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Scheduled SMS service, stuck on acquiring new clients

by adrianh
10 replies
Hello,

Me and one friend worked on a web app from where you schedule SMS campaigns to your list of phone numbers.

The problems is that it's time to acquire clients in order to get some money flowing.

We started with cold calls, calling restaurants, hairdresses and any businesses we could think of that they could use SMS messages to keep it's clients updated with some sort of news.

From first 5 calls we got one buying client, he's our client for over 6 months now.

But 300 calls later, no client at all!

I understand that I'm at very beginning with calls, so maybe instead of 300 calls, I should continue a bit more before trying something else. I read here in the forums that at the beginning 1000 calls per week should be the norm. I'm not even close to that.

What can be done, I feel a bit stuck, is there a way out of this?
#acquiring #clients #scheduled #service #sms #stuck
  • Profile picture of the author umc
    Just as a quick, non-cold way of getting clients, have you asked your one successful client for referrals? Have you called businesses similar to that one with your success story?
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  • Profile picture of the author leojq2
    Do you have networking events in Romania? (BNI, Chamber of Commerce, Meetup, etc)

    If so, slap on a digital, scrolling name tag similar to any here on Amazon...

    https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bnav_se...gital+name+tag

    And be amazed at the number of people who come up and talk to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Matthew Iannotti
    What type of clients are you looking for? Are they local businesses? You need to keep on calling until you have a few more sales. It could be your script, pitch, you'll need to look at your entire process and be able to know what to fix or adjust in that process. It may very well be your approach.
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  • Profile picture of the author sdentrepreneur
    This is right in my wheelhouse....Cold colds don't work. To land many of these clients you need a ground game and POA to reach decision makers. Also...word of mouth between business owners.
    I have several connections here in San Diego, they own 8-10 different bars/restaurants. I would approach the GM, offer to test the SMS on one location and then lock down all the other locations after providing them proven results.
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    • Profile picture of the author Matthew Iannotti
      Originally Posted by sdentrepreneur View Post

      This is right in my wheelhouse....Cold colds don't work. To land many of these clients you need a ground game and POA to reach decision makers. Also...word of mouth between business owners.
      I have several connections here in San Diego, they own 8-10 different bars/restaurants. I would approach the GM, offer to test the SMS on one location and then lock down all the other locations after providing them proven results.
      Cold calling certainly does work, OP stated he already had a sale doing it. U.S Military still uses cold calling for recruiting as well as many other businesses.
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  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    For cold calling, look up Jason Kanigan's threads on this forum on the subject. As regards the number of calls, 1 in 300 is low, but not enough to tell you to quit.

    Also, I am going to bet that you're not qualifying enough and that they do not understand the potential in it. I mean, you're not explaining it to them well.

    You let them decide what they would use it for. And many business owners are lousy at marketing, so they don't come up with: Hey, it's slow here on Tuesdays around 4 PM. What if I every Monday afternoon I can send a message that says, Tomorrow, from 3:30 to 5:00 you get 2 free chiftele (Romanian meatballs?) if you order meal #1 or 2" and, then, Tuesday around 1:30, I send a reminder that says: Hey, guys, the 2 free chiftele offer starts in 2 hours. (then a description of the offer again)?

    You have to give it to them.

    To give it to them, you have to get them to want to talk to you. Which you do by paying attention to Jason Kanigan... or some other people with good ideas on how to get going.

    Originally Posted by adrianh View Post

    Hello,

    Me and one friend worked on a web app from where you schedule SMS campaigns to your list of phone numbers.

    The problems is that it's time to acquire clients in order to get some money flowing.

    We started with cold calls, calling restaurants, hairdresses and any businesses we could think of that they could use SMS messages to keep it's clients updated with some sort of news.

    From first 5 calls we got one buying client, he's our client for over 6 months now.

    But 300 calls later, no client at all!

    I understand that I'm at very beginning with calls, so maybe instead of 300 calls, I should continue a bit more before trying something else. I read here in the forums that at the beginning 1000 calls per week should be the norm. I'm not even close to that.

    What can be done, I feel a bit stuck, is there a way out of this?
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  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    Originally Posted by adrianh View Post

    Hello,

    Me and one friend worked on a web app from where you schedule SMS campaigns to your list of phone numbers.

    The problems is that it's time to acquire clients in order to get some money flowing.

    We started with cold calls, calling restaurants, hairdresses and any businesses we could think of that they could use SMS messages to keep it's clients updated with some sort of news.

    From first 5 calls we got one buying client, he's our client for over 6 months now.

    But 300 calls later, no client at all!

    I understand that I'm at very beginning with calls, so maybe instead of 300 calls, I should continue a bit more before trying something else. I read here in the forums that at the beginning 1000 calls per week should be the norm. I'm not even close to that.

    What can be done, I feel a bit stuck, is there a way out of this?
    So lets look at this for a moment.. you have an app, that can send SMS messages to a list on a phone. Sounds good enough. The issue here is you are more than likely on the wrong end as it were of the potential clients problem... themselves getting repeat business from using such a service.

