Opening a new office or launching a new offering in an unfamiliar market can feel a lot like being the new kid at school. Everyone already seems to have friends, the rules are unspoken, and the buyers already have their favorites.
You know your team is capable. You know your solution adds value. But if your prospects have never heard of you, it can feel impossible to break in.
At Next Level, we coach sales leaders through this exact scenario every day. Whether it’s a professional services firm expanding into a new region or a company introducing a new solution in an established industry, the challenge is the same: how do you win when no one knows your name?
The Brand Blind Spot
In emerging markets, familiarity bias is your biggest competitor. Buyers tend to trust what’s known, not necessarily what’s best. They default to the firms they’ve already used because it feels safer.
That’s not a reflection of your value. It’s human nature.
So, when you’re the outsider, you can’t rely on name recognition to carry you. You must establish trust before you sell anything else.
1. Lead with Curiosity, Not Credibility
When nobody knows you, credibility isn’t earned through logos or brochures. It’s earned through curiosity.
Start by asking intelligent, unexpected questions that show you’ve done your homework. For example:
“How has your current partner adapted their approach as your market has evolved?”
“What would a better version of your existing process look like?”
In a new market, your differentiation starts with insight. Sandler’s principle applies here: people don’t argue with their own data. When prospects feel understood, they start to see you as an equal, not an interruption.
2. Focus on Pain, Not Pitch
When you’re new, it’s tempting to over-explain your company or list every feature. Resist that.
Sandler’s pain step exists for a reason. It shifts the focus away from who you are to what really matters: what your prospect needs.
Your goal isn’t to prove you belong. It’s to uncover a problem so meaningful that your lack of name recognition no longer matters.
When you can describe a client’s problem better than they can, you earn instant credibility.
3. Borrow Trust Until You Build It
Referrals, case studies, and alliances act as bridges in new markets. If you don’t have relationships yet, borrow them.
Partner with a known local organization for events or webinars.
Publish joint thought leadership with a respected client.
Showcase outcomes from similar industries rather than hiding your outsider status.
Trust transfers through association. When you connect your expertise to someone your buyer already respects, you compress the timeline to credibility.
4. Shorten the Distance Between Awareness and Experience
Emerging markets reward action, not announcements. The fastest way to build credibility is to demonstrate your capabilities.
Offer workshops, audits, or short-term pilot projects that let prospects experience your value firsthand. Keep the initial commitment small but the impact tangible.
You don’t need a brand story that sounds big. You need an authentic client story that feels real.
5. Stay Consistent. Visibility Creates Familiarity.
The hardest part of entering a new market is staying patient when the early months feel quiet.
That’s when most teams quit too soon. They mistake slow traction for failure instead of recognizing it as the cost of entry.
In Next Level terms, that’s emotional involvement creeping in. The cure is consistency. Make prospecting part of your routine, not your reaction. Show up with value-driven conversations until familiarity starts working in your favor.
From Outsider to Insider
Every successful firm was once a new name in the market. The difference between those who stayed outsiders and those who became insiders wasn’t luck; it was a process.
They built trust more quickly by asking better questions, addressing deeper pains, leveraging credibility, and demonstrating value early. If you can stay disciplined in that, the next time your name comes up in a buying conversation, you won’t be “the new one.” You’ll be “the one they trust.”
If your team is expanding into new markets or launching new offerings, you don’t need to go it alone. Take five minutes to measure how focused and consistent your team’s go-to-market process really is with the Next Level Sales Leadership Scorecard.
