TFT: Your Product May be Great, but No Product Sells Itself
As a technical founder, it’s easy to think that a great product will naturally attract customers. The thought might go something like, “If I have the best product, everyone will want to buy it.” The reality is if no one knows about your product, they won’t even know to consider buying it, no matter how great it is. Does that mean you need to morph into an extroverted “salesperson” to get your product out there? Not necessarily. What you need is the right community to connect with, one that can amplify your message and help share your product. That’s the focus of this week’s TFT.
Community Sales Effort
Having an amazing product with excellent features is just one piece of the puzzle. Equally important is having a strong community around your product or service. The best way to start this is by evangelizing the problem you’re solving, which I covered in a previous post. Once you’ve identified and built your community, it’s still important not to only focus on product features. Instead, continue engaging the community around the problem. This ensures your solution truly fits the market’s needs.
The product needs to solve the problem effectively, of course. But if you focus only on the product, expecting that it will “sell itself,” you may miss out on key insights and needs from the community and the broader market. For those who are more introverted, the thought of getting out there and connecting with the community might feel daunting. You may think that your time is better spent refining features. But ask yourself this: Does the community actually need that feature?
Your primary task is to find where your customers are by focusing on the problem. When engaging with them, remember this guideline: 20% talking, 80% listening. Use your 20% to emphasize the problem and ensure the community agrees with how you define it. Then, shift to asking questions that encourage the community to share their own perspectives on the problem. Follow up with additional questions, showing you’re genuinely interested in understanding their needs.
When you’re ready to introduce your solution, again focus on the problem it solves and listen to the community’s response.
Here are a few questions to keep in mind:
What features does the community really need?
Which features are “nice-to-have”?
What features might be overkill?
Now you’re not just refining a product—you’re crafting a solution that customers are willing to pay for. Take this community feedback, make any necessary adjustments, and then offer your solution. Ask early adopters to share their experiences. With that, you’ll have real-life testimonials to bring to the broader market.
Action Step
This week identify the community that you are selling your product into. Pick one action this week and one per week for the rest of the year that will allow you to engage with this community.
Additional Reading:
1. “The Power of Community in Business Growth” – Forbes
2. “Introverts Can Succeed in Sales Too” – Harvard Business Review
3. “Evangelizing the Problem: How to Build a Market” – RAIN Group
Are you looking to improve your sales process or hire your first sales professional?
Are you a technical expert ready to transition into sales and need guidance?
If so, we’re here to help! Reach out to us with your specific challenges, and we’ll schedule a time to discuss how we can develop a customized plan to meet your goals.