How to sell custom software to your local business clients
Short answer: package custom software as a business outcome (fewer missed calls, faster quotes, less double entry), build a vertical demo before you pitch, charge a setup fee plus a monthly retainer, and deliver on a platform where you can build and change apps fast. Alori lets agencies build custom apps for each client by describing them, with each client in its own project under your agency account.
Step 1: pick a vertical you already know
You'll close faster in a vertical where you already have clients and speak the language. Good starting points for local agencies: HVAC, plumbing, cleaning, landscaping, roofing, auto repair, salons, and spas.
Step 2: find the pain worth paying for
In a 20-minute call with an existing client, ask:
- What tools do you pay for every month? (Write them down. This is your "replace" list.)
- Where does information get copied by hand?
- What do you still track in a spreadsheet or on paper?
- What falls through the cracks: quotes not followed up, callbacks missed, reviews never asked for?
The answers become your proposal.
Step 3: build the demo before the pitch
Build a demo app for the vertical on Alori: customers, jobs, quotes, and schedule. In the meeting, change it live based on what the client says ("add a field for gate code," "add a job status called Waiting on parts"). Watching their own business appear in software is what closes the deal.
Step 4: package the offer
| Package | What's included |
|---|---|
| Starter | One core app (CRM + quotes or CRM + scheduling), customer list setup, team access |
| Operations | CRM, quotes, scheduling, jobs, and invoicing in one app |
| Growth | Operations plus expansions you build over time: client portal screens, review follow-up, maintenance tracking, reporting |
Each package: setup fee + monthly retainer for hosting, support, and changes.
Step 5: deliver in days, not months
- Bring in the client's customer list (spreadsheet or manual entry while you test).
- Rebuild their current workflow first, then improve it.
- Run it alongside their old tool for a week.
- Train the team in one short session (the app only has what they use).
- Cancel the tools it replaces, and put the savings in your case study.
Step 6: grow the account
Every new screen for that client shares the same data, so expansions are faster to build and easier to sell: maintenance tracking, technician checklists, and reporting views.
FAQ
How long does it take to build a client app on Alori? A useful first version usually takes a focused working session or two, not a multi-month dev project.
Who hosts the app? Alori handles hosting and the database. Apps can email quotes and invoices to customers (from mail4.alori.dev, using Alori credits per recipient). Apps can also text customers in both directions from a local number, and the thread lives on the customer record.
Can each client have its own domain? A custom domain can be connected for the client's app when it's set up on Alori. Ask the Alori team for details.