The lean, direct sales playbook that actually works.
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Why trade shows fail pre-PMF
I attended the RSNA once as part of an early outbound campaign. We generated ~50 leads, but none converted. Trade shows are a distraction pre-PMF. They help with partnerships, not early sales.
“We got 50 leads from a trade show, and none converted. That taught me everything I needed to know.”
Cold outbound to specific buyers
What worked instead:
- Cold outbound to heads of simulation at universities and hospitals
- Webinars and async demos tied to education cycles
- Partnerships with related tools (LMS integrations, EdTech marketplaces)
Webinars, demos, and academic introductions
We relied heavily on async demos (Loom/Zoom), tailored to academic calendars. Introductions through academic societies carried more weight than cold “commercial” approaches.
Proof > pitch: how to win trust remotely
Early buyers didn’t care about vision statements — they cared about proof. Academic buyers wanted:
- Evidence of student outcomes
- Procurement-friendly invoices
- Documentation-heavy onboarding
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