How Can Software Companies Find New B2B Customers?

Understanding how to find B2B software customers is one of the biggest challenges for software companies looking to create a consistent new-business pipeline.

Even with a strong product, finding suitable prospects requires more than contacting as many companies as possible. Successful B2B software prospecting starts by identifying the organisations most likely to need the solution and the decision-makers responsible for the problem it solves.

Potential approaches include:

• Targeted B2B prospect data
• Cold email
• Telemarketing
• LinkedIn prospecting
• Account-based outreach
• Referral partnerships
• SEO and content marketing
• Industry-specific campaigns
• Multi-channel lead generation

The strongest strategy will depend on your software, target market, contract value and sales cycle.

Start with the Problem Your Software Solves

Before searching for customers, define the business problem your software addresses.

Examples might include:

• Reducing administration
• Improving productivity
• Managing employees
• Automating processes
• Improving compliance
• Managing customers
• Tracking assets
• Managing projects
• Improving financial control
• Managing field workers
• Improving cybersecurity
• Managing documents
• Improving reporting

The problem should help determine which businesses are worth targeting.

A field service management platform, for example, may be relevant to companies employing mobile engineers. HR software will require a completely different audience.

Define Your Ideal Customer Profile

An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) describes the type of organisation most likely to benefit from your software.

Useful criteria can include:

• Industry
• Employee numbers
• Turnover
• Geography
• Business model
• Number of locations
• Department size
• Operational complexity
• Existing processes
• Likely software requirements

Avoid defining the audience too broadly.

“UK businesses” provides very little direction, whereas “UK facilities management companies with 50+ employees and mobile engineering teams” creates a much clearer prospect market.

Look at Your Existing Customers

Current customers can provide useful evidence about where your strongest opportunities exist.

Review them by:

• Industry
• Company size
• Turnover
• Number of employees
• Number of locations
• Software package purchased
• Contract value
• Customer lifetime value
• Sales cycle
• Retention

Patterns may quickly become apparent.

Perhaps your most successful customers come from one particular industry or company-size band.

Those characteristics can then influence future targeting.

Build Lookalike Prospect Audiences

Once you’ve identified your strongest customers, look for similar businesses.

Suppose your software performs particularly well with:

• Facilities management companies
• 100+ employees
• Multiple locations
• Mobile workforces

You could build a prospect audience containing businesses with those same characteristics.

This creates a more focused starting point than targeting companies simply because they are B2B.

Choose the Right Industries

Industry targeting can be particularly useful when software has specific applications.

Potential B2B markets include:

• Manufacturing
• Construction
• Engineering
• Professional services
• Recruitment
• Financial services
• Insurance
• Healthcare
• Facilities management
• Transport and logistics
• Wholesale
• Retail
• Hospitality
• Property
• Technology

The right sectors depend entirely on what the software does.

Some products may have broad cross-industry appeal, while others solve problems specific to one market.

Break Large Industries into Smaller Segments

Broad industries often contain very different businesses.

Construction, for example, could include:

• Main contractors
• Housebuilders
• Civil engineering companies
• Electrical contractors
• Plumbing and heating contractors
• Roofing contractors
• Facilities contractors

Your software may be much more relevant to some of these groups than others.

Smaller segments also allow you to create more specific sales messages.

Target Businesses by Activity

Sometimes the activities a business performs matter more than its industry classification.

Depending on your software, useful characteristics might include companies that:

• Employ field workers
• Operate vehicle fleets
• Manage multiple sites
• Run warehouses
• Employ large sales teams
• Manage recurring contracts
• Carry out inspections
• Manage complex projects
• Process large numbers of transactions
• Operate customer service teams

These operational characteristics can provide strong clues about software requirements.

Use Employee Numbers

Employee size can help identify companies where your software is likely to provide enough value.

Possible bands include:

• 10 to 19 employees
• 20 to 49 employees
• 50 to 99 employees
• 100 to 249 employees
• 250+ employees

The ideal threshold depends on the product.

