Entering a new market creates an interesting problem for a CEO. Your company may have years of experience, strong customers, a proven product, and an excellent reputation. But if the people in the new market do not know you, much of that credibility stays behind.
This happens when a European company expands into the US, as well as when a company moves into a new industry, starts targeting a different type of customers (enterprise vs. SMB), or creates a new category (which is happening a lot right now with AI).
In each case, you are asking people to trust a company they do not know yet.
The CEO can play an important role in closing that trust gap. Here’s how.
- When a CEO enters a new market, the company’s existing reputation rarely travels with it, creating a trust gap with people who don’t yet know the business.
- A CEO closes the gap by translating existing credibility into terms the new market cares about. Recognizable customers, real results, and problems already solved only build trust when they’re tied to the problems this market faces.
- Showing you understand the new market matters as much as your track record. Make your learning visible, what you’re hearing from customers and how it’s changing your thinking, so people see you’re not assuming this market is like the old one.
- Build the CEO’s presence three to six months before the push. Start early and you’re not introducing the company and the CEO at once, so by launch people already know what you stand for and the launch gets easier.
1. Start with the questions people are already asking
When someone encounters an unfamiliar company, they want to know whether the company is coming from, who is leading it, and whether it is worth their time to learn more. They wonder:
- Does this company understand the problems we have?
- Who else trusts them? Anyone I know?
- Do they have experience with companies like ours?
- Are they committed to this market for the long term?
- Who are the people behind the company?
Your LinkedIn presence gives you an opportunity to answer those questions proactively, before anyone ever talks to you.
2. Translate the credibility you already have
When you enter a new market, the reputation you have established elsewhere does not necessarily travel with you.
A company may be well known in Europe and almost unknown in the US. Or it may have a tremendous reputation in financial services but no name recognition in healthcare.
You need to help people understand why your existing track record is relevant to them.
You could talk about recognizable customers, results you have delivered, years of experience, important partnerships, the scale of the business, or problems you have already solved that are similar to the ones this new market faces.
You need to provide a context that matters to the people in the new market.
3. Show that you understand the new market
People want to know that you understand the issues and quirks specific to their market, that you are not just assuming the new market is like the old one. I can pretty much guarantee it isn’t.
The CEO can make that thinking – and learning – visible.
Talk about what you are hearing from customers and prospects. Talk about events you are attending and conversations that have changed your thinking.
Share what you are learning about the new market. Bring insights from the old market – those are valuable too. But acknowledge the differences.
4. Give people a chance to see how you think
When people do not know a company yet, the CEO’s thinking provides an important source of credibility.
You can talk about the problems customers are wrestling with, changes you see coming, mistakes companies make, lessons you have learned, or areas where you disagree with conventional wisdom.
You want to give people enough exposure to your thinking that they begin to understand the value you bring to the conversation.
5. Make your relationships visible
Trust can be transferred. When people see that customers, partners, investors, industry associations, and other respected people are willing to work with you, that provides evidence your company is worth taking seriously.
LinkedIn makes those relationships visible.
A CEO can talk about customer conversations, partnerships, industry events, interviews, podcasts, and collaborations. They can engage publicly with people who are already part of the market.
This provides proof that others have accepted and value you. That helps more people feel comfortable trusting you.
6. Give people a sense of the person leading the company
People will always find another human more interesting than a business.
The CEO will almost always attract more attention and more followers than a company page or posts.
When someone looks at your profile or reads a few of your posts, they should get a sense of who you are, what you know, what matters to you, and how you think.
For a company that is unfamiliar, having a CEO who feels credible nd, thoughtful, and accessible makes a meaningful difference.
7. Show that you are committed to the market
New entrants face another credibility question: Are you serious about this market, or are you testing it?
CEOs can answer that question by making the company’s investment visible.
Talk about the people you are hiring, the customers you are meeting, partnerships you are building, conferences you are attending, changes you are making to the product, and infrastructure you are putting in place.
If you are entering the US, for example, a single post announcing your US office is a start, but you need to do more. Show a steady stream of evidence that you are hiring, meeting customers, building partnerships, and participating in the market.
8. Start building the CEO’s presence three to six months before the push
Ideally, you should start building visibility in a new market at least three to six months before you need it.
That gives you time to follow the people who matter, engage in relevant conversations, develop relationships, establish your point of view, and become familiar to the audience you are trying to reach.
Then, when you open the office, launch the product, announce the partnership, or begin a major sales push, you are not introducing both the company and the CEO at the same time.
People have already seen you. Some have interacted with you. They have had an opportunity to understand what you know and what your company stands for.
That makes the launch considerably easier.
Your reputation does not automatically travel with you
A company can have an excellent reputation and still be virtually unknown in the market it wants to enter. A strong CEO presence is a huge asset and can make the difference between success and failure.
LinkedIn gives CEOs a way to make their expertise visible, demonstrate that they understand the new market, show the relationships and track record behind the business, and build familiarity well before they ask people to buy, invest, partner, or join the company.
If entering a new market is an important strategic investment for the business, building the CEO’s credibility in that market should be part of the plan.