Pre-Selling and Low-Risk Commitment Tests

What Pre-Selling and Commitment Tests Are (and Why They Matter)

Pre-selling and low-risk commitment tests are validation methods that ask potential customers to make a meaningful commitment before you invest heavily in building. The commitment can be financial (a deposit, pre-order, paid pilot) or non-financial but still costly in time, reputation, or internal effort (introductions to decision-makers, sharing data, signing a letter of intent, scheduling onboarding, allocating a budget line). The key idea is simple: people can say “sounds great” in an interview and still never buy. Commitment tests move from opinions to behavior.

These tests sit between “interest” signals (email signups, survey responses, positive interview feedback) and “full product” signals (recurring revenue, renewals). They are designed to answer: “Will someone commit enough that building this is justified?” Because they are low-risk, you can run them quickly, learn fast, and avoid spending months building something that only gets compliments.

What counts as a commitment?

• Money now: pre-order payment, deposit, paid discovery workshop, paid pilot, paid setup fee, paid waitlist.
• Money later but formalized: signed order form contingent on delivery, letter of intent (LOI) with pricing and timeline, procurement initiation, budget approval email.
• Time and effort: booking a 45–60 minute scoping call with multiple stakeholders, providing access to data, completing a detailed intake form, installing a script, connecting you to IT/security, inviting you to a team meeting.
• Reputation: agreeing to be a reference customer, co-marketing agreement, allowing you to use their logo (even “pending delivery”).

Not all commitments are equal. A $50 deposit from a consumer can be strong; a “we’ll buy later” from a company is weak unless it triggers internal steps (legal review, vendor onboarding, purchase order). The best commitment tests are aligned with how buying actually happens in that market.

Pre-Sell Formats You Can Use Without Building the Full Product

1) Pre-orders for a defined deliverable

A pre-order is a purchase of a clearly described outcome delivered at a future date. It works best when you can describe the deliverable precisely and deliver it manually at first if needed.

• Example (consumer): “Meal plan for marathon training: 12-week plan + grocery lists + weekly adjustments. Delivery starts Feb 1.”
• Example (B2B): “Quarterly compliance report pack: data extraction + analysis + board-ready PDF. First delivery in 21 days.”

2) Deposits to reserve a spot

Deposits reduce risk for the buyer while proving seriousness. They work well for services, cohorts, limited-capacity offers, or anything with scheduling.

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• Example: “$200 refundable deposit to reserve one of 10 onboarding slots for March.”

Refundable deposits can still be meaningful because the buyer must take action, share payment details, and mentally commit. Non-refundable deposits are stronger but can be harder to sell early.

3) Paid pilots or paid trials (B2B)

A paid pilot is a time-boxed engagement with a defined scope and success criteria. It’s not “free trial”; it’s “paid proof.” It works when buyers want evidence before a larger contract.

• Example: “4-week pilot: integrate with one data source, produce weekly dashboard, train 3 users. $3,000. If we hit the agreed outcomes, you can roll into the annual plan.”

4) Paid discovery / setup workshops

If customers need customization, a paid workshop is often the most honest pre-sell. You’re selling the first step of the solution, not pretending the full solution exists.

• Example: “90-minute workflow mapping + requirements doc + implementation plan. $750. If you proceed, $750 is credited toward the first month.”

5) “Concierge” delivery sold as the product

You sell the outcome and deliver it manually behind the scenes. This is still a pre-sell if you are selling before automation or before building software. The customer buys the result, not your internal method.

• Example: “Weekly competitor pricing report delivered every Monday.” You might compile it manually at first.

6) Letters of intent (LOIs) and conditional purchase agreements

When procurement makes immediate payment difficult, an LOI can be a strong commitment if it includes specifics: pricing, scope, timeline, and conditions. A vague LOI (“we might buy”) is weak; a detailed LOI that triggers internal steps is stronger.

• Example terms to include: product/service description, expected start date, price, term length, cancellation conditions, and what must be true for the purchase to proceed (e.g., security review passed).

Step-by-Step: Running a Pre-Sell Test

Step 1: Choose the smallest sellable outcome

Define a deliverable that is (a) valuable enough to pay for, (b) narrow enough to deliver quickly, and (c) testable. Think in terms of outcomes and artifacts.

• Good: “We will deliver a 10-page audit with prioritized fixes within 7 days.”
• Risky: “We will build an app that improves productivity.”

Write the deliverable as if it were a receipt: what exactly do they get, in what format, by when?