An enterprise HR platform may require significantly larger businesses than simple accounting or CRM software.

Use Turnover as an Additional Filter

Turnover can provide another indication of company scale and purchasing capacity.

Potential filters might include:

• £1 million+
• £5 million+
• £10 million+
• £50 million+

Avoid using turnover in isolation.

A high-turnover company with no genuine need for the software remains a poor prospect.

Consider Operational Complexity

Complex businesses often have stronger reasons to invest in software.

Useful indicators can include:

• Multiple sites
• Large workforces
• Remote employees
• Field teams
• Several departments
• Large customer bases
• Complex supply chains
• Significant compliance requirements
• High transaction volumes

The more difficult the underlying process becomes to manage manually, the stronger the potential case for software.

Target Growing Businesses

Growth can create new software requirements.

Potential indicators include:

• Rapid recruitment
• New locations
• Acquisitions
• New contracts
• International expansion
• Growing sales teams
• Additional departments
• Increased customer numbers

Existing systems may become unsuitable as an organisation grows.

Software companies can therefore use growth signals to identify potentially valuable prospects.

Target Multi-Site Businesses

Businesses operating several locations may have stronger requirements for centralised software.

Examples include:

• Retail groups
• Hotel groups
• Care providers
• Facilities management companies
• Logistics businesses
• Property companies
• Automotive groups

Software can help these organisations manage information, employees and processes across multiple sites.

Multi-site prospects may also represent higher-value contracts.

Identify the Right Decision-Makers

Finding suitable companies is only part of the process.

You also need to identify the people involved in purchasing software.

Potential decision-makers include:

• Business Owners
• Managing Directors
• CEOs
• Operations Directors
• IT Directors
• Chief Technology Officers
• Finance Directors
• HR Directors
• Sales Directors
• Marketing Directors
• Procurement Managers
• Department Heads

The correct contact depends on the software being sold.

Match the Decision-Maker to the Software

Different software categories require different contacts.

HR Software

Potential decision-makers include:

• HR Director
• Head of HR
• People Director
• HR Manager

Finance Software

Relevant contacts could include:

• Finance Director
• Financial Controller
• Chief Financial Officer
• Finance Manager

CRM and Sales Software

Potential contacts include:

• Sales Director
• Commercial Director
• Head of Sales
• Sales Operations Manager

Marketing Software

Relevant roles might include:

• Marketing Director
• Head of Marketing
• CRM Manager
• Marketing Operations Manager

Operations Software

Potential contacts include:

• Operations Director
• Operations Manager
• Managing Director

IT and Cybersecurity Software

Relevant decision-makers could include:

• IT Director
• Chief Technology Officer
• IT Manager
• Information Security Manager

Matching the product to the department responsible for the problem can significantly improve prospecting relevance.

Match Decision-Makers to Company Size

Smaller businesses may have fewer specialist management roles.

For example, a company with 20 employees might not employ an IT Director, Procurement Manager or HR Director.

The relevant contact could instead be:

• Business Owner
• Managing Director
• Operations Manager

Larger organisations are more likely to have dedicated departmental decision-makers.

Adjust job-role targeting according to company structure.

Understand the Buying Group

Higher-value software purchases may involve several stakeholders.

A typical buying group could include:

• Department user
• Department manager
• IT
• Finance
• Procurement
• Senior management

Each person may evaluate the software differently.

The operational user could focus on functionality, while IT considers integration and security. Finance may concentrate on cost and return on investment.

Build a Targeted B2B Prospect List

Once the target audience is defined, create a prospect database.

Useful fields can include:

• Business name
• Contact name
• Job title
• Email
• Telephone
• Postal address
• Website
• Industry
• Employee numbers
• Turnover
• Postcode

Additional qualification information can be added as the campaign progresses.

