The Mexican Client Talks About Software as an Investment. The Colombian Client Talks About Software as an Expense. That Difference Changes Everything.
Two prospects from Mexico this week. Both already know they need software. The conversation wasn't whether to buy — it was who to buy from. In Colombia that conversation almost never arrives like that.
Project App
Engineering Team
This week I had conversations with two prospects from Mexico. Both arrived with high purchase intent. Both knew exactly what problem they had. Both spoke about software as something they were going to implement — the question was who to do it with, not whether to do it. For someone who has spent years selling software in Colombia, that feels different. Very different. Not because the Colombian client is worse — but because the starting point of the conversation is different. And that starting point changes everything that comes after.
The Difference That Matters Most
When a Colombian client arrives at ProjectApp, the conversation almost always starts in the same place: 'How much does it cost?' or 'Explain to me exactly what you do.' There's an implicit justification process that has to happen before the conversation reaches anything substantial. When the Mexico prospects arrived, the conversation started somewhere else: 'We have this problem in the operation, we've already analyzed it, we know we need a system. How would you build it?'
"In Colombia I sell the idea that software is necessary. In Mexico the client already bought that — I just have to demonstrate I'm who does it best."
— What I understood from those two conversations
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- 1The client who talks about software as investment and the one who talks about it as expense don't have the same sales process — they're two completely different processes.
- 2The Mexican market has greater maturity in perceiving software as a strategic asset — the ticket is higher and the process is faster.
- 3When the client already arrives convinced, the seller's work changes: from convincing to demonstrating competence.
- 4Identifying in which market and with which client profile you're most effective is a strategic decision, not just a commercial one.
The two Mexico conversations this week reminded me of something that's easy to forget when you've spent years selling in one market: sales friction isn't always inevitable. Sometimes it's a characteristic of the market, not the product. And when you find the market where friction drops — and results rise — that's worth exploring fully.
If you have a software company and are evaluating how to access more mature markets, that conversation interests me. Write to me.