Sales for Engineers: What I Learned Selling My Own Product

Engineers hate sales. I did too. Then I realized: no sales = no business.

What I Got Wrong

Talking about features: Customers don't care about your tech stack.

Being too humble: "It's pretty good I guess" doesn't inspire confidence.

Waiting for inbound: No one knows you exist. You have to go find them.

What Works

Talking about problems: "Tired of losing inventory data?" That resonates.

Demo first: Show, don't tell. 10-minute demo beats 1-hour pitch.

Social proof: "We work with XYZ company" opens doors.

Follow up: Most sales happen after 3-5 touchpoints. Don't give up after one "not interested."

The Process

1. Identify businesses that match our ICP
2. Cold WhatsApp message (works better than email in Kenya)
3. Book a demo
4. Show the product solving their actual problem
5. Send proposal
6. Follow up weekly until yes or no

The Hard Part

Rejection. Lots of it.

But you get numb to it. And one yes makes up for twenty nos.

The Lesson

Sales isn't sleazy. It's helping people solve problems.

If your product genuinely helps, selling it is a service.