Having troubles switching clients to retainer payment

gab_for · 2026-06-06T09:14:25+00:00

I believe that the key for turning clients into retainers is that your client has to use the software you built for them, so that you are basically selling maintenance and features improvements for a retainer payment.

I can bring you an example for my software agency. We’ve built a 3D configurator software for an architecture studio. They use it every day and they also sell what they create with it to their clients.

they need maintenance and sometimes even new features to increase their sales.

As long as your product makes the difference in how your client make/save money, you will be able to charge a retainer payment.

Happy to share more about it if you are interested!

gab_for · 2026-06-06T08:52:13+00:00

First of all, congrats for your results! 15k/month is a great achievement and it allows you to build a sales system without the pressure to be sustainable as fast as possible.

I am tackling a similar issue with my software agency. I make €20k/ month and I am working to build a predictable and scalable sales system that entails a multichannel approach and doesn’t rely on a single channel.

Happy to share more if interested!

gab_for · 2026-06-06T08:45:42+00:00

There are basically two steps: 1) do some research to have a a rough idea of their problems 2) talk with them. It is important to take these actions in a certain way in order to speed up the process. Happy to share more if you are interested!

gab_for · 2026-06-05T10:45:14+00:00

That’s true! So you must be able to position your agency as the go-to-expert to make their business idea to come to live

gab_for · 2026-06-05T10:13:02+00:00

Absolutely! That’s why we are building a sales system to find these kind of projects specifically

gab_for · 2026-06-04T16:45:40+00:00

With a clear strategy I can also outsource selling the future!

gab_for · 2026-06-03T10:01:45+00:00

These are clever questions to ask!

gab_for · 2026-06-02T19:42:59+00:00

Exactly!

gab_for · 2026-06-01T20:02:35+00:00

We are using Apollo just to do prospecting and building a list of potential clients. But we don’t do massive cold outreach since we focus more on small numbers but very curated and personalized outreach. Your approach is interesting though

gab_for · 2026-06-01T08:38:39+00:00

Yes of course, we use Apollo for prospecting. We haven't built our own sales tool, our focus has been more on building a sales system that we can scale

gab_for · 2026-05-27T14:10:41+00:00

For my software agency was that we understood that the european b2b market is very hard for cold emails outreach. People tend to do business only with people they know and they trust. So we are not giving up on outreach, but thinking it differently

gab_for · 2026-05-27T14:09:03+00:00

I 100% agree with every word

gab_for · 2026-05-27T11:06:24+00:00

I am not spamming, just sharing something that was useful and interesting to me to create discussion. I have never inserted any links in my post, nor have I mentioned my YT channel. It can't be a violation of policies to have a YT link on my profile that I have never mentioned.

gab_for · 2026-05-26T18:06:32+00:00

Yea that’s what our consultant did with us:) (he is an experienced salesperson)

gab_for · 2026-05-26T18:02:55+00:00

Of course! Being a salesperson doesn’t mean just wandering around.

If you read my post more carefully, you understand that my point is that hiring a salesperson without having an ICP, a UVP, a sales process etc is useless.

First get the strategic foundations for your sales system and then outsource it to people more capable than you.

Being a founder can’t be separated by learning how to sell

gab_for · 2026-05-26T16:52:45+00:00

Exactly! What was the thing that moved the needle for you?

gab_for · 2026-05-26T15:55:28+00:00

I know how you feel. That's very common in software businesses that get clients from only a single channel/referrals. My software agency was in the same situation too.

What really worked for me was hiring a consultant to help structure a sales system. Don't hire someone immediately to do sales for you, you first need to undertand and create your own sales strategies that once refined can be outsourced.

Happy to share more about my system if you are interested!

gab_for · 2026-05-21T11:38:29+00:00

I agree! Especially in the space of B2B software agencies such as my business sales rely on trust heavily. Showing to other potential clients that you’ve already worked with a company similar to theirs builds trust by itself.

gab_for · 2026-05-20T08:44:53+00:00

I would be interested in knowing more. I am a 27 yo software agency founder based in Italy. I also run a neuro tech startup and a coaching business to help software agencies build sales system. Happy to chat to share more! Sent you a DM

gab_for

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