Tactic 3 of 101 · Sales
Skip the Sales Process: Just Show Up and Install It
Sometimes the best way to close a deal is to do the thing for them. Patrick Collison would show up in person, ask for your laptop, and install Stripe on the spot. The speed builds trust. The momentum creates buy-in.
By Justin Novak · Updated October 30, 2026
- Ideal for
- B2B, SaaS, Startups
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Capital required
- Low
- Time to execute
- Quick win (0 to 3 days)
- Scalability
- Medium
- Risk / reward
- Medium
Before Stripe was a $100B+ behemoth, Patrick Collison would literally show up in person, ask for your laptop, and install Stripe for you, on the spot.
Sometimes the best way to close a deal is to do the thing for them. The speed builds trust. The momentum creates buy-in.
Why it works
Stripe's seamless onboarding was a key factor in its adoption. Developers could integrate Stripe in just 7 lines of code and be up and running in minutes.
Skip the pitch, and start onboarding clients.
The psychology
The "foot-in-the-door" technique in behavioral psychology shows that getting someone to say "yes" to a small initial request makes them more likely to agree to larger ones.
Related plays
Validate Before You Build
Ask if they'd pay before you build. Send a Stripe link on every yes: pre-sales, validation, and funding in one move. That's how I got my first 15 customers.
Custom Interviewing: The Trojan Horse Discovery Calls
Reach out to your target buyers as the expert, not the prospect. A 15-minute brain-pick call yields voice-of-customer intel, warm intros, and pre-sales.
Newsletter Replies: The 1% Move That Starts High-Leverage Conversations
Almost nobody replies to newsletters. A thoughtful reply lands in a warm inbox with near 100% read rates and starts real relationships with founders and creators.
The playbook keeps growing
Get new plays as they ship.
The playbook is growing to 101+ tactics. One email when new plays drop. No pitch, just plays.
You’re in. New plays will find you.