Results
Ten steps, ten proofs
01 ICPwhom we callbeforedependent on “whoever comes to us”afterFlowers Software: ideal customers approached by size and industry
Flowers Software · B2B SaaS · Series A · strong inbound via SEA, outbound unstructured
▶ playStarting pointdependent on “whoever comes to us” · outbound “rather unstructured via LinkedIn Sales Navigator” · list building as “paralysis before things even really got going”
Workindustries and ICP sharpened, messaging · sequences set up with the SDR, tooling connected to HubSpot · account executives call without doing the groundwork themselves
Resulttargeted outreach to ideal customers by size and industry · new replies every day, a “clear push” on demos · “more calls, more mails, we are more proactive”
Periodseveral months · interview 03/2024
Voices
“… to get to the point via outbound where we first address far, far more precisely the customers in the size and industry we actually want to win as ideal customers, and are not only dependent on whoever comes to us.”
Niklas Matthias, VP Operations, Flowers Software
“I am thrilled. This is very professional … highly data-driven … not mass outreach. And really good results.”
Andreas Martin, Founder & Managing Director, Flowers Software
02 Researchwhat we know beforehandbeforedecision-makers in purchasing, tendering and costing hardly on LinkedIn, the switchboard blocksafterCivil-engineering company, Rhine-Main (anonymous): via the switchboard 0 meetings out of 20 companies, with direct numbers and a briefing per company 7 of 9
03 Signalswhen the moment is rightbeforea new VdS guideline as the trigger; until then trade fairs, direct sales, LinkedInaftergekartel AG: “three, four, five times the leads” of a trade fair, 20+ Teams meetings
gekartel AG · Fire-safety and media technology · product launch after a new VdS guideline
▶ playStarting pointnew product: media technology for escape and rescue routes · until then trade fairs, direct sales, LinkedIn · worries about data-protection complaints, deliberately no long-term contract
Worktarget groups: media-technology providers, public authorities, fire-safety inspectors · first-contact campaign over about two months, wording, objection handling, follow-up
Resultabout 4,000 contacts, campaign paused because of the volume of replies · “three, four, five times the leads” of a trade fair · 20+ Teams meetings, first test devices, NDA
Periodinterview 10/2024
Voices
“You brought the technical knowledge of how such a campaign has to run … we brought the expertise … a great interplay.”
Klaus Schäfer, Managing Director, gekartel AG
04 Datathe decision-maker’s direct numberbeforewith LinkedIn tools “never really got to volume”, about 1 % to demoafterSIRUM: own lead source, about 25 leads a week, 200+ qualified meetings a year
SIRUM · Transport management software · Hamburg and Fellbach · about 35 employees · sales team of 4
▶ playStarting pointtried outbound with LinkedIn tools, “never really got to volume” · classically about 1 % to demo · the team was “very sceptical”
Worktarget groups and profiles recut, own lead source instead of LinkedIn · first contact asking for the call, then the phone · weekly review and adjustment
Resultabout 25 leads a week · 5 to 10 conversations and 1 to 2 demos a week · the same demo rate with 1 instead of 3 people · 200+ qualified meetings a year
Periodstart 11/2024 · interview 03/2025
SourcesVideo, Gina Friese, 04/2025
Voices
“You surprised me in a thoroughly positive way … not shouting loudly …, rather the other way round: understated in style, and then you deliver and perform.”
Gina Friese, Business Development, SIRUM
“Before, three people … who did maybe six or seven demos a week; now I have only one person … and reach the same rate.”
Gina Friese, Business Development, SIRUM
05 Messagingwhat we saybeforedecision-makers in companies search differently from private buyersafterErgotopia: 100 replies in two weeks, 25 to 30 % interested
Ergotopia · Ergonomic office furniture · e-commerce brand with about 80 employees · rebuilding business-customer sales
▶ playStarting pointstrong inbound via brand and content · decision-makers in companies search differently from private buyers · goal: very large business customers, “efficient, scalable and measurable”
Worktarget customers, positions and contacts prepared in detail · first-contact campaign, Slack guest channel, replies the same day
Result100 replies in two weeks, 25 to 30 % interested · about 10 replies a day, 2 to 3 of them into the CRM · prospect rate 2 to 4 %, a third of them acute opportunities · recommendation 9 to 10 out of 10
Periodinterview after about a month, 09/2024
Voices
“You are at the technological forefront … using systems and tools that all seem pretty smart.”
