Training – There are many online and in-person sales training options, and costs vary widely. On the low end, self-paced courses (Udemy etc.) cost under $100. For example, a Udemy course “Startup Sales – from 0 to $1M” is priced at ~$15. Of course, these are generic. More tailored programs for tech founders can run higher: Founder-led sales workshops by reputable coaches might be a few hundred dollars per session. For instance, Pavilion (Revenue Collective) and SaaStr sometimes offer bootcamps in the $500–$1000 range.

Contact us

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Michael Queralt | michael@startup-iq.com
(914) 450-0879

Jack Nolan | jack@startup-iq.com

(917) 509-8171