$ telnetly --connect prospects
We open a session with the right stakeholder.
You take the meeting.
telnetly is a cold-email appointment setting agency built specifically for open-source infrastructure companies — Linux, Kubernetes, private cloud, OpenStack, observability, and security & compliance. Technical products need technical outreach. That's the only thing we do.
- One channel, mastered
- No lock-in contracts
- Run by technical operators
// the problem
Generic outbound doesn't work on technical buyers.
Most SDR agencies run the same script on every account, whether they're selling accounting software or a Kubernetes migration platform. Infrastructure buyers can tell in one sentence. The email gets deleted, and the account is burned for the next person who tries.
01
Wrong persona, wrong pitch
A message written for a "Head of IT" doesn't land with a Platform Engineer, a VP Infrastructure, or a CISO evaluating compliance posture. Each has a different trigger.
02
Jargon used as a costume
Sprinkling in "Kubernetes" or "zero trust" isn't the same as understanding what the buyer's stack actually looks like, or where it hurts.
03
Meetings that don't convert
Volume-first agencies book anyone who replies. Your AEs spend the call re-qualifying instead of selling.
// why cold email, and only cold email
Complex technical products deserve a channel built for depth, not interruption.
A cold call gets 20 seconds before a technical buyer decides you're not worth their time. Cold email is the one channel that lets us actually make the case: what your platform does, why it matters to their specific environment, and why it's worth 15 minutes.
- Written and read at the stakeholder's own pace, not rushed through a script
- Gives us room to reference their actual stack, tooling, and technical context
- Leaves a paper trail decision-makers can forward internally to a colleague
- Scales without a call floor, LinkedIn quota, or a team of dialers
// how appointment setting works
A five-step process, run end to end.
No handoffs to an offshore call center, no black box. Every step below is done by people who understand infrastructure buying cycles.
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01
Research & ICP mapping
We map your ideal customer profile against real technical signals — tech stack, hiring patterns, funding, compliance triggers — not just job title and headcount.
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02
Prospect research & list building
Decision-makers and technical influencers are identified and manually validated — the CISO, the platform lead, the VP Infra — not scraped in bulk.
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03
Deliverability & domain setup
SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain warm-up, and sending infrastructure are configured before a single email goes out, so your message actually lands in the inbox.
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04
Messaging & outreach
Sequences are written from a presales perspective — the pain points, the objections, the language your buyer actually uses — then sent and iterated weekly.
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05
Qualified meetings, on your calendar
Interested replies are handled, qualified against your criteria, and booked directly into your calendar — with reminders sent to cut no-shows.
// what counts as a qualified meeting
Every meeting we book meets four criteria.
We don't count a reply as a win. We count a meeting as a win — and only when it actually looks like a deal you'd want.
01
Role fit
The person taking the call has real influence over the buying decision — not a gatekeeper, not someone forwarding it to "the right person."
02
Company fit
The company matches the ICP we lock together in week 1 — stack, size, and technical signals, not just a job title match.
03
Explicit interest
They responded with genuine intent to learn more — not a one-line "sure" we talked into a booking.
04
Confirmed on your calendar
The meeting is booked directly on your calendar, with a reminder sent to reduce no-shows. If it's a no-show, we rebook it — a scheduled meeting only counts once it's actually held.
The exact criteria are discussed and locked in with you before kickoff, so "qualified" isn't our judgment call — it's one we make together.
// who we help
Built for open-source infrastructure, specifically.
Not a generalist agency that also does infrastructure. If your buyer thinks in uptime, clusters, and CVEs, we already speak the language.
Private cloud & OpenStack providers
Reaching infra teams evaluating alternatives to hyperscaler lock-in and rising VMware costs.
Kubernetes & platform engineering vendors
Speaking to platform and DevOps leads on cluster management, GitOps, and developer experience.
Observability & monitoring companies
Positioning against incumbent tooling with teams already drowning in dashboards.
Security & compliance platforms
Reaching CISOs and compliance leads with messaging grounded in real frameworks, not fear tactics.
System integrators & MSPs
Booking meetings with the ops and IT leaders who actually own the migration decision.
Enterprise migration specialists
Getting in front of teams planning a move off legacy or proprietary infrastructure.
// why telnetly
Run by people who've sat on the other side of the call.
telnetly is built around real presales and infrastructure backgrounds — a team that's sat in the room while technical buyers asked hard questions, not a marketing agency that picked up a vertical. We know the difference between a feature and a reason to switch, and we write outreach accordingly.
Technical fluency, not buzzwords
We read your docs, not just your homepage. Messaging reflects how your product actually fits into a buyer's stack.
One channel, done properly
We don't spread thin across calls, LinkedIn, and email at once. Cold email, mastered, beats three channels done adequately.
Transparent reporting
Open rates, reply rates, meetings booked — you see the campaign as it runs, not a summary at month end.
No lock-in contracts
We earn the engagement every month. If the pipeline isn't moving, you're free to walk.
// what happens after you sign
From kickoff to your first meeting
No black box. Here's what's happening at each stage, and what to expect from us.
Foundation
Kickoff call to lock ICP and exclusions. Domain purchased, SPF/DKIM/DMARC configured, mailboxes provisioned and warm-up begins. First prospect list researched and validated.
Focus: infrastructure trust, before we send a single email.
Warm-up & messaging
Mailboxes keep warming while sequences get written from a presales angle — pain points, objections, your buyer's actual language. Calendar and booking flow connected.
Focus: nothing goes out until deliverability is solid.
First sends
Outreach goes live at low volume. Replies are monitored and qualified daily, with a first optimization pass on subject lines and opener based on real reply data.
Focus: first qualified conversations start landing.
Ramp
Sending volume increases as domain reputation holds. Messaging is refined against what's actually getting replies, and first meetings land directly on your calendar.
Focus: turning replies into booked, qualified meetings.
Steady state
Weekly reporting is fully in motion. List and messaging are continuously refined, and meeting flow becomes the predictable, repeatable part of your pipeline.
Focus: consistent qualified meetings, not one-off spikes.
← swipe to see all 5 stages →
// faq
Questions & answers
Why only cold email, not calling or LinkedIn?
Because the buyers we target — platform engineers, infra leads, CISOs — evaluate technical claims on their own time, not on a cold call. Email lets us make a real case with room to reference their stack. We'd rather do one channel exceptionally well than three adequately.
Which locations do you work with?
We work with B2B infrastructure companies across major global technology markets, with outreach tailored to local time zones, buyer behavior, and market dynamics.
How quickly can a campaign launch?
Most campaigns go from kickoff to first send within 2–3 weeks, including ICP research, list building, and deliverability setup.
Are contracts month-to-month?
Yes. No lock-in. We work on the basis that the pipeline results speak for themselves each month.
What do you need from us to get started?
Your ideal customer profile (or help defining one), access to book meetings on your calendar, and 30 minutes to walk through your product and past sales conversations.
How do you avoid landing in spam?
Every campaign starts with domain and mailbox setup — SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and a proper warm-up period — before outreach volume ramps up.
Who owns the leads and lists you build?
You do. Prospect lists, messaging, and campaign data are yours to keep, whether or not we continue working together.
// get started
Ready to fill your calendar with the right conversations?
Book a 30-minute strategy call. We'll talk through your ICP, your current pipeline, and whether cold email is the right fit — no pressure either way.
Book a strategy call30 minutes · no commitment required