Step 2: Create a simple pre-sell offer sheet

You need a one-page description you can email or show on a call. Keep it concrete.

• Title: what it is
• Who it’s for: the buyer type and situation
• What you get: 3–7 bullet deliverables
• Timeline: start date and delivery date
• Price: and what’s included
• Risk reducer: refund policy, cancellation window, or “credit toward future plan”
• Next step: pay link / invoice / scheduling link

Step 3: Decide your risk-reversal policy

Risk reversal increases conversion but can weaken the signal if it’s too generous. Choose a policy that protects the buyer without turning the commitment into “no-cost maybe.”

• Options: refundable deposit within 7 days, money-back if you miss delivery date, “pay after first deliverable,” partial refund if outcomes not met, credit toward future plan.
• Rule of thumb: the buyer should feel safe, but still feel they are making a real decision.

Step 4: Set a target and a time box

Pre-selling works best with a clear goal and deadline. Examples: “Sell 10 pre-orders in 14 days” or “Close 3 paid pilots this month.” A time box forces you to evaluate evidence instead of endlessly tweaking.

Step 5: Present the offer and ask for the commitment

When you present the offer, be explicit that it’s early and that you’re validating. Many buyers appreciate being “design partners” if the terms are clear.

Use a direct close that matches the commitment type:

• Pre-order close: “If this solves the problem as described, would you like to pre-order today so we can reserve your spot for the first delivery batch?”
• Deposit close: “To hold one of the March slots, the deposit is $200. Want me to send the payment link?”
• Paid pilot close: “If we run this pilot for $3,000 over 4 weeks, can you start vendor onboarding this week?”

Then stop talking. The silence is part of the test.

Step 6: Track objections as data and iterate the offer

Every “no” is useful if you capture the reason. Common categories:

• Value objection: “Not important enough” or “doesn’t solve it.”
• Scope objection: “Too broad/too narrow” or missing a key feature.
• Trust objection: “You’re new” or “need proof.”
• Timing objection: “Not now” (often means low priority).
• Process objection: procurement, legal, security, budget cycle.

Iterate by adjusting deliverables, adding proof (case study, sample output), changing risk reversal, or changing the commitment type (e.g., from annual contract to paid pilot).

Step 7: Deliver fast and capture proof

Pre-selling is not just about collecting commitments; it’s also about delivering the promised outcome quickly so you can learn what “done” really means. Delivering creates concrete artifacts (reports, dashboards, templates, before/after metrics) that make the next sale easier.

Low-Risk Commitment Tests (When Pre-Selling Isn’t Possible Yet)

Sometimes you can’t ethically take money yet (unclear deliverable), or the buying process makes it hard (enterprise procurement), or you need one more step of validation. Low-risk commitment tests still require the customer to do something that costs them effort or political capital.

Test A: Calendar commitment with stakeholders

Ask for a meeting that includes the real decision-maker or the people who would use/implement the solution. This tests internal priority.

• Pass signal: they schedule within 7–10 days and invite the right people.
• Fail signal: “Let’s circle back next quarter” with no date.

Test B: Data access or environment access

If your solution needs data, ask for a sample export, anonymized dataset, or read-only access. This tests seriousness and feasibility.

• Pass signal: they provide data in the agreed format by a deadline.
• Fail signal: repeated delays, “we can’t share anything,” or no internal owner.

Test C: Internal introduction test

Ask for an introduction to a specific role: procurement, IT/security, finance approver, or the team lead who owns the workflow. This tests whether your champion is willing to spend political capital.

• Pass signal: warm intro email with context and a suggested time.
• Fail signal: “I’ll mention it” with no follow-through.

Test D: “Paperwork” test (LOI, MSA start, vendor onboarding)

In B2B, paperwork is a real commitment. Even starting the process is costly in time and attention.

• Pass signal: they request your W-9, insurance, security questionnaire, or draft agreement.
• Fail signal: they avoid process steps and keep it hypothetical.

Test E: Paid waitlist or priority access

For consumer products, a paid waitlist can be a strong test when production is not ready. You charge a small amount for priority access, early pricing, or a bonus.

• Pass signal: meaningful conversion rate from interested leads to paid waitlist.
• Fail signal: lots of signups but near-zero paid conversions.

Designing a Good Commitment Test: Practical Rules

Rule 1: Match the commitment to the buying reality

If your buyers normally purchase via invoice, don’t force a consumer-style checkout as the only option. Offer an invoice, purchase order path, or pilot contract. If consumers expect instant checkout, don’t require a call for a $29 pre-order.

