Sell First, Build Later
Hey guys, just wanted to share this tough with you.
I am the Founder of Lira Edu, a SaaS B2B corporate Duolingo who help companies train they employees increasing their engagement and knowledge retention.
I know there are cases that this might not apply, but this was the strategy that worked for me. Before writing the first line of code I had a client agreed to pay for the development of the prototype of my SaaS and to run it with his employees. It was the best decision I've made because I was sure I was solving a real world problem and that there are people willing to pay for my solution.
I belive by the end of this year I will reach 1k USD MRR. It doesn't seems a lot but for Brazilians ( which is my case ) it is a lot of money.
If you have any questions or want to share some experience too, leave a comment.
Cheers!
Hi Rafael, 👋🏾
I think pre sales are a great idea. However, the trick is figuring out how to do it 🤔
Do you have any articles, books, podcasts or videos to share on pre sales strategy that you found to be insightful?
Hi @Janinah
To be fair there are hundreds of videos, courses, posts and content related to pre sales on the internet. But what worked for me was to first find someone who had the problem ( in this case I was lucky because that person came to me by referral ). As I was presented to this person as a specialist in the subject, it was easier for me to create a trust relation with this person.
But the main point is finding someone who have the problem and create a trust relation with this person. Show that you are an expert in the problem and you are serious about building a solution to solve and you have what it takes to build this solution.
Very true. It's always easier to sell to people you have built trust with and I guess even more so when it comes to pre-sales - So thank you for the tip.
Also, just reading your comment to BlackZulu where you've mentioned your experience of corporate training & gaming - That's a really interesting concept. A part of my business (notion consultancy) will involve a certain element of training staff. So, as a gamer, I think adding aspects of gamification to it would be fun + a good USP.
Lastly, not sure if you've heard it, but I'm currently reading a book about gamification called 'SuperBetter - How a gameful life can make you stronger, happier braver and more resilient' I highly recommend you check it out if you haven't already. I've only been reading it for the last 4 days, or so but I'm really enjoying it so far.
Thanks for the tip! I'm definitely going to check out the book.
You've achieved what most of us want. Congrats Rafael! Can I ask, how did you get the client?
Thank you @BlackZulu
I worked for some years with gamification and corporate training so when this person was having difficulty he reached one of my clients who told them about me.
When I went to meet this new lead I have paid attention to him, showed him I was interested in helping him and that I was able to build the solution he needed. It's a trust game.
That's awesome Rafael!
I actually did this two years ago... when I started my Indie hackers account, I had a couple of friends who validated my idea, and also promised they would pay for the first alpha version as soon as it worked... but I never built it - some other client-work and pandemonium got in the way.
It's the ultimate idea validation right? "Yes this is a good idea, and let me pre-pay for it!"
Congratulations on the MRR!
Thanks @devular
Indeed when you create a trust relationship with people who have a problem and need something to solve this problem it is way easier to get your first sale.
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