Any advice for a developer who wants to turn a salesperson?

Question

I'm Ahmad, co-founder of https://Buildman.io, I have a technical background, and as you know, in the early stage of a startup, you have to do everything, including sales.
Any advice or tips?

Gleb Braverman · Accepted Answer

Just start doing it, read some books like Crossing The Chasm, Tipping Point and some other classics.
Learning by doing is the best way!

Irete Hamdani · Answer

Establish genuine relationships with people and follow up continuously!

Dara · Answer

Lots of tech sales guys on r/sales... reddit.com

Martha Snooper · Answer

If you are a developer who wants to transition into a sales role, there are a few things you can do to help make the transition.

Develop your communication skills
Learn about sales and marketing
Add more network
Build your personal brand
Be persistent

Remember, making the transition from developer to salesperson takes time and effort. But with the right mindset, skills, and knowledge, you can succeed in this exciting and rewarding field.

Aleks Dahlberg · Answer

Since you're a developer already and your product is dev centric then you are already a salesmen. I'd focus on WHO you sell to - my bet would be selling internally to dev teams and product people and not executives. Let the product sell internally within your target organisations as opposed to trying to get sales top down.

Jenna Miles · Answer

watch wolf of the wall street or join an online sales course https://skill-edge.com/sales-edge/

Gabriel Romero · Answer

Great advice from @gleb_braverman on just starting and taking action! As a fellow developer and introvert, I can completely relate to the challenge of overthinking. One resource that could be helpful is the book "Mom Test", which I highly recommend. The book provides practical tips on how to shift your focus to the person you're talking to and ask better questions. By allowing the other person to talk about themselves, you can gain valuable insights and information that can inform your pitch later on. I was surprised to learn that most people love to talk, and with a bit of encouragement, they're often willing to share everything you need to know. So don't be afraid to take that first step and start a conversation!

Marcus Tisdale · Answer

As someone with a background in sales, I'd recommend taking an actual part-time job in sales and learning the ropes. There's nothing like being thrown into a real-time environment and learning from those who are already doing it

Nurlan Nurmanov · Answer

Just remember, No does not mean No.

Lirian Ostrovica · Answer

@nurlan_nurmanov  Wouldn't it be better to spend your time moving to the next one instead?

Cortney · Answer

Jump into a Pre-Sales role! Pre-sales folks need to know the tech basics but they also participate in the bottom of the sales funnel. It's a great place for folks with a technical background to get involved in the sales process.

Corey Berrier · Answer

We should connect. I'm the Sales  Expert on Deck for Embriya Accelerator Hardware Startups (EPIC) Prize challenge of the fastest-growing accelerators in DC; we currently have 37 startups funded by DOE-OTT. Be honest and transparent and people love to buy but hate to be sold to.

Gaurav Singh Bisen · Answer

Congratulations Ahmand on your startup. Looks quite interesting. In my experience if you are someone who has been on the introvert side, now is the time to expose yourself to the other side of the world. Few things that can surely help you to crack conversations with your ICP:
1. Be transparent, direct and honest while reaching out to people
2. Identify the platform where your potential customers are most active and try to connect with them keeping point no. 1 in mind. 
3. Be shameless and ask a simple question about your product - "Do you think its a vitamin or pain killer for you? " - This will give you a lot of clarity in shaping product further.

Most important - Understand whether you wish to build a great product or a great business. Great products sell on their own while great businesses requires a strong inter-personal skills.

One question that I seek your input on- what is your advice for a salesperson who is trying to sell to developers? Need your help on this if you can.

Animesh Koratana · Answer

Leverage your knowledge! You may never have the sales skills of a true sales professional, but what you do have is the deepest knowledge of your product and the pain points it addresses of any person in the entire world. You just need to convey it in a way that reaches your target audience.

Any advice for a developer who wants to turn a salesperson?

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