I am trying to set up on my own as a software development company specialising in engineering sector. Anything from control systems to calulations. I have a few people to subcontract some work if needed
I have done a email shot around companies that I found within the region the looked like they may be potential customers and have one interested party. Fingers crossed.
I really need more customers (only one or two realistically). I have thought about networking event but get the impression it's more local solicitors, builders, hotel owners i.e. more "highstreet".
Other idea I had was just go cold knocking on doors round a list of engineering companies but no one likes a cold caller!
LinkedIn can be OK. If you are active, which usually means making blog style posts, then you'll keep popping up on people's feeds. You may get nothing from it (other than spam from recruiters) but it is pretty easy and no cost
Agree with LinkedIn - I’d also have a go at a local event but maybe be selective - get in touch with local chamber of commerce?
Sign up to a procurement contract website. In Scotland the go to site Procurement Contracts Scotland.
If you use it well, and make sure your profile is fully specced out firms looking for suncontractors for big procurement bids will be able to find you.
Interesting one this. As a salesperson/sales manager/sales director/sales trainer (they're interchangeable a lot of the time), I've stopped being surprised at how the word 'sales' is a dirty word (or in your case cold calling) in the UK. It's a cultural thing.
Firstly though, the advice above is good and it's worth getting a decent LinkedIn profile and registering on various procurement type websites. However this on it's own isn't enough.
I'd surmise that you've developed a product and/or expertise that can make a real difference to the types of engineering businesses you're looking at. Usually that means saving either time or money. The big mistake to make is to assume that people will already be aware of the inherent weaknesses/inefficiencies/excessive costs of what they have/what they're currently doing. And that they will fully understand just how transformational a new solution could be. This may occasionally be the case, but for the most part it isn't. And even if it is, they may be way off understanding what the scope of potential solutions actually is. Which is all a long way of saying that if you only seek business from those already actively looking you are massively narrowing down your potential marketplace.
Which brings us to cold calling. Nobody who bought a genuinely good product/solution from a cold caller ever went on to complain about the fact that they were cold called. Done properly cold calling is all about having open conversations with potential clients. Often those conversations will identify an area - that the client wasn't even aware of - where you will be able to make a difference. Often this won't actually lead to a sale, but the client will have benefitted through having his/her eyes opened to a solution/way of doing things that they just weren't aware of previously.
That said, there's a right way and a wrong way, both from your viewpoint and theirs. In person is very inefficient from your point of view and is a bit hard from theirs. The telephone is the best way of going about things. Identify potential prospects, ring them up and have a chat with them about how they're currently doing things. The object is not to blurt out how great you/your solution is, the object is to find out about them and establish if there is a strong enough need for what you have. If not move on, if yes then start to explain what you do outlining the benefits against the issues/needs you've identified. Remember, your expertise/credibility is established through the questions you ask (perceptive, thought provoking etc), not through the answers you give.
Remember also, sales is a funnel. Draw up 50 potential prospects, have conversations with 25 of them, identify genuine needs with 12 of them, draw up proper proposals for 6 of them, sell to 3 of them.
Whilst social networking, networking etc is good and needs to be part of your BD mix, it can be slow to ramp up and generate the volume of opportunities that you need to be able to close the number of sales that you need. In all the industries I've worked in (capital equipment, construction, media, IT, software sales, recruitment, training) the BD people who've been the most successful are the ones who regularly pick up the phone and chat to people. Just remember it is not about forcing people to buy something they don't want or need. It's about identifying people/companies that would genuinely benefit from what you have and helping them to understand that.
With regard to face2face networking, whilst you're right about a lot of the people who are in the room, done properly it's not about them per se, it's about who they know and their ability to recommend you. See if there is a The Business Network group near you, they're often very good (though a bit more expensive). Feel free to pm me if you want to discuss any of this any further and food luck!
If it's bespoke dev rather than a specific product that you want to promote then I found this platform recently - upwork.com?
Just be aware of the new IR35 rules that kick in next month. Although in your view, you may be working outside of IR35, a lot of employers may choose to treat you within IR35 just to avoid any potential complications down the line. The rules are not, and have never been, easy to understand so a lot of employers may err on the side of caution.
So factor in PAYE, etc in your daily rates for employers who choose to operate this way.
funkrodent
...Remember also, sales is a funnel. Draw up 50 potential prospects, have conversations with 25 of them, identify genuine needs with 12 of them, draw up proper proposals for 6 of them, sell to 3 of them....
