You can build anything.
Except a client list.
A systematic sales course built by an engineer, for engineers. Find clients, close deals, and stop depending on a single employer — without becoming someone you're not.
15 modules. 50+ lessons. Built for engineers who'd rather debug a distributed system than write a cold email.
The engineer's dilemma
You're good at what you do. Maybe great. You've shipped production code, debugged distributed systems at 2am, survived migrations that should have been impossible. Your GitHub is green. Your skills are real.
And yet.
When it comes to finding your own clients — freelance projects, consulting gigs, your first independent engagement — you're stuck. Maybe you're still full-time and just exploring the idea. Maybe you got laid off and "going independent" went from interesting to urgent. Maybe you've been freelancing for a while but your pipeline is just referrals and luck. Either way, you know how to build, but nobody taught you how to sell. So you do what engineers do: you optimize the wrong thing.
You rebuild your portfolio site for the fourth time. You tweak your LinkedIn headline. You scroll job boards looking for contracts. You wait for inbound leads that never come. You tell yourself that great work speaks for itself.
It doesn't.
Here's what's actually happening: developers who are less skilled than you are charging more, working fewer hours, and choosing their projects. Not because they're better at code — because they're better at one thing you never learned.
They know how to sell.
And "sell" doesn't mean what you think it means. It doesn't mean cold calling strangers from a script, or sending "hope you're well" LinkedIn messages to 500 people, or building a "personal brand" based on hot takes. It means understanding what people need, communicating that you can help, and doing it in a way that feels like a conversation — not a pitch.
That's a learnable skill. It has patterns, just like code. And just like code, you can get good at it systematically.
Imagine this
What if, instead of refreshing Upwork hoping for a decent lead, you opened your laptop on Monday morning to find three replies to outreach emails you sent Friday?
What if you could get on a call with a potential client and actually enjoy it — because you knew exactly which questions to ask, how to listen for the real problem, and when to stop talking?
What if your LinkedIn profile wasn't just a resume — but a pipeline? What if the posts you already wanted to write about technical topics were also generating inbound leads?
What if you had a repeatable system — a pipeline, not a prayer — for finding and closing clients? Not just once, but every month?
What if you were as methodical about sales as you are about software architecture?
That's not a fantasy. It's a set of skills. And skills can be learned.
This course isn't for everyone. Seriously.
Before you scroll to the pricing section, let's make sure this is actually right for you. I'd rather lose a sale than waste your time.
Don't buy this course if:
This course teaches you how to sell engineering skills — it doesn't teach engineering. The prerequisite is having at least ~2 years of real-world engineering experience and a proven track record of delivering work that people have paid for. If you're still building your technical foundation, invest in that first. Come back when you have something worth selling.
You need a skill that clients will pay for. If you haven't shipped production code, managed infrastructure, built data pipelines, or done whatever your flavor of engineering is — in a professional capacity where someone paid you — then this course is premature. The sales system only works if you have genuine expertise to back it up.
This isn't "make six figures in 30 days" content. Selling is a skill. Like learning a new programming language, it takes practice, iteration, and patience. You'll start seeing results in weeks, but mastery takes months. If you're looking for a shortcut, this isn't it.
No NLP tricks. No "always be closing" aggression. No "assume the sale" pressure tactics. The approach in this course is built on honesty, empathy, and genuine problem-solving. If you want to learn how to trick people into buying things they don't need, look elsewhere.
You will need to send cold emails. You will need to get on phone calls. You will need to hear "no" and not take it personally. If you're hoping for a way to sell without ever talking to another human, I can't help you. (But Module 7 does cover how to make outreach way less painful if you're introverted.)
This is for individual engineers and small teams who need to do their own selling. If you've got a VP of Sales and a team of SDRs, you don't need this. (Though your sales team might benefit from understanding how engineers think about problems.)
Totally valid life choice. Not everyone needs to sell. If you're happy at your current job and have no interest in freelancing, consulting, building an agency, or going independent, save your money.
