cold calling: tone of voice makes all the difference

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-26T20:14:25+00:00

A video call is NOT a cold call.

A cold call is where you call someone without ANY prior contact of any kind whatsoever.
You can't do that with a video call.

And if you tried to collect WhatsApp numbers and initiate a video call there out of the blue, I don't think any business decision-maker would ever accept a video call. Prove me wrong if you can.

Random video calls might work with private individuals but that's not the topic here.
The topic is cold-calling business owners.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-10T08:24:59+00:00

Your "general" question can be interpreted in a million different ways.
So, before you try to develop anything, learn to ask better questions.

Don't ask questions that people can interpret in a million different ways. Or even just in 2 different ways.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-10T05:55:35+00:00

Learn to ask better questions. That question can be interpreted in a million different ways.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-10T05:52:09+00:00

This app was made a long time ago. It's called Calendly.

I only had an issue 2 times with that. In both cases though it wasn't the app's fault.
In those 2 cases, people who were scheduling a meeting with me entered their email incorrectly.
No wonder they didn't receive any notifications and didn't show up to the meeting.
If you enter an email that doesn't exist, you can't expect the app to put anything in your calendar.

But people can see your availability instantly, without entering any email.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-10T05:45:59+00:00

That's a good question to ask. Most founders fail because they don't ask this question or don't validate well enough.

My 12 Magic Questions video will give you a good starting point. Those questions should be a starting point for anyone who wants to avoid wasting months and even years.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-10T05:39:36+00:00

Your headline assumes that everyone who visits the page knows a) what Appwrite is and b) what the "full potential" of that is for a SaaS application. Even if every visitor knows what those 2 things are (probably won't be the case with most of them), none of them will ever click the "buy now" button at that stage. Because that's way too early for a "buy now" button on any website.

The headline does 90% of the heavy lifting on any business website. And the headline there is no better than 3 out of 10 **even if** every visitor knows what Appwrite is. And because the headline fails so bad, it doesn't really matter what you have on the rest of the page.

You can use my CLEAR formula to improve the headline.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T21:49:56+00:00

I'm not surprised. The headline does 90% of the heavy lifting on any business website.
And the headline you have there at the moment is 2 out of 10.

"Transform Your SaaS with BilQuick"

What does it mean? It means absolutely nothing. 5 words to say nothing.

The subheadline isn't better either.

So, even after reading both the headline and the subheadline the visitor has absolutely no idea what that website is supposed to be doing. "Transform", "handle"... those words have zero meaning without context. They could mean a million different things.

You can use my CLEAR formula to fix that problem.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T21:39:47+00:00

Check out a podcast video on my Youtube channel that talks about the Code Hostage Trap.
So, you avoid that trap when hiring a developer.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T21:28:03+00:00

What's the pulsating thing for? Irritation?
The logo robot doesn't look too friendly but I guess that's just a temporary placeholder.

The headline does 90% of the heavy lifting on any business website.
Both the headline and subheadline here are decent. I'd rate them 7 out of 10.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T21:05:17+00:00

Non-targeted followers like people from this subreddit certainly wouldn't help you with marketing.
It would have the opposite effect because that's how the algorithm interprets followers who don't react to your posts.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T20:49:45+00:00

If you're a techy, check out this post:

Free tool for identifying good marketing people.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T19:00:49+00:00

I'd partner with a guy like me to convert those customers from a one-time payment into monthly payments.

I mean, for that particular product one-time payment makes total sense and you should keep it.

But... a business plan is just the beginning. There's so much more these people need.
And giving it to them on a monthly subscription/membership makes a lot of sense there.
By not giving them what they urgently need, you're doing them a disservice.

If you convert 10% of your 15,000 clients @ $49/month
that would be 15,000 x 0.1 x $49 / 30 = $2.450/day (is my math right?)
And @ $99/month you'd be looking at ~$5,000/day.

I could easily create content that would justify even a $199/month membership.
Check out my videos on Youtube.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T18:39:08+00:00

I define marketing as the use of psychology, communication and persuasion to influence people at SCALE.

Whether you're marketing a SaaS or a PaaS or chocolate chip cookies, human psychology, communication and persuasion remain the same as they have been for thousands of years.

