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#158 · Your outbound sucks. Here's how to fix it

youtube ↗Agency Operations

I’m in Malaysia and want to start an automation business, but the market feels saturated with WhatsApp bots. What advice do you have?

My number one piece of advice is to just get up and start talking to people. It doesn’t matter that there are many WhatsApp bot creators; saturation is a misunderstanding. Most people aren’t trying to build $1 million‑a‑month companies, they just want a lifestyle business. If you understand that, you realize commoditization doesn’t matter. There’s room for another entrant in any market, and you can carve out a $5‑10 k‑a‑month business without issue.

automationstartupmalaysia

Related answers

youtube ↗AI & Automation

Is selling chat bots and CRM still viable in the next couple years, what systems will be in demand now and in the future, and how can I overcome running out of ideas for retainers and delivering less value to a $3,500/month AI automation client?

Yes, selling chat bots will remain viable and actually increase in value as they become more intelligent and easier to implement. CRM and structured data will also stay in demand. For services, focus on systems tied to revenue because they’re easier to justify and have higher perceived impact than backend optimizations. To overcome running out of retainer ideas and delivering less value, list what the client currently does to generate revenue, list what others use to generate revenue, find the overlap, and build systems that help them do the effective activities. Avoid low‑return activities like excessive LinkedIn posting; instead, double‑down on high‑return channels such as trade shows. This approach lets you quickly justify your retainer value.

chat botscrmretainerai automation
youtube ↗Niches

As someone with a software development and cyber background who has built sites and one automation pipeline but hasn't done any outbound, offers, or positioning, and is interested in cyber, web app, dev, and automation, what should I focus on and how should I put myself out there to become a one-stop shop?

It's a common problem for beginners to spend too much time thinking about the business model instead of actually doing it. You're likely stuck in your head wondering what niche to pick, how to reach people, and which platforms to use. Rather than overthinking, you should test an idea in the market. Pick three things: choose an outreach minimum per day on platforms you have experience with—like DMs on Instagram, X, LinkedIn, communities, Reddit—and run it for a month without changing anything. After 30 days, if you do about 10 pieces of outreach per platform, you'll have contacted nearly 1,000 people, giving you real data to inform your next step. For example, you might find that your web development offer converts at 2.9% while your cyber offer doesn't perform as well, letting you focus on what works. This approach turns you into a scientist of your own life, gradually carving out the solution space and increasing your chances of success.

nichingoutreachpositioning
youtube ↗Client Acquisition

I'm hunting for clients and don't have any recurring ones. All I do is outreach via WhatsApp (30-40 DMs/day before risking bans) and some LinkedIn engagement. After that, I don't know what to do next. What should I do?

My recommendation to anybody who finds themselves running out of outreach to do in a day is to reconsider two things. Number one: how much outreach can you physically do in a day? If you threw out everything but the laws of physics, how many people could you feasibly talk to in a day to show them your product or service? Number two: reframe your expectations around your business. You don't really have a business until you have clients. If you're in a position where you don't have any clients, your only existential priority should be getting clients. To do so, you need to do outreach — top of funnel — generate as many eyeballs on your brand or business as humanly possible, and then try to nurture and convert as many of those opportunities as you can. If you don't have any clients whatsoever, there really is nothing to do in your business but outreach. There is nothing else to do here. I would just focus every waking moment I have on that one thing, because as mentioned, you don't really have a business until you do.

outreachwhatsappcold outreachgetting clients