Help! How do I sell my SaaS application to HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Maid Service, Yard Care, etc., Companies?

[sonny_1080]

I’d wonder if the average tradesperson even knows what the cloud is.

I was chatting to my barber a few years ago and he asked how my week was going (as they do). As part of my rambling I must have said something about traffic. He just stopped and looked out the window at the road and asked “traffic?”. Doh... my bad. From then on I’ve eradicated traffic from my vocabulary.

Another time I was at a different barber waiting alongside two guys talking about their vans. One guy worked for himself doing deliveries. I ended up chatting to him when it was the other guy‘s turn in the chair.

When it was my turn to get my hair cut I continuing chatting with self-employed delivery van driver. I had my hands under the cover and couldn’t turn my head. I suggested he do some searches on his phone to pretend he was looking to get something delivered from County Kildare to County Dublin. “What would you search for?” I asked while watching him out of the corner of my eye.

He hunched over his phone deep in thought.

It was an interesting challenge trying to talk someone through it without being able to look at them (and without being able to wave my hands!).

The best bit was when this old barber stopped cutting my hair and started throwing suggested searches at the guy.

Curious what people’s takeaways are from those two little stories...

Great story!!!

The “human-ness” that we spoke about last time we chatted was the first thing I thought of.

It’s not about traffic. It’s about people. I love meeting with someone and Googling stuff to see if their business pops up. It gets fun when they start suggesting searches for themselves. Watching their “aha” moment when they realize the long tail is where the buyers are is always satisfying.

 

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[Kid]

Sorry but TL;DR. You seem to be dreaming.

This is what happens when you have a "build it and they will come" mindset.

product-market fit (already found)

Already found? So you have market fit but nobody is buying it?

Grow up before you waste people's time.

 

[Andy Black]

Grow up before you waste people's time.

@Kid

What advice would you give to help OP?

 

[Menery]

I’d wonder if the average tradesperson even knows what the cloud is.

I was chatting to my barber a few years ago and he asked how my week was going (as they do). As part of my rambling I must have said something about traffic. He just stopped and looked out the window at the road and asked “traffic?”. Doh... my bad. From then on I’ve eradicated traffic from my vocabulary.

Another time I was at a different barber waiting alongside two guys talking about their vans. One guy worked for himself doing deliveries. I ended up chatting to him when it was the other guy‘s turn in the chair.

When it was my turn to get my hair cut I continuing chatting with self-employed delivery van driver. I had my hands under the cover and couldn’t turn my head. I suggested he do some searches on his phone to pretend he was looking to get something delivered from County Kildare to County Dublin. “What would you search for?” I asked while watching him out of the corner of my eye.

He hunched over his phone deep in thought.

It was an interesting challenge trying to talk someone through it without being able to look at them (and without being able to wave my hands!).

The best bit was when this old barber stopped cutting my hair and started throwing suggested searches at the guy.

Curious what people’s takeaways are from those two little stories...

Yes, I experienced this myself. You get completly disconnected to what your clients know.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Grow up before you waste people's time.

Seriously? How is this productive? What have you done? Please post a link to your company if you're going to throw stones at what looks like a pretty darn good service.

I've used a few services like his through my use of contractors. The product is needed, works, and is greatly beneficial to those who make the leap.

Doesn't look like his issue is with the product, but might be of channel, marketing, reach, and/or messaging.

 

[Jon L]

I think your problem is one of marketing message.

I build custom software applications and have also worked as a product manager for a larger software product, so I have some experience with this.

You have built a product for a specific set of companies. These companies operate in a particular sort of way. This set of companies is VERY narrow. (The more expensive products out there target a wider, more sophisticated audience and are therefore more expensive, and more complicated because of it)

Some ideas for you:
Define your exact target market (carpet cleaning companies that sell to 30-40 year old housewives with 3-4 bedroom houses. These companies' best sales are to homes with berber carpets, 2 cats and 3 dogs.). In other words, get to know your target market really well. Find out what makes them successful.

Figure out what message would attract your exact target market. Its NOT "build your business in the cloud." Its gonna be something more like "stop stressing out over X (dealing with pissy customers/problem employees/what not) and make more money. Our software guides you into running your company like a well-oiled machine" (I'm clearly not a copywriter, but you get the idea)

Define what portions of your software enable businesses to perform well

Set up processes in your documentation or software for companies that don't operate how your software expects them to that will instruct users on how to modify their processes to make best use of your software. Focus this effort on companies that SHOULD be operating this way, but aren't, and could easily make the switch.