Milan Henckes, CEO, Ergotopia
“It was always structured, it was collaborative, there was sparring in it, which is what you hope for when bringing in a competent partner.”
Milan Henckes, CEO, Ergotopia
“Number and quality are really, really top.” … “There were messages like: feel free to call me … invitations on a silver platter.”Andreas Schön, Teamlead Sales, Ergotopia (recording)
06 First contactthe first message before the callbeforetwo months of portals, a sign and a broker: “maybe one or two, but not really good prospects”afterFairCap: after about 3 days, 11 interested buyers, “genuine, serious interest from managing directors”
FairCap · Private equity firm · sale of a production property (several million €) in Slovakia after a site closure
▶ playStarting pointtwo months of portals, a sign and a local broker: “maybe one or two, but not really good prospects” · no contact data of possible buyers
Workbuyer target group defined internationally: companies with production needs · direct outreach to managing directors
Resultafter about 3 days, 11 interested buyers · “genuine, serious interest from managing directors”
Periodinterview 09/2024
Voices
“I think it is fair to say they were exceeded … receiving genuine, serious interest from managing directors by e-mail within a few days, and in that number too. That was a really positive surprise.”
Max Koch-Heintzeler, Founder & Managing Director, FairCap
“When the leads are missing, when it is about finding new customers … then this is a systematic, great tool for approaching new customers.”
Max Koch-Heintzeler, Founder & Managing Director, FairCap
07 Cold callingthe callbeforepreviously 5 to 6 meetings a month, without playbooksafterSECJUR: 60 to 70 meetings a month · univermatch: deliberately small: 1 to 3 meetings a week after a two-week setup · further cold-calling mandates: The Easy One, ZL-Recht
SECJUR · Compliance automation software · Hamburg · about 40 employees · “on track to a 10-million-ARR company”
▶ playStarting point“maybe … five, six meetings a month, outbound meetings … because of course there were no playbooks either” · assumption: “maybe outbound simply does not work in our market” · ACV €10k to €40k
Workoutbound system: ICP, data, first contact, phone, appointment setting up to discovery · deployed via Uhlig Capital
Result60 to 70 booked meetings a month (May and June 2025) instead of 5 to 6 · after two months 2 deals and close to €100k qualified pipeline, about 20 % of the pipeline · over €80k closed revenue in the first months
Periodstart 12/2024 · videos 02/2025 and 02/2026
SourcesVideo, Kai Haage, 02/2026
Voices
“Expectations were definitely met, so that I can now confidently include outbound in the forecast and say it is a channel we can scale successfully.”
Jonas Plieth, Head of Growth, SECJUR
“We had maybe, I would say, five, six meetings a month, outbound meetings. And that with very, very poor success, because of course there were no playbooks either.”
Kai Haage, Co-Managing Director and CFO, SECJUR
“Outbound can work in any market, as you can perhaps see in our somewhat complicated, exotic market. You just need the right setup.”
Kai Haage, Co-Managing Director and CFO, SECJUR
univermatch · Performance marketing agency for B2B tech · Berlin
▶ playStarting pointtried cold calling and mailing themselves · “we simply lack the sales structure”
Workcold calling and appointment setting by helt.partners · setup in two weeks
Resultfirst week about 3 meetings, two of them “bull’s-eyes” · ongoing 1 to 3 meetings a week
Periodinterview after about two months, 07/2026
SourcesVideo, Max Lobert, 07/2026
Voices
“Absolutely at eye level, more a sparring partner than a mere service provider, a very clear recommendation from my side.”
Max Lobert, Co-Founder & CEO, univermatch
“The deals are always within reach … a big recommendation from Berlin.”
Max Lobert, Co-Founder & CEO, univermatch
08 Discoverythe first conversationbeforeno access to corporate decision-makersafterSidepreneur: after 7 days a conversation with a corporate decision-maker
Sidepreneur · Platform for part-time founders · target customers: corporates, corporate entrepreneurship
Starting pointno access to corporate decision-makers
Workoutbound setup and first contact at decision-maker level
Resultafter 7 days a meeting with a corporate decision-maker (ISP)
Period10/2023
SourcesRecommendation on LinkedIn
Voices
“Within just 7 days … already a meeting with a decision-maker at a corporate (ISP) who is relevant for me.” The “outbound expertise opened doors”.