This course IS for:
- Full-time engineers thinking about going independent
- Engineers who got laid off and want to freelance or consult
- Existing freelancers who are tired of relying on inbound and referrals
- Engineers who want to start an agency or consultancy
- Anyone with 2+ years of real engineering experience who has skills worth selling but doesn't know how to sell them
If that's you? Good. This course was built for you.
You know the problem. Here's the system that solves it. See the full curriculum →
A system, not a personality transplant
selling.engineering is a comprehensive course that teaches you the entire sales process — from identifying who to sell to, all the way through closing deals and getting referrals. Every module is designed for engineers: systematic, principle-based, and free of the "just be more charismatic" advice that makes technical people tune out.
This isn't about becoming a different person. It's about applying engineering thinking to a new problem domain: finding clients and closing deals.
You already have the hardest skill in business — you can build things. This course gives you the second hardest skill: getting people to pay you for it.
What makes this different from a generic sales course:
Every example is drawn from engineering and tech consulting contexts. The cold email templates are written for technical services. The discovery call frameworks are designed for conversations about software projects, not used cars. The pricing strategies account for the weird economics of software (where the marginal cost of your expertise is zero, but the value to the client might be enormous).
You won't hear "sell the sizzle, not the steak." You'll learn to sell the architecture diagram.
15 modules. Zero fluff.
Each module includes video lessons, written guides, templates, and exercises. The course is designed to be completed in 8-10 weeks at 3-5 hours per week, but you keep lifetime access and can go at your own pace.
What you'll learn: Why most engineers think they hate sales (and why they're wrong). The difference between "selling" and "helping someone make a buying decision." The engineering mindset as a sales advantage. Why technical people are often better salespeople than salespeople — once they understand the game.
Key topics:
- Reframing sales: problem-solving, not persuasion
- The trust equation for technical services
- Buyer psychology for B2B technical purchases
- Why "build it and they will come" is the most expensive lie in tech
What you'll learn: How to get specific about who you serve, so your outreach actually lands. The framework for identifying clients who need what you build, have budget, and are reachable. How to avoid the "I can do anything for anyone" trap that kills freelance businesses.
Key topics:
- ICP definition framework (industry, size, pain points, budget signals)
- How to research and validate your ICP
- Niche selection: the counterintuitive math of going narrow
- Building a target account list from scratch
What you'll learn: How to find potential clients systematically — not by scrolling LinkedIn and hoping. Tools, techniques, and workflows for building a pipeline of qualified prospects. How to use AI tools to accelerate research and personalization without sounding robotic.
Key topics:
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo, and other prospecting tools
- Company research and trigger event identification
- Building prospect lists with AI assistance
- Qualifying leads before you reach out
- Signal-based prospecting: job postings, funding rounds, tech stack changes
What you'll learn: How to write cold emails that actually get replies. The anatomy of a high-converting outreach email for technical services. What to do when someone replies (positive or negative). How to follow up without being annoying.
Key topics:
- Subject line frameworks that get opens
- The 3-line cold email template
- Personalization at scale (using AI tools wisely)
- Follow-up sequences and timing
- Deliverability: SPF, DKIM, domain warming, and avoiding the spam folder
- Templates for common engineering/consulting scenarios
- Tracking and measuring outreach performance
What you'll learn: Why phone outreach still works (especially when everyone else is hiding behind email). How to make calls that don't feel like telemarketing. The "warm call" framework for engineers who hate the phone.
Key topics:
- When phone outreach beats email (and when it doesn't)
- The 30-second opener that doesn't trigger the "salesperson alarm"
- Voicemail scripts that actually get callbacks
- Handling common phone objections gracefully
- Building phone confidence as an introvert
- Call scheduling and tracking systems
What you'll learn: How to use LinkedIn as a sales channel, not just a resume database. The difference between spammy LinkedIn DMs and genuine relationship building. How to turn your profile into a client magnet.
Key topics:
- Optimizing your LinkedIn profile for client acquisition (not job hunting)
- Connection request strategies that get accepted
- The DM sequence that starts conversations, not eye-rolls
- Engaging with prospect content strategically
- LinkedIn content as a lead generation tool
- Building authority in your niche through thoughtful commenting
What you'll learn: How to build a professional reputation that generates inbound leads while you sleep. Content strategy for engineers who don't want to become "influencers." How to share your expertise in a way that attracts clients and feels authentic.