And make sure to ask each and every one of them "Do you know anyone who may be able to use my services? " and try to get a name, not just a company. It also help ask if you can use the name of the person referring you to that prospect.
Word of mouth and personal referrals are the best and cheapest way to get new business.
Remember you may think you are a software developer, but your most important role is now a salesman.
Which brings us to cold calling. Nobody who bought a genuinely good product/solution from a cold caller ever went on to complain about the fact that they were cold called.
Conversely, anyone cold-calling me would not be getting a sale, ever. If you think I've nothing better to do all day than field calls from a string of random salesmen then you're off your rocker.
One of the worst things I ever did was put the word "manager" in my job title on Linked In. I got absolutely bombarded by people I've never heard of wanting to know when it was convenient for a half hour chat to discuss my requirements, from recruitment agencies to software sales to cloud service providers (I work for a bloody MSP FFS), not a one stopped to ask if what they were peddling was in any way relevant.
Sorry, I know that doesn't really help the OP, but "the word ‘sales’ is a dirty word in the UK" because cold callers are an abject pain in the arse. I think they all think they're the only one doing it, it wouldn't be so bad if that were actually the case.
Random thought, is there a relevant publication you could advertise in? A full-page spread in Engineering Monthly or something?
Cougar
Conversely, anyone cold-calling me would not be getting a sale, ever. If you think I’ve nothing better to do all day than field calls from a string of random salesmen then you’re off your rocker.
The accent should be on "random". That's not a proper salesman - it's more the technique of the old style encyclopaedia sales system. Hit enough people and you'll eventually find a sucker.
A proper salesman wouldn't waste his time doing that. He would have researched your company and know his product didn't fit.
FWIW, I've gone through (still going, in fact) setting up my own business and drumming up business. Unless you're a natural salesperson, there probably isn't a magic switch you can press to make it all happen. But it's not too challenging if you can put in the legwork.
The main thing IME is getting out there. Coffees, chats, lunches, couple of beers with people you know in the space, people you don't know but can connect with, etc. Get them talking, find out what their problems are, what their current solutions are, and gently insert yourself* into their thinking. Helps you shape your pitch and how you sell your services, and puts the germ of the idea into their head, so that next time they have that problem, they might think of you.
Keep that up; and also occasionally pepper them with useful articles/ relevant reading by email - "saw this in my weekly industry roundup, thought it might be useful to you because...". Keeps you somewhat front of mind when they have said problem/ need.
My 2p, anyway; the key ultimately is for them to see you as the solution to a problem they have - which involves them knowing they have a problem, understanding how to fix it, and seeing you as a provider of that fix.
*as it were...
The accent should be on “random”. That’s not a proper salesman – it’s more the technique of the old style encyclopaedia sales system. Hit enough people and you’ll eventually find a sucker.
A proper salesman wouldn’t waste his time doing that. He would have researched your company and know his product didn’t fit.
Fair, but no-one ever did that, far easier to send out a thousand "Dear [firstname] [lastname]" emails. Though I suppose if anyone did do that they wouldn't have contacted me and I'd never have known so...
To be honest, I'd be less irked if their initial contact was "is our product something you'd like to be interested in?" or "are you the right person to be speaking to?" rather than making loads of assumptions and launching straight into a sales pitch. And then sending 17 follow-up "just wondering if you've read my email..." because sure, mithering me daily is a sure-fire tactic guaranteed to pique my interest.
My favourite one was a recruiter who sent me a CV unsolicited going "this guy is really keen to work for your company." I took great delight in informing her that as his current employer was in the process of merging with mine he was about to get his wish...
Oh yeah, I had a phone call the other day claiming to be from Carphone Warehouse (judging by her accent it was more likely to be Mumbai Telecom). She went, "can I ask who your current provider is?", I said "no" and I swear I could hear her brain blue-screen.
Sorry for the slow reply.
Some real good points here.
Yes a software / hardware guy sales is not natural although I am lucky that I have always been one of the main point of contacts for customers so well accustomed to having good relationships with project managers etc.
The idea of an advert in industry magazine sounds worth looking into.
I think the thing I take from @funkrodent is the opening of clients eyes to potential need. I think I will book a morning at a upcoming chamber of commerce event just for the experience.