The most powerful way to Win Then Play is to tap into your Mental and Relationship Capital. Rather than raising funds with venture capitalists, angel investors or friends/family, you can have the end user be the very person to fund any project or product. The process for maximizing capital and being paid up front the Win Then Play way is:
1. Survey your existing clients, subscribers or fans to get immediate feedback on what they value.
Note: If you are just starting a business and do not have clients, you can find people who can benefit from what you do and offer them your services for free (for a time). They become your case studies and referral networks. Choose wisely. Influencers who have a group of fans and clients are the best to begin with.
2. Identify the team required to produce the basics of your idea.
This begins as the most basic version that provides value—a beta version that will be further developed in the next trip around the Cycle of Creation. This beta version will be delivered in stages and can begin with a pre-sell before the product, service, or experience is complete or ready for the marketplace. This is where taking an inventory of existing resources that can be given in the pre-sell phase is key.
3. Share the beta version with as many people as possible and have them pay now to access some of the resources today and the future delivery of the fully developed product, service, or experience.
You may choose to offer the beta version at a lower price, but in exchange for a lower price, ask for feedback about user experience, features and benefits that would be helpful or anything that would support developing an even more valuable version.
Note: This is a critical place to get referrals along the way and create momentum.
4. Create the product, service, or experience with an expanded team and an official launch date.
Fill in the missing pieces and adjust prices.
The key questions in your quest to Win Then Play with new products and services:
Continually test and ask: Who will buy? Who will promote? Who will support?
People support that which they help to build. How can you include your existing customers and fans and give them a role in the creation or stake in the success of what you are creating? Is there a way they can be featured and could want to see it succeed as much as you?
It doesn’t take money to make money. You no longer have to be held captive by how much money you can raise or borrow. You have the power to profit by serving those who want what you have and being paid upfront. Win Then Play.