Add Software-Specific Qualification Information

Your CRM can become more useful by recording information such as:

• Existing software
• Current provider
• Contract renewal date
• Number of users
• Current problems
• Integration requirements
• Future projects
• Budget timing
• Next follow-up date

This information can turn a basic prospect list into a longer-term sales pipeline.

Segment Your Prospect Database

Avoid treating every prospect as the same.

Useful segments could include:

• Industry
• Company size
• Job role
• Software use case
• Geography
• Number of locations
• Buying signal
• Account value

Segmentation allows sales messages to become more relevant.

Create Industry-Specific Campaigns

The same software may solve different problems across different industries.

For example, workforce management software could be positioned differently for:

• Construction companies
• Facilities management businesses
• Logistics companies
• Healthcare providers

Creating separate campaigns allows each message to reflect the terminology and operational challenges of that sector.

Create Use-Case-Specific Campaigns

Another approach is to segment prospects according to the problem being solved.

Campaigns might focus on:

• Reducing administration
• Managing remote workers
• Improving reporting
• Automating manual processes
• Improving compliance
• Managing customer relationships
• Improving project visibility

This can be particularly useful for software with several applications.

Use Cold Email to Reach B2B Prospects

Cold email can provide a scalable way to introduce software to relevant businesses and decision-makers.

Keep initial messages concise.

A simple structure could include:

1. Why you’re contacting them.
2. The problem you help solve.
3. Why it may be relevant to their business.
4. A straightforward next step.

Avoid turning the first email into a complete product demonstration.

The initial objective is usually to create a conversation.

Focus Email Messaging on the Problem

Software companies can easily fall into the trap of listing features.

Prospects may be more interested in the business problem those features address.

Instead of leading with:

• Dashboards
• Integrations
• Reporting tools
• Automation features

consider the outcome they support.

Examples might include:

• Reducing administration
• Improving visibility
• Managing teams more effectively
• Removing repetitive processes
• Improving compliance

Product details can follow once interest has been established.

Use Telemarketing to Qualify Prospects

Telephone outreach can uncover information that isn’t available from standard business data.

A conversation can help establish:

• Correct decision-maker
• Existing software
• Current provider
• Satisfaction with the existing system
• Contract timing
• Current challenges
• Future projects
• Budget timing

This can be particularly valuable for software with longer sales cycles.

Ask About Existing Software

Understanding the current system can reveal potential opportunities.

Useful questions might include:

• What platform do you currently use?
• How long have you used it?
• Does it meet your requirements?
• Are there any limitations?
• When is it reviewed?
• Who manages the supplier relationship?

A company already using competing software should not automatically be excluded.

It may represent a future switching opportunity.

Identify Contract Renewal Dates

Where software is sold through annual or multi-year agreements, renewal timing can be extremely valuable.

Record:

• Current provider
• Renewal date
• Review period
• Decision-maker
• Previous conversation
• Next follow-up date

The prospect can then be approached when switching becomes more realistic.

Look for Dissatisfaction with Existing Systems

Businesses may consider alternative software because of:

• Poor functionality
• Difficult user experience
• Limited integrations
• High costs
• Poor support
• Lack of reporting
• Scalability problems
• Manual workarounds

Telemarketing and discovery conversations can help uncover these issues.

Your sales process can then focus on the specific problem rather than delivering a generic software pitch.

Use LinkedIn for Prospecting

LinkedIn can help software companies research both businesses and individuals.

Potential uses include:

• Finding decision-makers
• Confirming job titles
• Identifying additional stakeholders
• Researching company structure
• Monitoring recruitment
• Tracking expansion
• Connecting with prospects

This can support both targeted outreach and account research.

Look for New Decision-Makers

A newly appointed senior manager may be more open to reviewing existing systems and processes.

Relevant appointments could include:

• IT Director
• Operations Director
• Finance Director
• HR Director
• Sales Director
• Marketing Director

New leaders often evaluate the systems used by their departments.

That can create a useful prospecting trigger.

Monitor Recruitment

Recruitment can reveal changes within a target business.

