I've been so product-focused that I lost sight of sales. Now I can't afford product development even though we are rich with opportunity. I'm failing at the balancing act. My SaaS product needs attention as do my customers and users. But it leaves me very little time for sales. I'm sure this is a common problem but I'm not sure how to best address it. It's so problematic in fact that my developer is frustrated with the on-again-off-again nature of building this project out. I'm bootstrapping, and the little sales we do have goes right back into development. I can't say I'm a business developer, nor a sales guy, but I get out there and pitch a product I've been building with love for years so I've been able to last a few years. The product keeps getting better and better, and the feedback from customers and users has been wonderful. It's just me and a developer for hire (who also does love the project, but hasn't been interested in equity just yet). I feel this could be more, but don't know how to bridge the gap.
One has to do what is good for. If you say you are so product-focused but lost sight of sales, means that you better continue with your product development orientation. The business continuation would be with 3 options:
- find an independent sales guy with similar range of products. Sign a good product protective contract and leave him/her to do the sales job on a commission basis.
- get somebody who is close to you - from the family or friend, share the idea and help him/ her to start sales. As you say "feedback from customers and users has been wonderful", it would not be a problem to start sales activities with low profile and low budget.
or
- just find a good sales oriented company, with similar types of products. Share your idea / product and with good protective contract, become their product developer, as employee and let them take care for sales.
all the best
Val
Answered 5 years ago
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