A source for actionable sales advice to help bootstrappers win more customers, Written by a sales rep of 6-figure SaaS.

1 tip

Everyone says to pre-sell before you build. Most fail to do so because they've never had a plan to help them. Treat it like a science experiment by following the Rule of 100 to determine if your project is worth building.

The Rule of 100

• Decide your ideal customer

• Compile 100 of those contacts

• Set a goal for success. If 10 buy, will I build the thing? If I can't find 10, will I move on from this idea?

"More bootstrappers would succeed if they focussed on sales rather than marketing." - Courtland Allen, Indiehackers

Your ideal customer

1. Who could my product help?
2. Where do those people hang out?
3. How does my work translate into their success? (more on this later!)

These questions are necessary to determine if your target market exists. If so, how can we repeatedly find them? And how do we message them about the benefits they could experience by working with us?

Example: It's a tried and true method of aligning your capabilities with your customer's needs. Let's give it a try for Eamon Keane's Project Rina, a Twitter Publishing Tool.

1. Who does this product help? Twitter users who are trying to grow an audience, schedule their content, and handle multiple accounts.
2. Where do those people hang out? Definitely on Twitter, but maybe there are some communities or conferences we can search for and see what we come up with.