Finding B2B customers in Sweden and the Netherlands without bought lists
If you sell to companies in Sweden or the Netherlands from abroad, or you have just set up a local office, the temptation is to buy a list of every company in your target sector and start calling. The hit rate is usually below one per cent, and both countries have strict rules on unsolicited marketing. The better route is to call fewer companies at the right moment.
Why bought lists work badly in both countries
A list tells you who exists, not who needs something. Nine out of ten companies on it have no reason to talk to you this quarter. In Sweden and the Netherlands the GDPR applies in full, Dutch law requires an opt-out mention in every commercial email to a business address, and Swedish recipients expect a reason for the contact. A list bought today is also already shared with every competitor who bought it last month.
Start from the event, not the company
Turn the order around. Instead of a list of companies, work from a list of events: who moved, who is building, who was acquired, who got a new managing director, who won a large contract. Each event points to a company that needs something new in the coming months. For a cleaning company that is a new office; for an IT supplier a new site or a new CIO; for a recruiter a hiring wave; for a law firm an acquisition or a new regulation.
The public sources, country by country
Sweden: press releases on Mynewsdesk and Cision, property media (Fastighetsvärlden, Fastighetssverige, Lokalguiden), municipal building permits, the public tender site Mercell, Bolagsverket for new registrations and local papers. The Netherlands: Vastgoedmarkt and PropertyNL for leases, municipal omgevingsvergunningen, the KvK register, TenderNed for public tenders, and regional papers and business portals such as De Ondernemer. None of these need a subscription to spot the headline.
Local manners in the first contact
Both countries prefer a short, concrete first message over a polished pitch. Name the event in the first line, say in one sentence why it matters for them, and ask one question. Swedes are relaxed about first names and sceptical of hard selling; the Dutch are direct and will tell you quickly whether there is interest. Write in the local language where you can; an honest English mail is still better than a machine-translated one that sounds off.
How Lead Radar does the weekly work
Lead Radar reads these sources every week for the regions you choose in Sweden and the Netherlands, matches the events against what you sell and shows the companies with a dated, sourced reason to buy. You can run it in English, Swedish or Dutch, and the first scan is free.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Swedish or Dutch company to use Lead Radar?
No. Any company that sells to businesses in Sweden or the Netherlands can use it. You pick the regions and describe what you sell.
Is cold emailing businesses allowed in Sweden and the Netherlands?
Business-to-business email is allowed in both countries if the message is relevant to the recipient's role, you identify yourself and you offer a clear way to opt out. This page is general information, not legal advice.
How many leads should I expect per week?
It depends on the region and the trade. A cleaning company covering one Swedish county typically sees a handful of real, dated events per week. Fewer, better-timed leads is the point.