From zero pipeline to a high six-figure bank deal.

An established product, but no professional sales

The company had an established product and a solid base of existing customers, but no professional sales function. There was no structured pipeline and no active inflow of new leads. New business came almost entirely from the existing network, and sales work sat on the side of the founders' desks. The foundation for the next growth step was missing: a repeatable way to win new customers in the financial sector systematically.

The hardest possible market for cold acquisition

The target market is considered one of the toughest there is for new-customer acquisition. Banks and financial institutions have long decision paths, high security and compliance requirements, and are notoriously hard to reach through cold outreach. On top of that, internally there was no CRM set up cleanly, no defined messaging, and no follow-up process. So a sales system had to be built and, at the same time, active selling had to happen in the hardest imaginable environment.

Build the system and sell at the same time

It started with a full analysis of the existing sales: what had worked in the past, what hadn't, and why. On that basis, the existing data was consolidated into a newly structured CRM and a clear outbound strategy was developed.

That strategy wasn't just designed, it was executed. The target customers, banks and financial institutions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, were approached systematically across several channels: LinkedIn, email, and phone. In parallel, together with a newly onboarded team member, a supporting marketing campaign was set up and run to reinforce the outreach and build reach in the target segment.

From zero pipeline to a steady inflow, and the first bank deal

From a situation with no active pipeline, a steady inflow of two qualified leads per month emerged in the banking space. What sounds like a small number at first is, given the ticket sizes and sales cycles involved, a well-filled order book. After nine months, the first major deal with a bank in Germany was closed, with a high six-figure deal value.

• From zero to two qualified leads per month in the banking space
• At these ticket sizes and sales cycles, a well-filled order book
• First major close after nine months, with a bank in Germany
• Deal value: high six figures

Cold acquisition in banking is considered nearly impossible. It works, when it's set up systematically and carried through consistently over months.

The leverage wasn't more activity. It was a clearly structured process and the discipline to keep going in the hardest segment. If your sales today still hangs on the founders and new business comes mainly from the existing base, a structured look at your funnel is worth it.