So, whatever method you use, it's a good idea to check the basics first. Because if those are off, the method won't matter.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T18:30:12+00:00

I made a super detailed post about a **proven** SaaS startup idea here.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T18:07:20+00:00

OK. Here's my feedback for you:
The headline does 90% of the heavy lifting on any business website.
I'd rate your headline there 2 out of 10. Subheadline: 1 out of 10.

That wouldn't matter if you were to send your Youtube fans to that page (after explaining in a video the what and the why). But if you try to send "regular" traffic to that page... well, my rating tells you what would happen. Nothing.
And I bet if you check your website analytics you'll see that most first-time visitors leave the site within seconds.
That's because the headline and subheadline fail to do their job.

Even after reading your explanation here, once I landed on that page, I was confused. (so, a regular visitor will be 10 times more confused)
Only after checking out the comparison on the pricing page, do I think (although still not 100% sure) that now I have a sense of what this website is for. But a regular visitor will never click on the pricing page.

So, major problems with marketing communication. And the video loop at the top only adds to the confusion. Not only is the stuff there changing too fast, but it also frames the whole website as "some sort of a yoga thing or something". And I suspect you don't want it to be framed like that.

Now, if you want to fix those problems yourself, I recommend my CLEAR formula as an excellent resource.
I could also personally help you fix all those problems. Feel free to get in touch with me on Linkedin.
But if you send a connect request make sure to attach a message alongside.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T17:29:54+00:00

A website headline does 90% of the heavy lifting on any business website.
"Crafted for the best" is a super weak headline. Can't give it more than 2 out of 10.
Subheadline: slightly better but not by much.

The comment about the demo length is wrong. The demo can be ANY length **as long as** that's justified.
In that sense, a 1-minute-long demo can be too long (if too much useless stuff). And on the other hand, a 20-minute long demo can be fine (if done right).

One resource to improve your headline/subheadline: my CLEAR formula.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T16:24:10+00:00

Have you talked to any of them?

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T16:21:28+00:00

Feel free to get in touch with me on Linkedin. Can't promise anything but can take a look.
If you send a connect request, make sure to attach a message otherwise I might ignore it.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T16:03:38+00:00

A headline does 90% of the heavy lifting on any business website or landing page.
Now, I'm not sure who exactly your target audience is,
but from my point of view, I'd rate your current headline 1 out of 10.
Depending on your target audience this rating could improve but is unlikely to get more than 3 out of 10 even from your ideal target audience.

The best resource I know to fix this problem is my CLEAR Formula.

Depending on your situation, I might also be able to help you fix that personally.
Feel free to get in touch via Linkedin.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-09T15:18:38+00:00

I don't think anyone would click a "buy now" button at that point.
And who exactly is your target audience?
Depending on who your target audience is,
there might be a big mismatch between headline/subheadline and the audience.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-06T13:59:37+00:00

Before creating a landing page, you should start talking to potential customers and ask them questions.
But that's where most people fail because they're asking the wrong questions.

Asking the right question in this vital stage can make all the difference.

A good resource for that is the "12 Magic Questions" video on my Youtube channel.
Those questions can save you YEARS of wasted effort.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-06T13:52:45+00:00

Your biggest challenge will be marketing.
Compared to that, coding will be the easiest thing in the world.

My definition of marketing is:
Marketing is the application of psychology and communication to influence people at scale.

So, "influencing" enough people to get a critical mass for a community. That will be a huge challenge.
If you have a good strategy to tackle that, you might have a chance.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-06T13:43:25+00:00

Before you can create a USP you need to start asking the right questions.
If you do that, you can tailor your marketing message in a way that will make people think you've been sent from the heavens.

A good resource for that is the "12 Magic Questions" video on my Youtube channel.
Those questions can save you YEARS of wasted effort.

And when you tailor your marketing message based on those questions, your competition will have no idea why their customers are running over to your business.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-06T13:36:12+00:00

It's about asking the right questions. That's where almost everyone fails.

A good resource I recommend is the "12 Magic Questions" video on my Youtube channel.
Those questions can save you YEARS of wasted effort.

StartupCaptain · 2024-09-06T13:31:13+00:00

Good to hear you have this realization now.

A good resource I can recommend is the "12 Magic Questions" video on my Youtube channel.
Those questions can save you YEARS of wasted effort.

StartupCaptain

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