In the early days of learning about selling software—to get WrestlingIQ off the ground—I was nervous. I was afraid I needed to put on some sort of tough sales persona that convinced wrestling teams they needed to switch.
That was completely misguided.
Turns out, people want help understanding what is best for their wrestling team. They need an expert guide to know when and why they should use WrestlingIQ vs TeamSnap vs SportsEngine vs MatBoss vs LevelChanger vs whatever.
Instead of selling, I started listening.
Once I understand the context and problems they are trying to solve, I simply recommend the tool I think will work best for them. That tools is not always WrestlingIQ—I actively disqualify people who would be better served by a different system.
Providing helpful guidance for someone is easy to do, authentic, and leaves a good impression on people—even if they don’t convert.
For other software engineers turned founder who are leaning into sales, the advice I give these days is simple:
Stop trying to pitch. Instead, be helpful.