Trying to figure out why it's so hard to get traction with a specific audience: construction subs and tradespeople.
Built something genuinely free, no card, no signup even needed to try the basic version, walk away anytime if it doesn't help, aimed at a real financial problem they deal with constantly. Not selling anything, not asking for money.
I think the real issue isn't the product. It's that this exact audience has been burned so many times by "tech bros" cold pitching website builds, SEO, Google review boosting, and other stuff that did nothing or was a straight up scam, that the second they sense any kind of software pitch the wall goes up before you even get to explain what it is. Half the time I don't even get a proper chance to talk, I've already been mentally filed under the same bucket as the guy who called last month promising more leads for $500/month.
For anyone who's sold into a blue collar or trade audience specifically: how did you get past that wall? Pure relationship building over time, or is there something specific that actually breaks through the "here we go again" reaction?