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International Market Entry Can Be Better the Second Time Around – Here’s How

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Company Profile: Meet nTrustus

Based in Sydney, Australia, nTrustus is the first and only regulatory tech platform to hone in on Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) as a new key area of regulatory compliance. The necessity for understanding and resolving digital conflict is growing. Many opt for synchronous communication, but CEO and Founder Ron Paull explains that nTrustus separates people from the problem, which de-escalates tensions, giving space for solutions and creating an atmosphere for all voices to be heard. 

Finding a problem before it festers is the key to maintaining open and productive communication, which nTrustus strives for in its platform. In 2022 they were named The Red Tech start-up of the year for developing an easy-to-use, industry agnostic, “Plug and Play” SaaS offering seamless escalation and scalability. The Commonwealth Government recently contracted nTrustus to customize and pilot the platform for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIS). 

Challenges With First U.S. Market Launch 

Before building their current success, Ross Paull brought his organization, then known as The Guided Resolution, to the U.S. market for the regulation technology’s first roll out, and partnered up with an American team to gain market access. Paull struggled to make the connections he needed through his stateside partner, losing precious travel time on filler meetings and chasing opportunities. 

However, through the engagement team, Paull met John Crozier-Durham, founder and CEO of Kettering International. They connected immediately over their shared Australian background, and Paull quickly realized that Kettering International was doing a much better job teaming up value-add and aligning 1:1 meetings. Kettering’s strategic business development, analysis of market segmentations, and cultivation of networks impressed Paull. It was evident that Kettering took a personal and invested approach to client success.

Paull parted ways with the American team, recognizing that the “old school” approach to selling features and benefits without having a clear focus or client archetype was not working. He headed back to his home market but kept an ongoing connection with Kettering International.

Pivoting to Align with Market Needs

Paull returned to the Australian market to pivot and clarify where to best place the company’s future efforts, and the firm shifted its platform from serving the financial sector to regulatory compliance. 

Embarking on this new focus as nTrustus, they dropped the “old school” approach of selling benefits and features without knowing where they landed and dug deep. The company invested heavily in sales coaching and research for a better understanding of buyer motives, learning not only what the market wanted, but where best to place the value they knew they had. 

This redefined business strategy, which moved their focus from the financial sector to the services sector, evolved into serving the NDIS. Although the federal government is not a direct client, they are invested in nTrustus successfully resolving the Commonwealth’s overwhelming caseload, which was clogging up the system and impairing their ability to support those in need. 

“You really need to test your product or service in your home market, or you are basically exporting your mistakes,” says Paull. “Iron out issues on branding and mission, and it will be a lot easier the second time around. You also need someone on the ground, in the right timezone, to follow that lead, a trusted advisor with skin in the game, like Kettering.” 

nTrustus Success Skyrockets: Key Takeaways for B2B Market Expansion

The company learned from their first U.S. launch the benefit of building success in their home market rather than repackaging and relaunching in an international market without clarity of intent and value translation. Working with Kettering International showcased the importance of due diligence, understanding market segmentation, cultural communication, and the necessity of having someone that is engaged as a partner in the process of your success. 

With Kettering, there is a personal connection element that both the tech firm and the U.S. market client base have come to know and trust, making key meetings fruitful rather than rote activities to fulfill contractual obligations. Kettering leverages the Pareto principle of finding the 20% that will give B2B tech firms established in their home base the lift needed to enter the U.S. market successfully.

nTrustus enjoys immense success in the Australian marketplace now with the endorsement of the Australian Federal Government and their work with the National Disability Sector to help those in need use their funding for care services. Their RegTech platform helps keep the lines of communication clear and open between 550,000 clients and 25,000 service providers, and has the potential to be duplicated for an aged care roll out and other Commonwealth services. 

With this expanded calling card of excellence, nTrustus looks forward to a timely relaunch in the U.S. market. After coming to their core value and clarity in pivoting from the financial sector to the governmental sector, they now lead the market in unparalleled success. They are confident that partnering with Kettering in this clarity will ensure a better entry the second time around. 

Contact Kettering 

Contact Kettering International for more information about how your first – or second – U.S. market launch can be a successful one.