A prospect's sudden, intense interest reveals a real need. If they don't convert, it's likely an execution failure—you pitched a confusing product or failed to connect your solution to their problem—not a lack of demand.
Discounts are effective for closing customers who are already trying to solve a problem. But applying these tactics to prospects without genuine pull manufactures a bad deal, leading to poor implementation and churn. It's a tool for execution, not demand creation.
Vague positive signals ("we're considering prioritizing this") create false hope that wastes months of effort. This "lukewarm demand" is a trap that keeps founders from making necessary pivots or confronting the reality of no true market pull.
When sales stall, founders assume the market isn't interested. More often, it's an execution problem: they fail to listen to clear demand signals or pitch irrelevant features, creating a self-inflicted "demand problem."
A perceived product flaw can be a primary value proposition for a different type of customer. For example, a diffuse global audience, useless to local venues, becomes a powerful asset for organizations aiming for international reach, unlocking a new market.
High-level company initiatives are not real demand. True demand only exists when a specific person has the project on their personal to-do list. Sales efforts are wasted if you cannot find and sell to that individual owner.
Intense effort is often a sign of weak demand. Founders at fast-growing companies aren't just working harder; they're channeling existing customer pull, while struggling founders burn out trying to manufacture it deal by deal.
Founders often over-explain their product, showing every feature from the login screen to settings. Instead, demo only the specific functionality that solves the customer's stated problem. Anything more introduces confusion and causes them to lose interest.