When DeepVision started working with us, the company didn't even exist yet. No brand, no clients, no track record — just an idea and one bold goal. Its founder, Amon Olimov, had put his last money into this service, which meant there was no way back. Most IT companies leave marketing for last — product first, then advertising if there's money left over. DeepVision did the opposite: it started with marketing.
The goal was set clearly: to become the first Odoo Gold Partner in Uzbekistan within one year. We closed it in nine months, with an advertising budget of just $1 124. The plan isn't complex, but it demands discipline. Below is the step-by-step map of that journey: four stages, and the result at the end.
You can't sell an ERP with a single ad
The first rule is simple: an ERP is a complex product. Nobody makes a $50 000 decision after seeing one ad. The fast funnel of "a lead came in, we sold it instantly" simply doesn't work here, because the buyer has to understand the product first, then the team, then the price. In B2B, a decision like this stretches out over two to six months — rush it, and you scare the buyer off.
That's why we invested not in advertising, but in trust. We built a "staircase of trust" that lifts the buyer from someone unaware to a customer ready to pay. Each step prepares the next — skip one, and the step above it collapses. The whole plan was built on that sequence: content, live events, a forum, a hackathon, and only at the very end — the sale.
Stage 1: building trust with 70 videos
The first stage is content. In nine months we produced 70 videos, 10 of which were VSL (Video Sales Letter) tutorials on YouTube. These aren't ads — they educate the market: what Odoo is, what problem it solves, and why this particular team can deliver it. Each video answered a single question, dissolving doubt little by little. This set a steady organic flow in motion.
The VSL tutorial was the heart of this stage. It teaches and qualifies at the same time: someone who watches a tutorial all the way through is already an interested, informed buyer. The effect was stronger than expected — our fastest sale closed in just 3 days: the client watched the VSL and came to the sales team already ready to buy. Good content is a slow-working but the cheapest salesperson.
Stages 2–4: events, a forum, and a hackathon
The second stage was the first live event, with 101 participants. The trust built on screen turned into face-to-face contact here. With an expensive product, people want to look the seller in the eye before paying — and we gave them that chance. This step turned an online acquaintance into a personal relationship.
The third stage was the Odoo Forum, at the Hilton, side by side with the international company Odoo. More than 400 participants came and, most importantly, 400+ Marketing Qualified Leads went straight to the sales team. A brand that had only just been born stood on the same stage as an international name — that kind of reputation can't be bought with money. The goal here wasn't advertising, but reinforcing trust with social proof.
The fourth stage was a hackathon, with more than 200 developers. This stage wasn't for sales, but for the ecosystem; some participants were even later hired onto the team. In the ERP business, people and ecosystem are an inseparable part of the product. Each stage expanded the audience: from 101 to 400, then to 200 developers.
The result of nine months
With a $1 124 budget, in nine months we closed 25 deals and reached $200 000+ in turnover — a 178× return. This is one of the highest returns among the 50+ projects we've managed over two years. That figure came not from advertising magic, but from a properly built sequence: each stage made the next deal cheaper.
The average deal ranged from $10 000 to $100 000 and grew over time: a deal that started around $20 000 later reached $40 000 — double. The stronger the brand grows, the bigger the decision the buyer is ready to make.
And the main goal was achieved: DeepVision became the first Odoo Gold Partner in Uzbekistan and the second in Central Asia. We reached in nine months a result that had been planned for a full year.
Conclusion
The lesson of the journey from zero to Gold Partner is simple: you don't sell a complex product — you build conviction in it. It's not the budget that decides, but the sequence. $1 124 isn't "ad money" — it's the fuel for a properly built staircase. For anyone who wants to repeat this path, the order is clear: first teach, then meet, then build an ecosystem — the sale comes on its own.
Had we spent that same money directly on buying "cheap leads," not a single deal would have closed — because nobody buys a $50 000 ERP from a company they've never heard of. Content built trust, events brought it to life, the hackathon built the ecosystem, and the result came by itself. In IT, marketing isn't advertising — it's a system that builds trust.