Peter-Georg Lutsch, Founder, Sidepreneur
09 Closingthe dealbeforefounder teams from research and engineering, first customers without sales experienceafterTUM Venture Labs: teams guided to six-figure deals · SECJUR: €100k+ ARR from outbound in the first two months
TUM Venture Labs · Venture Lab for Software and AI, Technical University of Munich · venture coach for outbound sales since 2023
▶ playStarting pointfounder teams from research and engineering · first customers without sales experience · EXIST grant applications need market evidence
Workcoaching per team: ICP, customer development, go-to-market · live cold-calling microclass · support up to the first contracts
Result114+ teams since 2023 · several teams with six-figure financing and contracts · seven-figure funding in total
Voices
Over 100 founder teams supported at TUM; the live cold-calling microclass “among the most impactful sessions we have hosted”; recommended “without reservation” to investors building sales engines in portfolio companies.
Antoine Leboyer, Managing Director, TUM Venture Lab for Software and AI
Clear frameworks and fast feedback on messaging; “this helped us secure over €100k in funding”.
Heiko Trötsch, Founder, qado
Support as founding advisor in the EXIST context; “instrumental in helping us transform our vision into a concrete go-to-market plan”.
Julian Bergmann, Founder Palito AI, acquired by Solve Intelligence
SECJUR · Compliance automation software · Hamburg · about 40 employees · “on track to a 10-million-ARR company”
▶ playStarting point“maybe … five, six meetings a month, outbound meetings … because of course there were no playbooks either” · assumption: “maybe outbound simply does not work in our market” · ACV €10k to €40k
Workoutbound system: ICP, data, first contact, phone, appointment setting up to discovery · deployed via Uhlig Capital
Result60 to 70 booked meetings a month (May and June 2025) instead of 5 to 6 · after two months 2 deals and close to €100k qualified pipeline, about 20 % of the pipeline · over €80k closed revenue in the first months
Periodstart 12/2024 · videos 02/2025 and 02/2026
SourcesVideo, Kai Haage, 02/2026
Voices
“Expectations were definitely met, so that I can now confidently include outbound in the forecast and say it is a channel we can scale successfully.”
Jonas Plieth, Head of Growth, SECJUR
“We had maybe, I would say, five, six meetings a month, outbound meetings. And that with very, very poor success, because of course there were no playbooks either.”
Kai Haage, Co-Managing Director and CFO, SECJUR
“Outbound can work in any market, as you can perhaps see in our somewhat complicated, exotic market. You just need the right setup.”
Kai Haage, Co-Managing Director and CFO, SECJUR
10 Enablementthe handover to your own teambefore25 sales reps, a lot of time spent on research into leads and personasafterWorkFlex: research partly automated, outreach stays individual · SIRUM: the same number of demos with 1 instead of 3 people
WorkFlex · B2B SaaS · sales team of 25, a lot of outbound
▶ playStarting pointopen rate, bounce rate, reply rate · a lot of time spent on research into ICP leads and personas
Workenablement: research partly automated, outreach stays individual · step by step with the team
Resultindividualisation despite automation · “could not wish for anything else”
Periodinterview 03/2025
SourcesVideo, Ben Bauer, 03/2025
Voices
“We wanted to go very individual, yet somehow bring in automation … and there we saw … nice methods for automating parts and still staying individual.”
Ben Bauer, VP Sales, WorkFlex
“The whole communication very open, very receptive to feedback, I could not wish for anything else.”
Ben Bauer, VP Sales, WorkFlex
SIRUM · Transport management software · Hamburg and Fellbach · about 35 employees · sales team of 4
▶ playStarting pointtried outbound with LinkedIn tools, “never really got to volume” · classically about 1 % to demo · the team was “very sceptical”
Worktarget groups and profiles recut, own lead source instead of LinkedIn · first contact asking for the call, then the phone · weekly review and adjustment
Resultabout 25 leads a week · 5 to 10 conversations and 1 to 2 demos a week · the same demo rate with 1 instead of 3 people · 200+ qualified meetings a year
Periodstart 11/2024 · interview 03/2025
SourcesVideo, Gina Friese, 04/2025
Voices
“You surprised me in a thoroughly positive way … not shouting loudly …, rather the other way round: understated in style, and then you deliver and perform.”
