Advise IH: How to reach software development agencies in US?
Hey, community 👋
We're building a documentation tool for engineering teams which is now in a public beta. To validate the idea and check if our vision is correct, I'd like to talk with real small-to-medium tech agencies and startups.
I created a list of companies manually from Clutch, found emails of senior managers of those on LinkedIn and cold emailed them, following up during Feb and Mar. Overall, I sent aprox. 100-150 personalized emails. But with no response back whatsoever.
I desperately need your advise: What is the best way of reaching decision makers from my target audience?
PS. Thanks to @8bit for pushing me to start this topic :)
It's all in the messaging. What did you write? What was your subject line?
Your messaging cannot be about you, nor should you try to sell your product.
Your objective for your first outreach is to get a meeting, so sell the meeting.
For example:
Subject line: Up to date documentation for <company>?
Hi <name>,
Love your github project X, <say something valuable about it>.
We help companies improve documentation leading to benefit y. I'd be happy to share what we've learned from similar companies in a 15 minute call. Would that be of interest?
Thanks
Alex
Start small. Maybe 20 emails per day. Then see how they are working and slowly increase your audience. There are many many more things you can do, but for validation, a good email, properly targeted, should get you a few meetings.
Also, I'd suggest targeting clients that are likely to bring in at least 6k/year. Outbound tends to be unprofitable below that price point.
These are just some high level thoughts, let me know if you want to dig deeper.
Hey, Dennis!
Thank you so much for your take on my topic!
In my emails, I tried to point that we made a tool, which brings more value for engineering teams, when it comes to documenting things. With few major use-cases where we are better.
Reading your comment, I realize that this is my mistake and I wanted to jump over too many steps of a sales workflow instantly. Instead I should really start with selling a meeting/demo first. And go piece by piece.
Thanks, for the advices. I really appreciate it!
No problem! :)
If you have existing clients (or friendly contacts in the space you're targeting) I'd suggest you ask them what frustrates them. What around documentation bugs the hell out of them?
Use that frustration as the central message in your email.
Don't explain what you do, explain how you alleviate that frustration.
If your target experiences the same frustration (i.e. if you made sure you are addressing the right people), you'll see your response rate go up.
Speaking of existing clients, essentially I have 2 pricing plans groups: free and for money, with some privacy and security perks.
Now I have approx 200 free accounts. I tried to reach those users with various messages and proposed help or assistance. So that they start using the product not just for testing purposes. But with no luck. I heard silence back. It seems they created an account and passed by.
But it seems, frustration is another good topic of outbound emails to talk with prospects.
Do you have any other user data on those 200 accounts that signed up? Have they shown any signs of activation? If so, you should be able to get a response. Try to diversify your approach, reach out via email, linkedin, phone (gasp), twitter, whatever channel you can find. :)
Often times, free user just creates an account, makes a test project and drops it. I'm reaching these existing users by email they left during the registration. I think those people didn't find a value. Which is fine.
LinkedIn + email is my primary tool for cold emails to those who I believe is interested in the product, in the paid version of it.
Anyway, thanks for your advices! I felt deadlocked with this sales/marketing stuff. Your thoughts brought a new perspective. Now I see my mistakes and I gonna start again with better understanding 🤝
No problem :) Stick with it and you'll get the data eventually.
Feel free to contact me if you want to brainstorm further.
love it! i'm so glad that you're doing this!
i think you're already doing it... by writing this
original content(OC), you're building a case why this matters and giving folks an opportunity to engage with you.this is where it always starts!