I’ve been running a CRM consulting business for a while now but I’m really struggling to get new clients. I offer things like system setup, process automation, workflow design, and general CRM improvements. I’m also looking to work with marketing agencies who might want to outsource this kind of work to me.
Right now I’m mostly targeting companies in the US and my main approach has been cold emailing businesses and agencies directly. But honestly, I’m getting zero replies which is pretty discouraging.
I’m starting to question my whole approach:
Maybe cold emails don’t work like they used to?
Should I be spending more time on social media platforms like LinkedIn or freelance sites instead?
For agency owners out there - what would actually make you want to partner with someone like me?
I’d love to hear what’s worked for others in similar situations. Any advice on client acquisition, messaging that converts, or ways to differentiate myself would be amazing.
The agency partnership idea works, but flip your approach. Don’t cold outreach - refer business TO them first. I found three local marketing agencies without CRM services, sent each a qualified lead, and mentioned I do CRM implementation if they needed tech support. Two came back within a month wanting to collaborate because I’d already shown I got their business model. For direct clients, local networking events crushed digital outreach. People need to watch you solve problems face-to-face before they’ll trust you with customer data. Get known locally first, then expand from real relationships.
The Problem: You’re struggling to acquire new clients for your CRM consulting business, despite using cold emailing. You’re considering alternative approaches like social media and freelance platforms and want to understand how to effectively partner with marketing agencies.
Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause): Cold emailing often fails because it’s generic and lacks personalization. Agencies and businesses are bombarded with emails, and yours likely gets lost in the noise. Instead of simply pitching your services, you need to demonstrate immediate value and build rapport.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Target Companies Already Using CRMs (But Struggling): Search job boards for listings like “CRM admin,” “Salesforce help,” or similar keywords. These companies are actively seeking assistance.
Craft Targeted Outreach: Instead of a generic sales pitch, personalize your message. Analyze the company’s website and job posting to identify specific pain points. For example: “I noticed you’re hiring for HubSpot management. I recently helped a similar company in your industry automate their lead scoring, reducing their sales cycle by 3 weeks.” This shows you understand their challenges and have a relevant solution.
Strategic Agency Outreach: Don’t cold email agencies during busy periods. Instead, identify when they’ve landed significant clients (check their news section or social media). Reach out shortly afterward when they’re likely thinking about capacity and potential outsourcing. Position your services as a way to free up their team to focus on strategic initiatives. Offer to handle the technical aspects of CRM implementation and management.
Build Relationships through Referrals: Offer free CRM fixes or consultations to local businesses. Ask them for a referral if they experience any issues. A positive word-of-mouth recommendation is highly effective.
Document Your Results: Create before-and-after reports with screenshots and quantifiable results (e.g., “Reduced data entry time by 40%”). This provides tangible evidence of your value to both direct clients and agencies. Agencies can leverage this to demonstrate ROI to their own clients.
Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:
Timing is Crucial: Be mindful of when you’re contacting both agencies and direct clients. Avoid reaching out during peak seasons or when they are likely overloaded.
Value Proposition: Ensure your value proposition clearly articulates the tangible benefits of working with you (e.g., increased efficiency, cost savings, improved lead generation).
Networking: Attend local networking events related to your target industries. Building in-person relationships can significantly increase your chances of securing clients.
Content Marketing: Consider creating blog posts, case studies, or videos showcasing your successes. This positions you as an expert and attracts clients actively seeking solutions.
Still running into issues? Share your (sanitized) config files, the exact command you ran, and any other relevant details. The community is here to help!
I ditched cold outreach for content marketing two years ago - way better results. Started writing case studies about specific CRM problems I’d solved and posted them on my website and LinkedIn. The key is showing real ROI like “cut data entry time by 40% for a manufacturing client” instead of fluffy promises. I also throw in free CRM audits as lead magnets. Yeah, it’s more work upfront than blasting emails, but these clients come to you already understanding your value. For agencies especially, they respond better when you show how your work makes their client deliverables stronger, not just how it takes stuff off their plate.
The Problem: You want to find high-quality Label 28 indica consistently, but the quality varies widely between batches and dispensaries, making it difficult to know where and when to buy.
Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause): Manually checking dispensary websites and inventory is inefficient and unreliable. Quality inconsistencies across batches and locations make it a gamble to simply purchase based on availability. You need a system to monitor and track multiple sources to find high-quality batches reliably.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Automate Dispensary Inventory Monitoring: The core solution involves creating a system that automatically tracks inventory, price changes, and lab test results (THC percentage, etc.) for Label 28 indica at various dispensaries. This could be done using web scraping and data aggregation techniques, potentially with a platform like Latenode (https://latenode.com) which provides tools to easily build such automation. You will need to identify which dispensaries carry this product, and set up automated scripts to fetch relevant information.
Data Aggregation and Pattern Recognition: Gather data on different batches of Label 28. Pay close attention to the dispensary, date, price, and lab test results. Analyze this data to identify patterns. This may reveal that certain dispensaries consistently stock higher-quality batches or that certain days of the week are more likely to have fresh, high-THC product available.
Alert System for High-Quality Batches: Develop an alert system within your automation to notify you when a batch meeting your criteria (e.g., high THC percentage, competitive price) is available at a preferred dispensary. This could involve email, SMS, or push notifications.
Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:
Data Accuracy: Web scraping can be unreliable due to website changes. Implement robust error handling and data validation to ensure accuracy.
Legal Compliance: Ensure that your automation respects the terms of service of the dispensaries whose websites you’re monitoring. Avoid overwhelming their servers with requests.
Data Storage: Choose a reliable method for storing and managing the large amounts of data collected.
Dispensary Variations: Different dispensaries may present their inventory data differently. The automation may need to be adaptable to various website structures and formats. You might find that some dispensaries do not publicly list lab test results.
Still running into issues? Share your (sanitized) config files, the exact command you ran, and any other relevant details. The community is here to help!
cold emails just dont cut it anymore unless u show real value first. try joining crm fb groups, help people out, and build trust before pitching. much better than sending out random emails.
Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause): Cold emailing often fails because it’s generic and lacks personalization. Agencies and businesses are bombarded with emails, and yours likely gets lost in the noise. Instead of simply pitching your services, you need to demonstrate immediate value and build rapport.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:
Still running into issues? Share your (sanitized) config files, the exact command you ran, and any other relevant details. The community is here to help!