Gina Friese, Business Development, SIRUM
“Before, three people … who did maybe six or seven demos a week; now I have only one person … and reach the same rate.”
Gina Friese, Business Development, SIRUM
Selected investors and programs
| TUM Venture Labs | Coached 114+ tech start-ups in outbound sales and go-to-market; teams guided to six-figure deals and seven-figure funding in total | Antoine Leboyer · LinkedIn |
▶ playStarting pointfounder teams from research and engineering · first customers without sales experience · EXIST grant applications need market evidence Workcoaching per team: ICP, customer development, go-to-market · live cold-calling microclass · support up to the first contracts Result114+ teams since 2023 · several teams with six-figure financing and contracts · seven-figure funding in total Voices Over 100 founder teams supported at TUM; the live cold-calling microclass “among the most impactful sessions we have hosted”; recommended “without reservation” to investors building sales engines in portfolio companies. Clear frameworks and fast feedback on messaging; “this helped us secure over €100k in funding”. Support as founding advisor in the EXIST context; “instrumental in helping us transform our vision into a concrete go-to-market plan”. | ||
| AI Nation | Trained several dozen founder teams of the program in outbound sales | Reference on request |
Starting pointteams with a product, without a sales routine · first customer conversations ahead Workoutbound sales trainings for the teams of the program Resultseveral dozen teams trained SourcesReference on request | ||
| CDTM | Supported dozens of founder teams; repeatedly six-figure revenues and financing rounds | Lauritz Lucas · LinkedIn |
Starting pointstudents and founders with a prototype · customer access and financing open Workadvice on sales and customer outreach · support in every phase up to the deal Resultdozens of teams · repeatedly six-figure revenues and financing rounds SourcesRecommendation on LinkedIn Voices “… an extremely competent contact in every phase … recommendations … well thought out, practical and very valuable for us … an incredibly reliable partner we could count on at any time.” | ||
| Uhlig Capital | Deployed in portfolio companies, among them SECJUR and Flowers Software | Kai Uhlig · LinkedIn |
Uhlig Capital · Business angel, LP, operating partner · software and AI portfolio Starting pointportfolio companies with a product, without a predictable outbound pipeline Workworkshops: ROI analysis and ideal customer profile · deployed in portfolio companies, among them SECJUR and Flowers Software Resultimpact “profound and transformative” · results see SECJUR and Flowers Software Periodsince 2023 SourcesRecommendation on LinkedIn Voices Deployed helt.partners in portfolio companies; workshops with a “comprehensive ROI analysis and a detailed session to refine our Ideal Customer Profile”, “instrumental in aligning our sales strategy with our business goals”. | ||
| Wessel Management | Deployed in portfolio companies | Reference on request |
Starting pointB2B portfolio company without continuous new-customer acquisition Worksetting up first contact and appointment setting in the portfolio company Resultdetails on request SourcesReference on request | ||
| FairCap (Private Equity) | Sale of a production property in the millions: 11 interested buyers in 3 days, previously 1 to 2 in 2 months | Max Koch-Heintzeler · Video |
▶ playStarting pointtwo months of portals, a sign and a local broker: “maybe one or two, but not really good prospects” · no contact data of possible buyers Workbuyer target group defined internationally: companies with production needs · direct outreach to managing directors Resultafter about 3 days, 11 interested buyers · “genuine, serious interest from managing directors” Periodinterview 09/2024 Voices “I think it is fair to say they were exceeded … receiving genuine, serious interest from managing directors by e-mail within a few days, and in that number too. That was a really positive surprise.” “When the leads are missing, when it is about finding new customers … then this is a systematic, great tool for approaching new customers.” | ||
More investors and programs: Vecturis Equity, Möller Ventures, The Royal Jungle
Own venture, backed by: APX (Axel Springer & Porsche) · Sky Deutschland · Google Gründer-Garage 2014, top 3 of 800
Selected companies
| SIRUM | 200+ qualified meetings a year; the same number of demos with one person instead of three | Gina Friese · Video |
