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You have a B2B product. Business rarely look for new stuff, you have to shove it down their throat. So just search for about 100 physiotherapy stations near to

You have a B2B product. Business rarely look for new stuff, you have to shove it down their throat. So just search for about 100 physiotherapy stations near to you and then email them a short email, asking them if you can actually email them with the product information. A personalised email for EACH site individually. Hire someone to do this if neccessary. Track your replies. If nobody replies, then you don't have a product. Otherwise, lead them through it. The more emails you exchange with a customer, the more likely he is to buy! B2B is all about communicating with the customer, making him feel safe with you, like you are a partner taking care of a small part of his business. Always end every email with a hook that will make him reply to you. Press-Release, Relevant Blogs and so on are NOT going to make you customers. You have to reach out personally! Your market is too small, too in-cohesive and too static for anything other than aggressive personal approaching your customers to work. I've done years of these types of sales, and I hate it with a passion. If you don't like writing emails to people then figure out how to get someone else to do it for you.

DevX101 16y ago
Although you hate it, have you been successful at it? What your recommendations for finding someone willing and able to reach out to these potential customers and create real sales?
- maxklein 16y ago
  It took me through many years of my student life with an enough-to-survive income (like $2000 a month). I never tried to expand hard beyond this, because that was enough for me. So I'm no whiz marketer, just aware of the different things I tried and what worked for me. I really don't know how to find someone, I wrote the emails myself. What I know is how to talk to people to close the sale - and most of it is just about making people feel secure, and going above what they expect. Aggressive pushing almost never works for me. Just be nice, see if your product really solves their problem, point out what they will save in time and money, and make sure you are there for them. To do these type of selling you need someone smart and who has empathy with people. Then just monitor the emails they send to make sure they don't sound marketey or selling too hard. Also, they should not get a customer too excited before purchase, cos the customer finds it hard to back down then, so usually just disappears. The customer wants to feel like he chose you, not like you forced him to buy by being so friendly.
kranner 16y ago
Any book recommendations on this sales process? I'm in the same boat as OP as to B2Bness-of-product and experiencing cold-email-fright at the moment.
- maxklein 16y ago
  I'm not THAT good. I'm not a salesman, I never made so many sales. All I know is what causes you to lose sales. The process is like this: 1. Approach your customer with a solution to a problem he has. Focus in the start ONLY to get him to reply your email. Don't sell yet! Make sure he replies, and half your task is done 2. When he replies, be honest about what your product can do for him, and if he needs it. 3. Allow him test it, or give him some special access, making sure to back off completely at this point. If he feels under pressure, he'll disappear. He has to impale himself on your stake, you don't drive it into him 4. After that, if he indicates interest to buy, make it easy and painless for him It's really all about honesty and solving peoples problem, the rest is just about not fucking up. It's like meeting a girl who likes you (customer that needs your product). It's all about you just not fucking up the process, that's it. Just guide the person to the sales page gently, without being overeager or annoying. If he does not want it, he does not, if he wants it, he'll buy it you don't need to really sell it.
  - kranner 16y ago
    Thanks! That's really insightful and even eases the burden on a sales wimp like me.
- culturengine 16y ago
  The Four Steps to the Epiphany by steve Blank is pretty good at guiding you through the customer development process.
  - regularfry 16y ago
    Upvoted. I've just finished reading it, and even if you find fault with the process he builds in it, it gives a very good perspective on the busywork and cargo cult rituals that sink a lot of businesses. He's also got a damn good blog (http://www.steveblank.com http://www.steveblank.com) which gets links here fairly regularly :-)

DevX101 16y ago

Although you hate it, have you been successful at it? What your recommendations for finding someone willing and able to reach out to these potential customers and create real sales?

maxklein 16y ago
It took me through many years of my student life with an enough-to-survive income (like $2000 a month). I never tried to expand hard beyond this, because that was enough for me. So I'm no whiz marketer, just aware of the different things I tried and what worked for me. I really don't know how to find someone, I wrote the emails myself. What I know is how to talk to people to close the sale - and most of it is just about making people feel secure, and going above what they expect. Aggressive pushing almost never works for me. Just be nice, see if your product really solves their problem, point out what they will save in time and money, and make sure you are there for them. To do these type of selling you need someone smart and who has empathy with people. Then just monitor the emails they send to make sure they don't sound marketey or selling too hard. Also, they should not get a customer too excited before purchase, cos the customer finds it hard to back down then, so usually just disappears. The customer wants to feel like he chose you, not like you forced him to buy by being so friendly.

kranner 16y ago

Any book recommendations on this sales process? I'm in the same boat as OP as to B2Bness-of-product and experiencing cold-email-fright at the moment.

maxklein 16y ago
I'm not THAT good. I'm not a salesman, I never made so many sales. All I know is what causes you to lose sales. The process is like this: 1. Approach your customer with a solution to a problem he has. Focus in the start ONLY to get him to reply your email. Don't sell yet! Make sure he replies, and half your task is done 2. When he replies, be honest about what your product can do for him, and if he needs it. 3. Allow him test it, or give him some special access, making sure to back off completely at this point. If he feels under pressure, he'll disappear. He has to impale himself on your stake, you don't drive it into him 4. After that, if he indicates interest to buy, make it easy and painless for him It's really all about honesty and solving peoples problem, the rest is just about not fucking up. It's like meeting a girl who likes you (customer that needs your product). It's all about you just not fucking up the process, that's it. Just guide the person to the sales page gently, without being overeager or annoying. If he does not want it, he does not, if he wants it, he'll buy it you don't need to really sell it.
- kranner 16y ago
  Thanks! That's really insightful and even eases the burden on a sales wimp like me.
culturengine 16y ago
The Four Steps to the Epiphany by steve Blank is pretty good at guiding you through the customer development process.
- regularfry 16y ago
  Upvoted. I've just finished reading it, and even if you find fault with the process he builds in it, it gives a very good perspective on the busywork and cargo cult rituals that sink a lot of businesses. He's also got a damn good blog (http://www.steveblank.com http://www.steveblank.com) which gets links here fairly regularly :-)