I've an idea and would like to start a SaaS business. I’m targeting small business owners and going out to talk to people is hell for me. My heart races, I speak in a low voice, have an awkward grin and my attempts to talk to people has been a disaster - most people find me uninteresting and want to just go on with their work.
I also have ADD, so I’ve to or feel like I’ve to try very hard to listen and which makes it very difficult to think on my feet and ask meaningful questions or make the conversation interesting. I’ve taken the usual medication for ADD, but those make my anxiety worse. I’ve been on some kind of anti depressant for the last 18 years.
Can you give me some tips and or something from your personal experience to overcome this issue. Getting a co-founder is not a viable option for me as I don’t have that big of a friend circle.
Thanks for reading!
Edit: changed some wording
Preparation ahead of time is a big help.
If you have your sales pitch and variations memorized and practiced it helps. If you researched the people you are talking to you might find the listening easier. (I have trouble switching my flow from in to out so I can sympathize) It helps a lot to have visual aids, marketing collateral, an interesting shirt, all of that takes load off you.
You've dismissed it already, but having a "wingman" can make the impossible possible in many cases. (e.g. go to a party with yourself and it is certain you will leave with yourself; even if you find it excruciatingly hard to find somebody to go with, it's possible you'll meet somebody at the party if you don't start out alone.)
Don't call it getting a co-founder. Getting a "buddy" might look hard to you, but it could be less hard than getting sales.
(For expanding my own social horizons I know I need a "buddy" and it looks much harder than going to social events alone does, but I know if I don't do it I could spend 50 hour going to events and not meet ymy goals)