Sell your software as a low-cost, but effective business consultant. "Want to see how a super successful 3-man carpet cleaning company works? What made them great is built into our software"

(I'm starting to repeat myself, so I'll stop)

Edit: Please ignore the people who are dissing you on this thread. They frankly don't know what they're talking about. You have a good thing here. You just need to figure out the right market for it.

 

[Andy Black]

Is Launch27 similar?

Where do your target market hang out?

 

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[RoadTrip]

I agree it seems you have a marketing problem. If your software is as good as it claims you have to convince your customers of the same.

As of your marketing strategy, I would probably run Google Ads, retarget with Facebook. What also comes into my mind is sending letters to these companies
with something special inside and referring to your landing page.

I've done some thinking about the message you could convey. Have a look at my analysis below:

Target audience demographics
- Small Business Owner
- Manages everything within the business > time constraints
- Lot of times spent on phone calls
- Probably thinks he/she spends too much time on administration.
- Physical job person so probably hates everything related to administration

What rejections may your customers have
- Adversity to software.
- Doesn't believe software is the solution to his problems. Thinks it only causes more administration
- Too complicated to setup
- No time to dive into new software

Copy
Imagine you have worked a long and hard day in the field. You're driving home and the only thing you can think of is sit down in your chair to watch your favorite football game with a cold beer in your hands.

Out of sudden you wake up and acknowledge it's just a dream. As always, you still have to handle all your company's paper work this evening.

You curse because you are sick and tired of all the boring administration that comes with your company.

But what if you could enjoy your evenings like a normal person can?

That is completely possible! Others have gone before you.

Get rid of your boring paper work. Reduce your time spent on administration by 10 hours a week. That is a total of 40 hours/month extra!

Imagine what you could do with that time. We know: finally enjoy that beer and play with your kids.

All you have to do is stop abusing trees and digitize your business.

Think it's complicated? Think twice!

Our simple-to-use iPad and laptop application is ready to go in only 5 minutes. It's so fast even your coffee machine can't compete.

And so simple even your grandmother could take over your business.

Want to know how it works? Here's how:

1. Open the app
2. Schedule appointment in 3 clicks
3. Send a message to your workers in 1 click
4. Push the "send invoice" button and get paid!

That's all!

Want to know more? etc. etc.

I wrote this in just 10 minutes so obviously it can still be approved a lot

 

[Charly Brown]

Hey Kody nice to meet you.

I feel that you fell into the trap of trying to talk to everyone and attract as many people as you can. Usually this doesn't attract anyone at all.

I believe that you should focus on creating the best experience for the kind of companies that are already paying you. Ideally, a business that pays you the most or test the two industries you are already in to find out where you can grow the most.

I see a lot of possibilities here, what if your product becomes the best HVAC or landscape management software in the world?

You have a wonderful opportunity to get to know them and to identify their problems so that you can come up with solutions no one can see.

Do for them what the big companies wouldn’t do because they’re too small for them to even care.

About your site
There are a lot of things that are clearly missing from your website, so let me list them here and how I believe you can improve it:

• There is no system for e-mail capture.
• You need to make your website simpler, there's too much text in it.
• You're going to need an offer above the fold.
• Pictures of happy, satisfied customers. Pictures of success.
• Add a clear call to action.

But before you start fixing your website, there's a lot you need to do first.

Brands are like stories, and yours has huge holes in the plot. I can guide you to craft a clear marketing message and implement it so that hopefully your story ends in success.

All you need to do is answer some simple questions and brainstorm strategies and phrases that you can tell your customers so that they are attracted to your brand.

Let me know if you are interested.

 

[dario]

Here is a short video demo of the features of this application:

Hi
Are you using this video to promote the product to your prospect? I'm sure it's ruining your conversion rate.
I really hated the music sorry, it's much better to have a voice-over explaining what I'm looking at (even if you think it's unnecessary.. it's not, it helps adding energy and enthusiasm to the demo)

 

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[Manfern]

I think problem with sales and offer cause he thinks like developer and develops for company not for market, company have understanding that they need it, other people and companies don't, hope it helps