The challenge
Haystack builds custom software for energy and utility companies, the kind of six and seven figure projects that modernize operations and connect systems that were never designed to talk to each other. Their buyers are senior leaders at large utilities, and that is one of the hardest audiences in business to reach cold.
Haystack had two needs at once. They wanted a real outbound motion, using AI tooling and better data to find the right accounts. They also needed market research, which meant getting in front of senior decision makers to test how their solutions landed before committing to a direction. Both required access to the same hard-to-reach people.
Why GreaterScale
Getting to VPs and C-suite leaders at 2,000 person utilities is not a volume problem, it is a precision problem. Haystack brought on GreaterScale to build the research and targeting system, then run the outreach that turned it into conversations.
What we built
We built a research-led outbound system aimed squarely at the energy and utility sector:
- Account tiering driven by intent data and fit signals, ranking every company on how likely it was to need Haystack’s solutions
- AI workflows running deep research on every target account before outreach
- Targeting focused on VPs and C-suite leaders at utility and energy companies with 2,000 or more employees
- A master data set pulling all of that research, firmographic, and intent information into one place
- Dual-track outreach that books both market research interviews and sales meetings from the same engine
The results
The entire system was built and deployed in the first five weeks. After that, the time required from Haystack’s own team was minimal, because everything was already operational and running on its own.
- $340K in pipeline opportunity in the first 3 months
- 3 qualified meetings per week with decision makers at large utilities
- 9 meetings with senior leaders for market research, opening a new go-to-market angle for the business
- Full system built and live in 5 weeks, with minimal time needed from their team afterward
Profitable with GreaterScale by month 5