For example:

• Growing HR teams may indicate workforce expansion.
• New salespeople can increase CRM requirements.
• More field workers could strengthen the case for field service software.
• Additional finance employees may indicate increasing operational complexity.

Recruitment should be treated as a signal rather than proof of a software requirement.

Combined with other information, however, it can help prioritise accounts.

Look for Business Expansion

Expansion can create pressure on existing software systems.

Potential signals include:

• New offices
• New sites
• Acquisitions
• Rapid recruitment
• International expansion
• New divisions

A platform that worked for a smaller business may no longer meet its requirements.

Growing companies can therefore make attractive software prospects.

Look for Manual Processes

Businesses still relying heavily on spreadsheets, email and manual administration may have strong software requirements.

Potential areas include:

• Scheduling
• Reporting
• Customer management
• Compliance
• Project management
• Stock control
• Employee management
• Document management

Where possible, qualification should establish how the process is currently managed.

The gap between the existing process and the desired outcome can help define the sales opportunity.

Use Account-Based Prospecting for High-Value Customers

Larger potential customers may justify more research and personalisation.

Before approaching the account, investigate:

• Business structure
• Locations
• Relevant departments
• Likely use cases
• Existing technology
• Decision-makers
• Recent developments

You can then coordinate email, telephone and LinkedIn activity around that account.

This approach can be useful where contract values are significant.

Prioritise Prospects by Potential Value

Not every business deserves the same level of sales effort.

A simple tiering system can help.

Tier 1

Businesses with:

• Strong software fit
• Suitable company size
• High potential contract value
• Relevant buying signals
• Multiple users or locations

These accounts may justify personalised multi-channel outreach.

Tier 2

Good-fit businesses suitable for segmented email and telephone campaigns.

Tier 3

Broader prospects that meet basic targeting criteria but show fewer buying signals.

Sales resources can then be concentrated on the strongest opportunities.

Combine Email and Telephone

Email and telemarketing can work particularly well together.

A simple sequence might be:

1. Send an introductory email.
2. Follow up by telephone.
3. Confirm the decision-maker.
4. Ask about existing software.
5. Identify problems or renewal timing.
6. Send relevant information.
7. Schedule the next action.

The telephone conversation adds qualification to the scalable reach of email.

Combine Email and LinkedIn

LinkedIn can provide another touchpoint around an email campaign.

A prospect might:

• Receive your email
• See your LinkedIn connection request
• Visit your profile
• View your company
• Receive a later follow-up

This creates familiarity without requiring every interaction to use the same channel.

Combine Email, Telephone and LinkedIn

For higher-value software opportunities, all three channels can work together.

A campaign could include:

1. Research the account.
2. Identify relevant contacts.
3. Send an introductory email.
4. Connect through LinkedIn.
5. Follow up by telephone.
6. Qualify the requirement.
7. Send relevant information.
8. Continue appropriate follow-up.

Each channel should contribute to the same sales process rather than operate independently.

Use Content to Support Outbound Sales

Useful content can strengthen prospecting campaigns.

Examples include:

• Case studies
• Product comparisons
• Industry guides
• Demonstration videos
• Implementation guides
• ROI information
• Integration information
• Customer stories

Match the content to the prospect’s stage in the buying process.

An early-stage prospect may need a simple overview, while someone actively evaluating systems may want more technical information.

Use Case Studies Relevant to the Prospect

Generic case studies may be less persuasive than examples from similar organisations.

Where possible, match examples by:

• Industry
• Company size
• Use case
• Business problem

A logistics company may respond more strongly to a logistics customer story than an unrelated professional services example.

Relevant evidence can help prospects understand how the software applies to their organisation.

Use SEO to Generate Inbound Leads

Outbound prospecting does not have to replace inbound marketing.

Software companies can also create content targeting searches around:

• Problems
• Software categories
• Industry use cases
• Product comparisons
• Integrations
• Alternatives
• Pricing
• Implementation

Search traffic can capture businesses already researching potential solutions.