Key topics:
- Personal brand strategy for technical professionals
- Content pillars: what to write about (and what not to)
- LinkedIn posts, blog articles, and YouTube as lead generation tools
- Building in public: sharing work without giving away the farm
- Turning conference talks and open source contributions into business
- The compound effect of consistent content
What you'll learn: The most important skill in sales — how to run a discovery call that uncovers the client's real problem, real budget, and real timeline. How to listen more than you talk. How to know when a deal is worth pursuing — and when to walk away.
Key topics:
- The discovery call framework (SPIN, adapted for technical sales)
- Questions that uncover budget, authority, need, and timeline (BANT)
- Active listening techniques for technical conversations
- Identifying "champion" vs. "blocker" stakeholders
- When to disqualify a lead (and how to do it gracefully)
- Note-taking and CRM basics
What you'll learn: How to write proposals that close. Value-based pricing for technical services. How to frame your work so clients see the ROI, not just the hourly rate. Common pricing mistakes that leave money on the table.
Key topics:
- The anatomy of a winning proposal
- Value-based pricing vs. hourly vs. project-based
- Anchoring, framing, and presenting pricing options (3-tier strategy)
- Scope definition and preventing scope creep before it starts
- Proposal templates for common engagement types
- When and how to negotiate (without racing to the bottom)
What you'll learn: Enough contract knowledge to protect yourself without needing a lawyer on every deal. Key clauses to watch for, red flags, and when to push back. How to negotiate terms confidently as an independent engineer.
Key topics:
- Essential contract clauses for freelance/consulting work
- IP ownership, liability, payment terms, and kill clauses
- How to negotiate without being adversarial
- Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and Statements of Work (SOWs)
- When you actually do need a lawyer
- Red flags that should make you walk away
What you'll learn: How to handle "it's too expensive," "we'll think about it," "we're talking to other vendors," and every other objection without getting defensive. The reframe technique that turns objections into opportunities to demonstrate value.
Key topics:
- The 5 most common objections in technical sales (and exact responses)
- Objection prevention: pricing and positioning that reduces friction
- The "feel, felt, found" framework adapted for engineer-to-engineer conversations
- Price objection handling (without discounting)
- Timeline objections and creating urgency
- Following up after a "not now" without burning the bridge
What you'll learn: How to close a deal without asking "so, are we doing this?" How to make the transition from prospect to client seamless. The onboarding process that sets every project up for success — and your next referral.
Key topics:
- Natural closing techniques (the "assumed next step")
- The proposal-to-signature workflow
- Client onboarding checklist and kickoff meeting framework
- Setting expectations, communication cadence, and boundaries
- The first 48 hours: how to make a great first impression
- Project management setup for client work
What you'll learn: How to build a professional network that generates referrals and opportunities long-term. Networking for people who find networking events painful. How to be genuinely helpful in a way that builds your reputation and your pipeline.
Key topics:
- The "give first" networking philosophy
- Online communities: where to show up and how to add value
- Conference and meetup strategy (for introverts and extroverts)
- Building relationships with complementary service providers
- Strategic introductions and the warm referral
- Maintaining your network without being weird about it
What you'll learn: Your best clients are your best salespeople — if you know how to activate them. How to systematically generate referrals without being pushy. The referral flywheel that compounds over time.
Key topics:
- When and how to ask for referrals (timing is everything)
- The referral request framework that doesn't feel transactional
- Incentive structures that work (and ones that backfire)
- Turning case studies and testimonials into referral tools
- Building referral partnerships with other freelancers
- Tracking and nurturing your referral network
What you'll learn: How to use AI (ChatGPT, Claude, and specialized tools) to accelerate every part of the sales process — from research and personalization to proposal writing and follow-ups. Where AI helps and where it actively hurts your chances.