▶ playStarting pointtried outbound with LinkedIn tools, “never really got to volume” · classically about 1 % to demo · the team was “very sceptical” Worktarget groups and profiles recut, own lead source instead of LinkedIn · first contact asking for the call, then the phone · weekly review and adjustment Resultabout 25 leads a week · 5 to 10 conversations and 1 to 2 demos a week · the same demo rate with 1 instead of 3 people · 200+ qualified meetings a year Periodstart 11/2024 · interview 03/2025 SourcesVideo, Gina Friese, 04/2025 Voices “You surprised me in a thoroughly positive way … not shouting loudly …, rather the other way round: understated in style, and then you deliver and perform.” “Before, three people … who did maybe six or seven demos a week; now I have only one person … and reach the same rate.” | ||
| SECJUR | 60 to 70 meetings a month instead of 5 to 6; €100k+ ARR from outbound in the first two months | Kai Haage, Jonas Plieth · Video |
▶ playStarting point“maybe … five, six meetings a month, outbound meetings … because of course there were no playbooks either” · assumption: “maybe outbound simply does not work in our market” · ACV €10k to €40k Workoutbound system: ICP, data, first contact, phone, appointment setting up to discovery · deployed via Uhlig Capital Result60 to 70 booked meetings a month (May and June 2025) instead of 5 to 6 · after two months 2 deals and close to €100k qualified pipeline, about 20 % of the pipeline · over €80k closed revenue in the first months Periodstart 12/2024 · videos 02/2025 and 02/2026 SourcesVideo, Kai Haage, 02/2026 Voices “Expectations were definitely met, so that I can now confidently include outbound in the forecast and say it is a channel we can scale successfully.” “We had maybe, I would say, five, six meetings a month, outbound meetings. And that with very, very poor success, because of course there were no playbooks either.” “Outbound can work in any market, as you can perhaps see in our somewhat complicated, exotic market. You just need the right setup.” | ||
| Flowers Software | Ideal customers approached by size and industry; sales reps call without building lists themselves | Niklas Matthias · Video |
▶ playStarting pointdependent on “whoever comes to us” · outbound “rather unstructured via LinkedIn Sales Navigator” · list building as “paralysis before things even really got going” Workindustries and ICP sharpened, messaging · sequences set up with the SDR, tooling connected to HubSpot · account executives call without doing the groundwork themselves Resulttargeted outreach to ideal customers by size and industry · new replies every day, a “clear push” on demos · “more calls, more mails, we are more proactive” Periodseveral months · interview 03/2024 Voices “… to get to the point via outbound where we first address far, far more precisely the customers in the size and industry we actually want to win as ideal customers, and are not only dependent on whoever comes to us.” “I am thrilled. This is very professional … highly data-driven … not mass outreach. And really good results.” | ||
| Ergotopia | 100 replies from the target group in two weeks, 25 to 30 % interested | Milan Henckes · Video |
▶ playStarting pointstrong inbound via brand and content · decision-makers in companies search differently from private buyers · goal: very large business customers, “efficient, scalable and measurable” Worktarget customers, positions and contacts prepared in detail · first-contact campaign, Slack guest channel, replies the same day Result100 replies in two weeks, 25 to 30 % interested · about 10 replies a day, 2 to 3 of them into the CRM · prospect rate 2 to 4 %, a third of them acute opportunities · recommendation 9 to 10 out of 10 Periodinterview after about a month, 09/2024 Voices “You are at the technological forefront … using systems and tools that all seem pretty smart.” “It was always structured, it was collaborative, there was sparring in it, which is what you hope for when bringing in a competent partner.” “Number and quality are really, really top.” … “There were messages like: feel free to call me … invitations on a silver platter.”Andreas Schön, Teamlead Sales, Ergotopia (recording) | ||
| univermatch | 1 to 3 meetings a week after a two-week setup | Max Lobert · Video |
▶ playStarting pointtried cold calling and mailing themselves · “we simply lack the sales structure” Workcold calling and appointment setting by helt.partners · setup in two weeks Resultfirst week about 3 meetings, two of them “bull’s-eyes” · ongoing 1 to 3 meetings a week Periodinterview after about two months, 07/2026 SourcesVideo, Max Lobert, 07/2026 Voices “Absolutely at eye level, more a sparring partner than a mere service provider, a very clear recommendation from my side.” “The deals are always within reach … a big recommendation from Berlin.” | ||
| WorkFlex | Research automated for a sales team of 25, outreach stays individual | Ben Bauer · Video |
