As a wise man once said, “without revenues there can be no profit”.

Of course, revenues for any company are vitally important, but they are particularly critical for developing startups.

If you have done all the hard work of prospecting, qualifying, and proposing, and are now working on a close with a client, ensure that you’re selling something that can be purchased today. Not in 6 months time. Not when it meets your product development schedule.

At Venture Accelerator Partners, we’ve found that startups (particularly those in the technology sector) tend to be excited about their in-development products and services, and rather than working on the immediate close, they try to sell the client on the next iteration or version of their product. After all, the next version of the product will be better and can incorporate even more of the clients’ needs, right?

This feels great, but it doesn’t pay the bills. It’s hard to perfect a product down the road without revenues from today. Accordingly, we recommend that startups sell what they have today while enticing the client with ideas for the future. This leads to a much better close rate and healthier cash flow.

A few keys to selling what you have today are below.

1. Sell Your Minimum Viable Product

Ensure your product is a Minimum Viable Product that can be used from day one. This means that the core features and functionality of the product can is usable, without the bells and whistles.

2. Acquire Users Who’ll Get the Most Value

Look for organizations that value the current benefits of your product, exactly the way it is now.

3. Think Ahead to Future Products

Understand where a future product could be a good fit and target these opportunities in the future.

4. Set Expectations

Set expectations with the client as to the product’s capabilities and limitations. Don’t oversell it, you want your client to be your champion and to do that they need to know what they can expect and share that with their team. It is your chance then to either deliver or exceed expectations.

5. Communicate Your Vision

Be clear on what the future holds from a product or service standpoint. Wet the client’s appetite for future features and benefits you can provide and set timelines as to their availability (here is your upsell opportunity!)

Hopefully these key selling points will help you to close business more effectively and efficiently, both today and in the future. For more insight into sales for startups, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Twitter.