Outbound activity can then create opportunities among companies that haven’t started searching yet.

Create Industry-Specific Content

Industry pages and knowledge-hub articles can support both SEO and sales.

Potential topics might include:

• Software for construction companies
• CRM software for recruitment agencies
• Workforce management software for facilities companies
• Project management software for engineering businesses

Industry-specific content helps demonstrate relevance to particular audiences.

It can also provide useful material for outbound campaigns.

Develop Referral Partnerships

Other B2B suppliers may already work with your ideal customers.

Potential referral partners could include:

• IT service providers
• Consultants
• Accountants
• Managed service providers
• Digital transformation specialists
• Industry consultants
• Business advisers

Where services complement each other, referral relationships can create additional opportunities.

Ask Existing Customers for Referrals

Satisfied customers may know other businesses facing similar problems.

Referral opportunities could come from:

• Suppliers
• Customers
• Industry contacts
• Partner businesses
• Other companies within a group

This can work particularly well in specialist industries where businesses share common software requirements.

Attend Relevant Industry Events

Trade shows, conferences and networking events can provide another source of prospects.

Choose events attended by your target customers rather than simply attending technology exhibitions.

A software provider targeting manufacturers, for example, may find manufacturing events more commercially useful than generic software conferences.

Industry relevance should guide event selection.

Offer Demonstrations to Qualified Prospects

Software demonstrations can be an important stage of the sales process.

Avoid treating every prospect as demonstration-ready.

First establish:

• Business problem
• Current system
• Relevant users
• Requirements
• Buying timescale

The demonstration can then focus on the areas that matter to that organisation.

Build a Future Opportunity Pipeline

Not every suitable business will be ready to change software immediately.

A prospect may say:

• Existing contract has 12 months remaining
• Current system was recently implemented
• Budget isn’t available yet
• Project has been postponed
• Review is planned next year

Record the information.

These companies can become valuable future opportunities if contacted at the appropriate time.

Record Useful Qualification Information

Your CRM should capture more than basic contact details.

Useful information might include:

• Current software
• Existing provider
• Contract renewal
• Number of users
• Current challenges
• Required integrations
• Budget timing
• Decision-makers
• Last conversation
• Next follow-up

Over time, this creates a much stronger sales database.

Create a Consistent Follow-Up Process

Software sales often require several interactions.

A prospect may need to:

• Recognise the problem
• Explore possible solutions
• Compare providers
• Build an internal business case
• Secure budget
• Complete technical checks
• Gain management approval

Follow-up should reflect where the prospect is within that process.

Avoid sending the same generic message repeatedly.

Track Why Prospects Say No

A rejection can still provide useful information.

Reasons might include:

• Wrong company size
• No relevant requirement
• Existing contract
• No budget
• Missing functionality
• Existing supplier relationship
• Wrong timing

Record these outcomes.

Patterns can reveal whether your targeting, product positioning or qualification process needs adjusting.

Measure Lead Quality

Lead volume alone does not show whether your prospecting strategy is working.

Track:

• Relevant conversations
• Qualified opportunities
• Demonstrations
• Proposals
• Trials
• Sales
• Contract value
• Customer acquisition cost
• Sales cycle

These measures provide a clearer picture of commercial performance.

Measure Results by Industry

Different sectors may produce very different outcomes.

One industry might generate more demonstrations but lower contract values.

Another could produce fewer opportunities but significantly stronger customers.

Compare:

• Response rates
• Qualified opportunities
• Conversion
• Contract value
• Retention

Use the results to decide where future prospecting should be concentrated.

Measure Results by Company Size

Company size can affect:

• Contract value
• Sales cycle
• Number of stakeholders
• Implementation requirements
• Conversion rate

A smaller business may purchase more quickly, while larger organisations can offer higher contract values but require longer sales processes.

Understanding these differences can improve audience selection.

Measure Results by Decision-Maker

Different job roles can also perform differently.

