Getting Your First Paying Users
How to Pre-Sell Your SaaS (Without Feeling Salesy)
Hey founders, it’s Nick from SaaS Factory Kit 👋
You’ve validated the idea.
You’ve built your MVP.
You’ve launched to a niche and gathered feedback.
Now it’s time to do something that makes a lot of founders uncomfortable:
💸 Ask for money.
Yep—this is the week we talk about turning early interest into actual paying users.
But don’t worry—this isn’t about being pushy or “closing deals.”
It’s about:
✅ Offering something valuable
✅ Framing it with the right incentives
✅ Creating urgency and exclusivity
✅ Making it easy for people to say “yes”
This is how early SaaS founders build momentum and fund the next stage without needing investors or going into feature-building overdrive.
Let’s dive in 👇
💡 Why Sell Early?
Here’s a simple rule of thumb:
If someone isn’t willing to pay now, they’re unlikely to pay later.
Pre-selling doesn’t just validate the product—it validates demand.
Even 3–5 early customers paying $10–$50 can:
Boost your confidence
Fund development or tools
Signal traction when launching publicly
Give you motivated beta users who actually use it
You’re not tricking anyone. You’re inviting them in early, with full transparency.
🧠 Step 1: What Are You Offering?
Before you DM or email anyone, get clear on what they’re actually getting.
The most common offers for pre-sales:
🎟️ Early Access Membership
Give people access before the public launch.
Offer perks like:
Lifetime discount (e.g. “50% off forever”)
Priority access to features
Private onboarding or walkthrough
Community, calls, or feedback sessions
✅ Example: “Be one of the first 25 to get access and lock in $9/month before we raise prices.”
💳 One-Time Lifetime Deal
A limited lifetime access offer can work great when you’re not ready to do full billing cycles yet.
✅ Example: “Join today for a one-time $49—get full access to everything as we build and grow.”
🔒 “Founder Plan” Offer
Appeal to early adopters who want to be part of the journey.
✅ Example: “Founder plan: $29/month + direct line to me + feature input + early integrations”
🗣️ Step 2: How to Ask Without Being Awkward
Let’s talk about cold outreach—DMs and emails.
Here’s the biggest mistake most founders make:
❌ They pitch too fast.
❌ They sound like spam.
❌ They write a wall of text.
The fix?
Start with curiosity. Then follow up with value. Then invite to try or support.
🔹 Example Cold DM Script (Twitter/Threads)
Hey [Name] – saw you’re in [niche], and I’m building something to help with [pain].
Quick Q: have you ever struggled with [problem]?
Not pitching anything—just validating right now.
(They reply)
Appreciate it! I’ve built a tiny MVP that solves this in a dead simple way.
Happy to show you or send early access if it’s relevant. Totally no pressure 🙏
If they’re interested, then:
Just launched early access for a small group—$29 for lifetime access as I build. Includes updates, walkthrough, and direct feedback loop.
Want me to send you the link?
🔹 Example Cold Email Script
Subject: Quick Q about [problem you solve]
Hi [Name],
Saw you work in [space], and I’m working on a simple tool that helps [audience] solve [pain].
Curious—have you ever dealt with [problem]? I’m chatting with people before I open up early access. No pressure, just learning.
(If they reply)
Thanks! I’ve got a working version live and offering early access for a small group of testers.
Includes lifetime discount + feature input. Happy to share more if interested.
Let me know!
🧨 Step 3: Build a Bit of FOMO (Without Being Manipulative)
You don’t need to fake scarcity. But you can add a real reason to act.
Try one of these:
🔒 Limited Spots
“I’m only onboarding 10 people this week to keep feedback tight.”
⏳ Time-Sensitive Perk
“This lifetime plan will close Friday when we start the public rollout.”
📣 Public Signal
“23 people have signed up so far—closing early access soon.”
FOMO isn’t about pressure.
It’s about providing clarity:
This is available now, and this is why it won’t always be.
✅ Step 4: Make It Easy to Pay
The last thing you want is friction at the finish line.
Tools you can use:
Lemon Squeezy – Fast SaaS billing + paywalls
Gumroad – Great for one-time/lifetime access
Stripe + Tally – Collect email and payment via a simple form
Buy Me a Coffee – For “support this project” style early sales
Use what’s easiest for you to launch. You can always upgrade later.
📥 Free Resource: Pre-Sale Playbook
To make this even easier, I put together a free Pre-Sale Playbook on Notion.
📄 Inside you’ll find:
What to offer and how to price it
Cold DM + email scripts
Landing page layout for early access
Tools to collect payments easily
Tips to build FOMO (without being shady)
👉 https://go.saasfactorykit.com/presale-playbook
Download it, duplicate it, and start turning interest into revenue—faster than you think.
📊 How to Know It’s Working
You don’t need hundreds of customers yet.
You’re looking for signal.
✅ 5–10 people willing to pay
✅ Real feedback on the product
✅ Follow-up questions or referrals
✅ Repeat signups from posts or DMs
📩 Want Feedback on Your Offer or DM?
If you're drafting your first early access message, sales page, or pricing—send it over.
Reply to this email with:
Your product name + one-liner
Your offer (what you're charging + what they get)
Your cold DM or email draft
I’ll review and give feedback on what’s clear, what could land better, and how to frame your value.
👇 Just hit reply. Let’s make your first sale happen.
Next Week:
🔁 Week 9 – Turning Early Users into Fans & Referrals
We’ll talk:
✅ How to onboard early users properly
✅ Gathering testimonials and feedback
✅ Building small loops that grow your audience
Let’s go from MVP → revenue → retention.
You’ve got this 💸
—Nick
Founder, SaaS Factory Kit