Software sales idea

[Balltech Sales]

Hello,

I’m toying with the idea with the idea of starting a sales division within my business where I essentially act as a middleman either generating leads or directly selling SaaS for other startups. (I assume it’d have to be products which lend themselves to needing a high-touch funnel).

Before i start i’d like to just see if people think it’s a good idea / if there’s a demand for something like this? For developers and technical founders, would using a service like this be appealing to you?

What factors would make it attractive or off-putting? Have any of you seen similar businesses following the same model, do you know of potential pitfalls or success stories?

Would love to just get your opinions on how viable this idea is.

Thanks.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

This is not uncommon and comes in may forms. If done right with the right products it can be lucrative.

 

[gpietersz]

If you are looking at individual developers, absolutely yes. Most of us are not good at sales.

 

[Porky]

If its results driven, you are working on commission only then that's an advantage for the Business as you are effectively acting as a reseller. Its a win/win in that situation as long as you are professional and no risk of you damaging their brand.
The alternatives they have are either employing sales staff directly and with that comes all the costs associated with PAYE and high basics for staff that are any good OR outsourcing sales to external marketing companies and a lot of those want high retainer fees.
Potentially the service you offer sounds good but you would need to consider costs for marketing data and understand the gestation period from cold calls to conversion not to mention the time required to understand the software you are selling.
Good luck

 

[Balltech Sales]

If its results driven, you are working on commission only then that's an advantage for the Business as you are effectively acting as a reseller. Its a win/win in that situation as long as you are professional and no risk of you damaging their brand.
The alternatives they have are either employing sales staff directly and with that comes all the costs associated with PAYE and high basics for staff that are any good OR outsourcing sales to external marketing companies and a lot of those want high retainer fees.
Potentially the service you offer sounds good but you would need to consider costs for marketing data and understand the gestation period from cold calls to conversion not to mention the time required to understand the software you are selling.
Good luck

Thanks for taking the time to reply in detail, this is very helpful. I think it's certainly viable as you say, and it's a case of managing the workload required (it's not just picking up a phone and calling people).

 

[fantheflames]

Hi @Balltech Sales, welcome to UKBF!

Sounds like an excellent idea and potentially more business for you. If it helps developers and such sell more software without having to do the selling part themselves, especially if they are more focused on making the software better and not so much on talking to customers. However, they might not like it if it costs them a lot of money or if they think they can do a better job on their own.

So I'd say that if it's important to get your research and planning do, perhaps look into getting feedback, not just from here, about your product/service, so you can really tailor your offer to your target groups! Otherwise, I really love this idea! Just a couple things from me:

Make sure you know where to find your customers and how to target them, this is where research would really help! Make it as easy as possible to understand the software and ensure everyone wins - the startups should feel like they are selling more because of your help, and the customers should be happy with their purchases. It also might be best to explore options on partnership as you and the startups need to agree on things, like how much money you will make for helping them sell the software.

Good luck!!

 

[Alice DM]

We have clients who provide a similar consultancy service in the construction industry as well as several tech clients who could probably do with a service like this! It can be very successful, and I do think that there could be a market out there for this, but it is very dependent on the existing contacts that you have and planning your cashflow. Services like this, especially in the early stages, tend to have low retainers and higher commission levels so understanding and planning your cashflow is exceptionally important