Five mistakes New Zealand firms make in their first year selling to Australia

Scott Cundill · 2026-10-29 · New Zealand

The biggest mistake is assuming Australia is New Zealand, only larger. It feels familiar, the accents are close, the flight is short, the rules look alike, and so Kiwi firms arrive relaxed and leave puzzled. Here are the five slips we see most, each one easy to avoid once you know it is coming.

1. Treating Australia as one market

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are four very different cities, each with its own business circles, its own pace and its own pride. A win in Sydney earns you very little in Perth. Pick one city first, learn it properly, and let the second come later.

2. Selling with Kiwi modesty

New Zealanders are famously understated. In a busy Australian buyer's inbox, understated can read as unsure. Say plainly what you do, who you have done it for, and what result they got. Australians tend to respect a confident, direct offer, as long as it is backed up.

3. Underestimating the competition

Australia has a supplier for almost everything, often just down the road. Being from across the ditch is not, by itself, a reason to choose you. Know exactly what makes you different, whether that is speed, quality, price or a niche nobody else serves.

4. Flying in, flying out

It is tempting to book a quick trip, do six meetings, and fly home. Relationships rarely survive on that. The firms that do well come back often, show up at the same events, and let people see their faces more than once.

5. Knocking on cold doors

This is the costliest one. A cold email from a Wellington firm to a Melbourne buyer is easy to ignore. A short note from someone that buyer already trusts is not. Most of the first year's frustration disappears once the first few doors are opened by somebody else.

Can someone refer us to the right Australians?

That is exactly what the Bridge is for. Tell the host what kind of client, partner or supplier you need on the Australian side. If they genuinely know someone who fits, they introduce you both in a short note explaining the match. No lists, no referral targets, and no introduction that would only help one side.

The Australia-New Zealand Business Bridge

Larri Wallbridge holds the New Zealand end. She is the founder of Fit for Business and has spent more than thirty years in business, leadership, talent and organisational transformation. The Australian host seat is open.

If you are planning your first Australian year, write down the one company you would most like as a client, and ask who might already know someone there. That single question saves more time than any trade show.