Our response rate is over 75%, but getting people to reply to any message or email is still a struggle.
Since 2020, things have gotten worse for SaaS with the rise of no-code tools.
It’s incredibly hard to get people to take any action. Getting a response is one thing, but having them show up to meetings, start a trial, say yes, and then add a payment method is a whole different challenge. We had one customer who took 15 days just to add their credit card but kept using the product. We let it slide since we’re still in the early stages.
Our product is for product marketing professionals. Maybe they have too many tools or are just bombarded with spam.
We know there’s demand because we have a few paying customers and have conducted dozens of interviews.
What can I do to get people to respond and show up for meetings? Any growth hacks that worked for you would be appreciated.
I handle marketing for my own side business and as a director for a bigger company. Every day I get about 5-7 emails, all pitching some tool or service or asking for reviews in exchange for money. Occasionally, I might consider a company if they have decent web traffic and I see them being mentioned somewhere credible.
I’m not talking about bots on random forums but in exclusive invite-only groups that require actual testing to get in. More often than not, even when I do buy from these companies, they end up being disappointing. But every now and then, I stumble upon some valuable insights that make it worth the money spent.
The point is, if you’re pitching to marketers, your approach has to be incredibly solid. Most of us will research as much as possible before deciding and might just ghost you afterward. So your metrics might not be a true measure of interest. It’s probably just people like me checking out what you’re doing without engaging further.
I’d suggest tracking different KPIs since the interest might be more like 20% of what your current data shows.
I’m not trying to be a jerk, but open rates, click rates, responses, and even meeting bookings could just be us trying to see if you’re using a strategy we’re not familiar with, rather than being genuinely interested in your product.
I might open your email to see the pitch, click around to understand your tracking methods, or start a trial just to dig into your setup and see if you’re passing off a white-labeled product as your own.
You’d be surprised how many times I tell people during a meeting that if they’re trying to sell me something they didn’t build, I’m probably going to notice and call them out. Yet 9 out of 10 times, they still go ahead with it. That’s when I tell them, “Do you know how I can tell this is white-labeled?” Then I explain it, say goodbye, and block them.
A good way to catch a marketer’s attention is to do something like HubSpot’s entire strategy or try cold texting me with a line like, “I can make your job easier will you let me prove it for free for 5 days?” I have nothing to lose in that scenario and at least know you can get real data. It’s intrusive, but I respect people who figure out how to text instead of emailing me. It shows more determination. Hope that helps.
You’re right about the difficulty in receiving feedback. Think about making your early messages more compelling or streamlining your approach.
You and I are in the same boat. There’s a good probability I’ll end the call if I can get someone to answer. It will be interesting to watch if individuals convert on their own as I’m only now beginning to receive some organic trial starts and such.
These folks receive far too many spam emails. Because of LinkedIn, I receive so many spam emails at my work email that I cannot even begin to count. Some of these people send me emails on entirely unrelated industries to mine, so I no longer even open them; if the sender or email is unfamiliar, I immediately trash it.
Now consider the number of people who, like me, just delete everything as a result of the million “saas” that someone created and is currently bombarding my email with.
Hehe Man, I feel your agony. These days, getting someone to reply is like pulling teeth. As an independent filmmaker, I’ve had some success with a few growth hacks:1. Customized videos are far more interesting to watch than standard text emails.2. Holding tiny gifts and competitions on social 3. Using temporary discounts to generate urgency4. Using AI technologies to increase output and involvementBeing visible amidst the commotion is essential. Perhaps try reaching out creatively on Twitter or Reddit to create buzz? You’ll discover what works if you keep trying new things. Wishing you success with your product promotion tool!
Here’s a growth hack that worked for me:
I started providing value to other founders and startups on X (Twitter) and Reddit by sharing helpful content—essentially documenting the lessons I’ve learned while building startups. It takes time to see the return on investment because you need to gain followers and build relationships before they convert into customers, but it’s effective.
I also use both cold and warm DMs on X and Reddit and actively reply to posts. I focus on engaging with people who:
- Are looking for alternatives to my competitors.
- Are complaining about my competitors.
- Are asking for recommendations to solve a problem that my product can address.
I use CustomerFinderBot to automate finding these posts, which saves a lot of time and effort. From there, I suggest my product as a solution. It’s a win-win since these people already have an interest in what I’m offering, making them more likely to convert into paying customers.