Selling is hard when you don't speak the language of your customer. I don't mean this figuratively—I literally do not speak Spanish, which is the primary language of our provider base.
Founder-led sales is always a challenge, but I've found it especially daunting given my inability to speak the native language of the people we aim to serve. A process that typically relies on nuance, clarity, and even playfulness is, for me, constrained by my limited ability to connect through language.
The Early Days: Leveraging Co-founder Strengths
In the early days of heva, I leaned heavily on our Co-founder and CTO, Hector Terrero, to help drive sales. That's not a typical CTO responsibility, but with his roots and fluency in Dominican Spanish, he bridged gaps I simply could not. We often invited provider prospects to Google Meet so I could use live translation, and I relied on ChatGPT—tuned to Dominican Spanish—to help adapt my WhatsApp outreach for our audience.
I quickly realized that while I was not able to do this specific task on my own, as a team we had the combined skills to get the job done. We moved forward by hiring Account Executives with local cultural and language expertise, and have now successfully built a sales team across the Dominican Republic and Mexico that is embedded with our providers and their patients.
Building the Right Team for Long-term Success
While I lacked the skills to directly execute all our sales, I was able to appreciate the right process, lean on a dynamic and capable co-founder, and bring on the right talent for long-term execution. What seemed like a fundamental barrier to my ability to serve as a CEO is now surmountable—thanks to a wonderful team.
We're still learning, and I'm personally working on my Spanish every week, but I'm glad we have found a way to make the process work.
Key Lessons for Cross-Cultural Business
- Recognize your limitations: Be honest about what you can and cannot do effectively
- Leverage team strengths: Build a team that complements your weaknesses
- Hire local expertise: Cultural and language fluency are invaluable assets
- Embrace technology: Use tools like translation services and AI to bridge gaps
- Stay committed to learning: Continuous improvement in language and cultural understanding
Looking Forward
As we continue to expand our provider network and serve more international patients, these lessons remain central to our approach. The healthcare industry is inherently personal and trust-based, making cultural competency essential for success.
I'd love to hear from others: What tips do you have for working—and especially selling—in a market where you don't speak the language or share the local culture?