Decode
Décoder · Entender
A diagnosis of the cultural gaps between your home market, France and Spain, based on Hofstede's model. Then we read your offer through that lens: what works as is, what needs adapting.
My method · France & Spain
Entering France and Spain
starts with being there.
France and Spain share a border, a market of more than 115 million consumers and many habits. Yet they buy, decide and build trust in very different ways. My method rests on one conviction: neither market can be won from a distance. You go there, you watch how people buy, and you build the relationship before you talk contracts.
Be present on the ground
Understand local buying habits
Earn confiance and confianza
Four steps
From cultural diagnosis
to the first order.
Observe
Observer · Observar
On-the-ground study of buying habits: distribution channels, purchasing centres, price points, local competitors, labelling rules and regional differences.
Be present
Être là · Estar ahí
Face-to-face meetings, trade fairs, store visits. I represent your company in French and in Spanish, with each country's codes.
Nurture
Entretenir · Cuidar
Regular follow-up with each contact, through the channels that work in each country. The first order opens the relationship; loyalty is what builds revenue.
Through Hofstede's lens
Two neighbours,
two ways of deciding.
Geert Hofstede's model compares national cultures along six dimensions. I use it as a starting point: it shows where France and Spain are alike, and where one approach cannot simply be copied to the other side of the Pyrenees.
Power distance
France slightly more hierarchicalFranceMore layers, more formal channels. Identify who signs off, and through which process.
SpainIn SMEs, the owner often decides. Go straight to them, in a less formal tone.
Individualism
Widest gapSpain far more relationship-driven
FranceBusiness is more contractual and kept apart from private life. Trust follows proven expertise.
SpainBelonging, loyalty and introductions come first. People buy from someone they know.
Achievement orientation
Very similarBothConsensus and quality of life matter. Hard selling puts buyers off in both countries.
Uncertainty avoidance
High in bothFranceSend full documentation ahead of the meeting: specs, references, written terms.
SpainSame need for security, met through local references and a trusted contact.
Long-term orientation
Notable gapFrance more long-term
FranceShow solidity: a medium-term plan, supply capacity, continuity of service.
SpainShow quick, visible results: a trial order or a concrete pilot.
Indulgence
Close profilesBothFood and social life matter. In Spain they happen more in public, and that is where business relationships form.
Based on Geert Hofstede's 6-D model (The Culture Factor comparison tool). A national tendency never describes every individual buyer.
Know their habits
What you only see
on the ground.
Two daily rhythms
France: lunch from noon to 2 pm, dinner around 8 pm, August slows everything down. Spain: lunch around 2 pm, dinner after 9 pm, shops open late. Meeting slots and call times follow suit.
Centralised vs regional
France: many retail decisions are made in national purchasing centres, often around Paris. Spain: seventeen autonomous communities, each with its own distributors and strong loyalty to local products. Choose where to start.
Written vs spoken
France: email and scheduled meetings are the norm, and labels and sales documents must be in French. Spain: phone calls and WhatsApp often replace email, even with buyers.
Focus · Confiance & confianza
Same word,
two ways to earn it.
In Spain, confianza grows out of the personal relationship. In France, confiance grows out of competence and reliability. The relationship comes, but later.
My farmer profile fits both: I build relationships that last, and I keep my word over time. That is what buyers on both sides of the Pyrenees expect.
- SPAINLa mesa
- The business lunch is where decisions are often made, during the sobremesa, the long talk after coffee.
- SPAINUna cara
- One stable face. Changing your contact person every six months means starting from scratch.
- SPAINEl contacto
- An introduction is worth more than a cold call. Who introduces you matters as much as what you sell.
- FRANCELe dossier
- Arrive with figures, references and documents ready. Improvising reads as a lack of seriousness.
- FRANCELe vouvoiement
- Formal address is the norm, sometimes for years. Let your French counterpart suggest moving to first names.
- FRANCELe débat
- French buyers like to argue and challenge. Debate is not rejection; it is often a sign of interest.
Next step
Let's talk about your project.
30 minutes to map your context, choose which market to start with, and tell you honestly whether — and how — I can help.
Book a diagnostic →