Compare results from:

• Managing Directors
• Operations Directors
• IT Directors
• Finance Directors
• HR Directors
• Sales Directors
• Marketing Directors

The strongest contact may vary according to your software category.

Measure Results by Lead Source

Compare opportunities generated through:

• Cold email
• Telemarketing
• LinkedIn
• SEO
• Referrals
• Events
• Partnerships

Focus on customer quality and revenue rather than simply counting leads.

A channel generating fewer but better customers may ultimately be more valuable.

Refine Your Ideal Customer Profile

Your ICP should develop as more sales data becomes available.

You may discover that your strongest customers share characteristics such as:

• Particular industries
• 50+ employees
• Multiple locations
• Specific operational problems
• Particular decision-maker roles

Use these findings to refine future prospecting.

Each new customer provides more information about what a good prospect looks like.

Build a Repeatable B2B Customer Acquisition Process

Finding B2B software customers should ideally become a consistent process rather than something that only happens when the sales pipeline becomes quiet.

A practical approach could include:

1. Define the problem your software solves.
2. Build your Ideal Customer Profile.
3. Select target industries.
4. Apply company-size criteria.
5. Identify relevant decision-makers.
6. Build a targeted prospect database.
7. Segment the audience.
8. Use email, telephone and LinkedIn for outreach.
9. Qualify existing software and requirements.
10. Record renewal dates and future opportunities.
11. Measure results.
12. Refine your target audience.

This creates a structured approach to generating both immediate opportunities and longer-term pipeline.

You can learn more about our Lead Generation for Software Suppliers services.

Summary

Learning how to find B2B software customers starts with understanding exactly which businesses have the strongest reason to use your product.

Define the problem your software solves, then identify suitable industries, company sizes, operational characteristics and decision-makers.

Targeted B2B data can provide the foundation for prospecting, while email, telephone and LinkedIn can help introduce your software, qualify existing systems and uncover future purchasing opportunities.

Growing businesses, organisations experiencing operational complexity and companies approaching software renewal can be particularly valuable prospects.

Rather than focusing entirely on lead volume, measure qualified opportunities, demonstrations, sales, contract value and customer quality.

Over time, use these results to refine your Ideal Customer Profile and build a repeatable process for finding new B2B software customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can software companies find new B2B customers?

Software companies can identify suitable businesses using industry, employee numbers, turnover, operational characteristics and likely software requirements before reaching relevant decision-makers through email, telephone and LinkedIn.

Which industries should software companies target?

The best industries depend on the problem the software solves. Potential markets include manufacturing, construction, professional services, recruitment, financial services, healthcare, facilities management, logistics and hospitality.

Who should B2B software companies contact?

Potential contacts include Business Owners, Managing Directors, Operations Directors, IT Directors, Finance Directors, HR Directors, Sales Directors, Marketing Directors and relevant Department Heads.

How can software companies build a prospect list?

Start with your Ideal Customer Profile, then use criteria such as industry, company size, geography and business activity to identify suitable organisations and relevant decision-makers.

Does cold email work for B2B software companies?

Cold email can provide a scalable way to introduce software when the audience and messaging are relevant. Campaigns should focus on the business problem being solved rather than simply listing product features.

How can software companies identify businesses looking to switch providers?

Telemarketing can help establish existing software, current providers, problems with the system and contract renewal timing. Business growth and new decision-makers can also provide useful prospecting signals.

Should software companies use LinkedIn for lead generation?

LinkedIn can support account research, decision-maker identification and prospect outreach. It can be particularly useful when combined with email and telephone activity.

Data & Lead Generation Services

RD Marketing provides bespoke B2B data lists and fully managed lead generation services to help businesses build pipeline and drive revenue growth. These include:

• Automated Email Campaigns
• LinkedIn Automation
• Industry Databases
• Job Role Databases
• Email Lists
• Telemarketing Data
• Direct Mail Data

Follow the links above or get in touch for more information – [email protected] / +44 191 406 6399