Pre-Sale Offer
Sell a clearly described product before you build it, with a delivery date, a refund promise and a small number of spots.
Stage 5 of 10 · from idea to first customer
Set a price and pre-sell
Ask for money early: pre-sales, deposits, paid pilots and price tests tell you more than any compliment.
Compliments are free, and so is a sign-up. Money is the honest signal. This stage shows you how to set a first price, put it in front of people and take real payments or written commitments before the product is finished.
Pre-selling feels uncomfortable for many first-time founders. The methods below keep it fair: clear delivery dates, refund promises and no pressure tactics.
What you should have at the end of this stage
A first price you can defend, and either paying customers, deposits or signed letters of intent from people who want what you are building.
The 10 methods in this stage
Crowdfunding Pre-Launch Page
Collect followers on a Kickstarter pre-launch page and an email list of your own, so launch day starts with backers ready to pledge.
Letter of Intent for B2B
Turn a promising B2B conversation into a signed one-page letter that states what the buyer intends to buy, at what price and when.
Van Westendorp Price Survey
Ask 4 price questions to 50 or more target customers and plot the answers to find the range of prices they accept.
Price Testing on a Landing Page
Show different prices to different visitors or in different weeks and count who clicks buy or pays, to pick a price from behaviour.
Founding Member Offer
Give your first 50 to 100 customers a locked-in price in exchange for regular feedback, with a hard cap and written terms.
Paid Pilot
Run a short, paid trial with a business customer, with scope, success criteria and the path to a full contract agreed before you start.
Payment Link Test
Create a Stripe or PayPal payment link in minutes and send it to real prospects, so you learn who pays before you build a checkout.
Competitor Pricing Map
Collect competitor prices into one table, convert them to price per unit of value and plot them to find an open spot for your price.
One-Page Offer Sheet
Put your whole offer on one page: who it's for, the result, what's included, price, guarantee and deadline, then test it on sales calls.