▶ playStarting pointopen rate, bounce rate, reply rate · a lot of time spent on research into ICP leads and personas Workenablement: research partly automated, outreach stays individual · step by step with the team Resultindividualisation despite automation · “could not wish for anything else” Periodinterview 03/2025 SourcesVideo, Ben Bauer, 03/2025 Voices “We wanted to go very individual, yet somehow bring in automation … and there we saw … nice methods for automating parts and still staying individual.” “The whole communication very open, very receptive to feedback, I could not wish for anything else.” | ||
| Sidepreneur | Meeting with a corporate decision-maker after 7 days | Peter-Georg Lutsch · LinkedIn |
Starting pointno access to corporate decision-makers Workoutbound setup and first contact at decision-maker level Resultafter 7 days a meeting with a corporate decision-maker (ISP) Period10/2023 SourcesRecommendation on LinkedIn Voices “Within just 7 days … already a meeting with a decision-maker at a corporate (ISP) who is relevant for me.” The “outbound expertise opened doors”. | ||
| gekartel AG | Product launch without a trade fair: 20+ Teams meetings with media-technology providers, public authorities and fire-safety inspectors; 3 to 5 times the leads of a fair | Klaus Schäfer · Video |
▶ playStarting pointnew product: media technology for escape and rescue routes · until then trade fairs, direct sales, LinkedIn · worries about data-protection complaints, deliberately no long-term contract Worktarget groups: media-technology providers, public authorities, fire-safety inspectors · first-contact campaign over about two months, wording, objection handling, follow-up Resultabout 4,000 contacts, campaign paused because of the volume of replies · “three, four, five times the leads” of a trade fair · 20+ Teams meetings, first test devices, NDA Periodinterview 10/2024 Voices “You brought the technical knowledge of how such a campaign has to run … we brought the expertise … a great interplay.” | ||
More customers: everii Group, staffboard, Mineko, bidpoint, The Easy One, HUUS.IO, LUY, semtrade, Reischl Lebensmitteltechnik, IMPRIVO, Obitec, InterNations, Stumpp + Schüle GmbH
Voices
| Deployed helt.partners in portfolio companies; the impact was “profound and transformative”. | ||
| Over 100 founder teams supported at TUM; recommends “without reservation” to investors building sales engines in portfolio companies. | ||
| “When the leads are missing … then this is a systematic, great tool for approaching new customers.” | Video | |
| “You surprised me in a thoroughly positive way … understated in style, and then you deliver and perform.” | Video | |
| “… to address far more precisely the customers in the size and industry we want to win as ideal customers.” | Video | |
| “This is very professional … highly data-driven … not mass outreach. And really good results.” | Recording | |
| “You are at the technological forefront … It was always structured, it was collaborative, and there was sparring in it.” | Video | |
| “Then there is really only one screw missing. And that, essentially, is outbound.” | Recording | |
| “Absolutely at eye level, more a sparring partner than a mere service provider.” | Video | |
| “… how you can automate parts and still stay individual.” | Video | |
| As a customer: ideal customer persona, data, message/market fit, meetings and follow-ups; “unparalleled skills in optimizing our sales process”. | ||
| “Within just 7 days … already a meeting with a decision-maker at a corporate who is relevant for me.” | ||
| Live session with a real cold call, generating “a qualified lead including a follow-up meeting”. | ||
| Clear frameworks and fast feedback on messaging; “this helped us secure over €100k in funding”. | ||
| Learned his first cold calls in the team, now Account Executive at Databricks: “This experience was truly transformative.” | ||
| Outreach structured and expanded, customer development, EXIST application; “a great support in helping us expand and better structure our outreach efforts”. | ||
| “… recommendations … well thought out, practical and very valuable for us … an incredibly reliable partner we could count on at any time.” | ||
| Coach at the TUM founder advisory; “tips on outreach and problem validation were worth gold because they came not just from the textbook but from real experience”. | ||
| “You brought the technical knowledge of how such a campaign has to run … we brought the expertise … a great interplay.” | Video |
All recommendations on LinkedIn · Reference videos on YouTube · Customer voices, 2-minute cut
Quotes translated from German; the videos are in German.
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