Questions to ask before paying for a market-entry strategy

Most market-entry strategies fail not because the insight was wrong, but because the business owner didn't ask hard questions upfront and ended up paying for a glossy document that didn't fit their reality. Before you spend money on strategy consulting, you need a clear picture of what you're actually buying and whether the strategist understands your constraints.

"Walk me through a past client in my industry—what did you actually help them do?"

Why this matters: A strategist who has worked in your sector knows the friction points and gatekeepers. One who hasn't may deliver theoretically sound advice that ignores the real barriers your competitors already understand.

A strong answer names a specific client (anonymously if bound by NDA), describes their starting position, names 2–3 concrete moves they made based on the strategy, and explains why those moves worked in that market. The consultant may say: "We worked with a FMCG brand entering the Eastern Cape. The obvious route was supermarket distribution, but we identified that spaza shops controlled 60% of the category there. We helped them build a wholesale model for that channel first, then used that data to negotiate supermarket shelf space." That's specific, shows market knowledge, and connects strategy to actual execution.

An evasive answer dances around sector experience, speaks only in generalities ("every market is unique"), or offers client names you're expected to call for reference instead of a concrete example. That flags that they may not know your landscape.

"How will you know if your plan actually worked?"

Why this matters: A strategy is only useful if you can measure whether the market-entry moves are having an effect. Too many consultants hand over a plan and disappear, leaving you to guess which parts of their advice were sound and which were noise.

A credible answer specifies the metrics you'll track from day one—revenue from the new market, customer acquisition cost by channel, time-to-first sale, repeat-purchase rate, or brand awareness in that geography. The consultant should also set a realistic timeline for seeing traction. For instance: "We'll benchmark your current awareness in the target market now, then run the campaign for three months before expecting a measurable shift. Every month we'll track sales pipeline by source and compare cost-per-lead across channels you're using."

If the consultant says they'll "check in after you launch" or defines success loosely ("increased market presence"), they're not building accountability into the engagement. That's a warning sign.

"What will you ask me to do that will take my time, not just money?"

Why this matters: A clever strategy is worthless if your team doesn't have the capacity or will to execute it. Consultants sometimes gloss over the internal effort required, handing you a plan that assumes marketing bandwidth, senior leadership buy-in, or sales grunt work that you don't have.

A good consultant is upfront about this. They might say: "We'll need your sales director for two half-day workshops to map the new-market approach, then she'll need to train the team and oversee the first three customer conversations. We'll ask you to commit to weekly check-ins for the first two months." They're signalling what the real cost is beyond their fee.

If they imply their plan is "plug-and-play" or hand off a document with minimal follow-up, they're not thinking about execution reality. They're also not protecting themselves—or you—against the risk that their strategy sits on a shelf.

Ask each of these questions in conversation, not in writing. You'll hear confidence, specificity, and candour in the live response. If a strategist hedges, retreats into jargon, or tries to sell you on their methodology instead of their results, listen to that instinct. When you're ready to move forward with someone whose answers hold up, Strove's vetted consultants in this space can help you compare engagement structures and track records side by side, so you're hiring based on evidence, not polish.