    In order to send SMS you have to have a list first - and then your app comes into play. If you are not providing a method to create the list, the need to send SMS messaging is a mute point and of no interest.

    So your ideal potential target client becomes one that already has a viable list, and would be interested in what your app may provide that they current provider of said service is not. I could be wrong, but the separation of what they are using and what you are offering is probably slim to none. At this point it would be a dollar and cents game, if in the long run you can provide equal service at a lower cost - this is just not that easy a sale.

    What you need is the front end - the development of the list. Not saying it needs to be an app, but you need to in some way shape or form, provide the package to your potential clients.. not just sending the SMS messaging, but creating the list to send them to.

    Your app was intended I am sure to provide a solution to a problem - IE contacting existing customers to draw them in as repeat customers. Ultimately what you have created is a problem within the solution. No existing list, no need for your solution.


    I don't think 300 calls and 1 close in the existing state of the service you are providing is all that bad.. actually probably on the good side, because the targeting needed to bring that number down has not been identified ( Clients with already existing client contacts )
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    • Profile picture of the author adrianh
      Originally Posted by savidge4 View Post

      So lets look at this for a moment.. you have an app, that can send SMS messages to a list on a phone. Sounds good enough. The issue here is you are more than likely on the wrong end as it were of the potential clients problem... themselves getting repeat business from using such a service.

      In order to send SMS you have to have a list first - and then your app comes into play. If you are not providing a method to create the list, the need to send SMS messaging is a mute point and of no interest.

      So your ideal potential target client becomes one that already has a viable list, and would be interested in what your app may provide that they current provider of said service is not. I could be wrong, but the separation of what they are using and what you are offering is probably slim to none. At this point it would be a dollar and cents game, if in the long run you can provide equal service at a lower cost - this is just not that easy a sale.

      What you need is the front end - the development of the list. Not saying it needs to be an app, but you need to in some way shape or form, provide the package to your potential clients.. not just sending the SMS messaging, but creating the list to send them to.

      Your app was intended I am sure to provide a solution to a problem - IE contacting existing customers to draw them in as repeat customers. Ultimately what you have created is a problem within the solution. No existing list, no need for your solution.


      I don't think 300 calls and 1 close in the existing state of the service you are providing is all that bad.. actually probably on the good side, because the targeting needed to bring that number down has not been identified ( Clients with already existing client contacts )
      Yes, people not having lists didn't want to hear the offer, or they thought I offer the list for them.

      The actual client was already having a list of phone numbers long before working with us. From all the calls made, almost anyone with a current list of phones listened and asked qustions about the offer!

      How did I missed that?

      Thank you for your observations. Yes, this is the pain. People not having lists don't have the problem of needing a service to schedule SMS messages. Targetting from beginning people who already have a list of phone numbers would greatly increase the chances of conversion!

      So now I either have to find businesses who already have a list or provide a way to build a list of phone numbers for those who don't have the list.

      Interesting... thanks!
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      • Profile picture of the author DABK
        This is good for building lists for restaurants: http://www.warriorforum.com/warrior-...just-lazy.html

        Originally Posted by adrianh View Post

        Yes, people not having lists didn't want to hear the offer, or they thought I offer the list for them.

        The actual client was already having a list of phone numbers long before working with us. From all the calls made, almost anyone with a current list of phones listened and asked qustions about the offer!

        How did I missed that?

        Thank you for your observations. Yes, this is the pain. People not having lists don't have the problem of needing a service to schedule SMS messages. Targetting from beginning people who already have a list of phone numbers would greatly increase the chances of conversion!

        So now I either have to find businesses who already have a list or provide a way to build a list of phone numbers for those who don't have the list.

        Interesting... thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Oziboomer
    Originally Posted by adrianh View Post

    Hello,

    Me and one friend worked on a web app from where you schedule SMS campaigns to your list of phone numbers.

    The problems is that it's time to acquire clients in order to get some money flowing.

    We started with cold calls, calling restaurants, hairdresses and any businesses we could think of that they could use SMS messages to keep it's clients updated with some sort of news.

    From first 5 calls we got one buying client, he's our client for over 6 months now.

    But 300 calls later, no client at all!

    I understand that I'm at very beginning with calls, so maybe instead of 300 calls, I should continue a bit more before trying something else. I read here in the forums that at the beginning 1000 calls per week should be the norm. I'm not even close to that.

    What can be done, I feel a bit stuck, is there a way out of this?
    Did you take a look at what Mike Koenigs did with Instant Customer?

    That was an integrated marketing system using an SMS auto responder as one of it's key selling points.

    Maybe you should look into it and checkout the marketing they did to build that business.

    As far as I know Mike's sold out of that business but the video content and other material surrounding the product should still be out there.

    The other thing is...

    Many businesses are just getting their head around basic automation and you are assuming they have a system to already capture and manage customer phone numbers and the customers have given authorisation to receive SMS communications from the business.

    You might be better off targeting businesses that are already doing SMS marketing and showing them how your solution is better.

    You might be better off targeting partners who already have small businesses as clients and who want to add SMS to their mix....then you whitelabel the product so they can easily promote it as their own.

    Best regards,

    Ozi
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