Guide
Selling to Italian companies: what foreign B2B firms need to know
Italy has about six million registered businesses, but the market that matters for most B2B offers is a few tens of thousands of structured companies. Here is how they buy, and how to reach the people who decide.
A market of structured SMEs
The Italian economy is built on small and medium-sized companies, many of them family-owned and export-oriented. Manufacturing, machinery and industrial supply chains are concentrated in the north, especially in Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna.
Who decides
In many Italian companies the owner or managing director is involved in every significant purchase. In larger companies the head of function decides, but the owner is often consulted. Identifying both is part of the work.
Language and tone
Write in Italian. A message in English, or one clearly translated, signals that you do not know the market. Keep it short, refer to a concrete fact about the company, and ask a simple question.
Timing
Italian business life slows down markedly in August and in the last two weeks of December. Plan campaigns around September to July, and expect decision cycles to be longer in industrial sectors.
Trust
Italian buyers care about who they are dealing with: an Italian contact, a local counterpart and references in their sector reduce friction. Trade fairs still matter, but they are expensive per conversation.
Keep reading
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From the companies you want to the meeting that actually takes place
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Lead generation in Italy: a lead is a name, a meeting is a conversation
The Italian B2B market, region by region
See if the Italian market works for your offer
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