Rule 2: Make the deliverable verifiable

A commitment test is stronger when the buyer can clearly judge whether you delivered. “A report with X sections” is verifiable. “Better performance” is not unless you define the measurement and timeframe.

Rule 3: Keep the time-to-value short

The shorter the time between commitment and first value, the more likely people are to commit. If delivery is 90 days away, expect more hesitation. Consider splitting into phases: a paid workshop this week, then the larger delivery later.

Rule 4: Avoid vanity commitments

Signals like “follow us,” “join the community,” or “tell me when it launches” can be useful for reach but are weak validation. Prefer commitments that cost the buyer something: money, time, access, or internal coordination.

Rule 5: Don’t over-discount to force a yes

Deep discounts can create false positives: people buy because it’s cheap, not because they truly need it. If you discount, do it for a reason (early adopter pricing) and keep it modest. Another approach is to keep price steady but add a bonus (extra onboarding, additional deliverable) for early buyers.

Examples: Turning Interest Into Commitment

Example 1 (B2B service): Cybersecurity policy cleanup

Situation: Several operations managers say policy documentation is messy and audits are painful. They like your idea of a “policy cleanup kit.”

Commitment test: Sell a paid 2-week “Audit Readiness Sprint.”

• Deliverables: policy inventory, gap list, updated templates, and a board-ready summary.
• Price: $2,500.
• Risk reducer: “If we miss the delivery date, 20% refund.”

Low-risk alternative if they can’t pay yet: Ask for (1) an intro to the compliance owner, and (2) last year’s audit findings (redacted). If they won’t share either, priority is likely low.

Example 2 (consumer digital product): Interview prep pack

Situation: People say they struggle with behavioral interviews and want structured practice.

Commitment test: Pre-sell a “14-day interview practice plan” with templates and daily prompts.

• Price: $39 pre-order, delivery in 10 days.
• Risk reducer: “Full refund if delivered later than promised.”

Upgrade path: Offer an optional add-on: a paid mock interview slot. This tests whether the problem is strong enough to pay for higher-touch help.

Example 3 (B2B software idea): Inventory forecasting dashboard

Situation: Retail operators like the concept but want proof and worry about integration.

Commitment test: Paid pilot with one store/location and one data source.

• Deliverables: weekly forecast report + dashboard access + training session.
• Price: $5,000 for 30 days.
• Success checkpoint: agree on 2–3 measurable outcomes for the pilot period.

Low-risk alternative: Ask them to start security review and provide a sample export within 5 business days. If they can’t, your integration assumptions may be unrealistic or the project is not prioritized.

Operational Checklist: Running These Tests Cleanly

Payment and admin basics

• Use simple payment collection: invoice or checkout link, depending on buyer expectations.
• Document what’s included: a short scope statement in writing prevents misunderstandings.
• Set delivery dates: specific calendar dates, not “in a few weeks.”
• Limit capacity: a small batch (e.g., 5–10 customers) makes delivery manageable and adds urgency.

Ethical guardrails

• Be explicit about what exists today: if it’s manual or partially built, say so.
• Don’t take money for vague promises: sell a defined deliverable or a pilot with clear scope.
• Have a refund process: if you offer refunds, make them easy to request and fast to process.

Evidence capture

For each commitment test, record:

• Offer version (scope, price, risk reversal)
• Number of asks
• Number of commitments (paid or non-paid)
• Time-to-commit (days from first contact)
• Main objections and which changes improved conversion
• Delivery effort (hours) and what was hardest

This turns pre-selling into a repeatable experiment rather than a one-off hustle.

Templates You Can Adapt

Pre-order offer (copy skeleton)

What you get: [3–7 concrete deliverables]  Who it’s for: [buyer + situation]  Delivery: [start date] to [delivery date]  Price: [$X]  Risk reducer: [refund/credit policy]  Next step: [pay link / invoice email / schedule call]

Paid pilot scope (copy skeleton)

Duration: [2–6 weeks]  Scope: [data source / team / workflow included]  Deliverables: [reports, dashboard, training, documentation]  Customer responsibilities: [data access, point person, meeting attendance]  Price: [$X]  Decision at end: [roll into plan / stop]  Risk reducer: [credit, milestone payment, cancellation terms]

Low-risk commitment ask (copy skeleton)

To confirm this is a priority, could we do [specific commitment] by [date]?  Examples:  - Intro to [role]  - Provide [sample data/export]  - Schedule a working session with [stakeholders]  If that’s hard right now, it likely means timing isn’t right, which is helpful for me to know.