Key topics:
- AI for prospect research and company analysis
- Using LLMs for email personalization at scale
- AI-assisted proposal drafting
- Chatbots and automation in the sales funnel
- The uncanny valley: when AI-generated outreach backfires
- Building custom AI workflows for your sales process
- Staying authentic while leveraging automation
15 modules. Templates for every outreach channel. Frameworks you'll use for the rest of your career. Choose your plan →
After this course, you will be able to:
Define your Ideal Client Profile in an afternoon — not in a vague "I work with startups" way, but with a specific, actionable profile that tells you exactly who to reach out to, where to find them, and what to say.
Write cold emails that get 15%+ reply rates — because they're personalized, relevant, and read like a message from a peer, not a mass blast.
Run discovery calls without scripts — using a framework that feels like a natural technical conversation, not a sales interrogation. You'll know what to ask, when to listen, and how to identify whether this is a project worth pursuing.
Build a LinkedIn presence that generates inbound leads — by sharing your genuine expertise in a way that positions you as the go-to person in your niche.
Make cold calls that don't feel like cold calls — with a warm-call approach designed for engineers who would rather debug a kernel panic than pick up the phone.
Write proposals that close — using value-based framing that shows the client's ROI, not just your hourly rate.
Negotiate contracts without a lawyer on speed dial — understanding the key clauses, red flags, and negotiation points that protect your interests and your client's.
Handle "it's too expensive" without flinching — because you'll understand the real objection behind the stated objection, and have frameworks to address it.
Onboard clients so smoothly they refer you before the project is done — with a systemized process that sets expectations, builds trust, and creates the conditions for referrals.
Build a referral flywheel that compounds over time — turning every satisfied client into a source of future business.
Use AI tools to work faster without losing authenticity — knowing where automation adds leverage and where it undermines trust.
Stop depending on a single employer for your income — because you have a repeatable system for generating revenue on your own terms.
These aren't aspirational. They're skills — and skills can be learned. Get the system →
Built by an engineer, for engineers
I'm Alex Gutjahr. I'm a software engineer.
I'm not a sales guru. I don't have a private jet or a mansion I rented for a YouTube thumbnail. I don't have a "7-figure agency." I'm an engineer who realized that building great software was only half the equation — and that the other half (finding and keeping clients) was a skill I could learn the same way I learned everything else: systematically, from first principles, with a lot of trial and error.
This course is everything I wish someone had told me when I started. The frameworks I've tested, the templates I've refined, the mistakes I've made so you don't have to.
I'm also still learning. Sales is a practice, not a destination. I'll keep updating this course as I learn new things, test new approaches, and find new tools. When you buy the course, you're not buying a snapshot — you're buying a commitment to continuous improvement.
Why I built this: Because every engineering community I'm part of has the same conversation on repeat: "How do I find clients?" "How do I price my work?" "How do I stop trading time for money?" The answers aren't secret, but they're scattered across sales books written for people who sell copiers. I wanted to put them in one place, in language that makes sense to us.
Get notified when we launch
Join the waitlist. Be the first to get access and lock in launch pricing before it goes up.
Choose your plan
Priced like a tool, not a luxury. Every tier includes the full 15-module course.
Self-Paced
Everything you need to learn the system on your own.
- Full 15-module course (50+ video lessons)
- Written guides and frameworks for every module
- Cold email, LinkedIn DM, and proposal templates
- Discovery call question bank
- Contract checklist and red flag guide
- AI prompt library for sales research
- Lifetime access + all future updates
- Access to the student community
With Templates & Tools
Everything in Self-Paced, plus the operational toolkit.
- Everything in Self-Paced
- Complete outreach template library (cold email, LinkedIn, phone scripts)
- CRM setup guide and spreadsheet tracker
- Proposal template (Notion + Google Docs)
- Client onboarding checklist and kickoff template
- Referral request scripts and tracking sheet
- Sales pipeline spreadsheet with formulas
- AI workflow templates (Claude, ChatGPT prompts for every stage)
- Priority access to course updates and new modules
With Coaching
Everything in Templates & Tools, plus direct access to Alex.
- Everything in Templates & Tools
- 2x 30-minute 1:1 coaching calls with Alex
- Personalized ICP review and outreach strategy
- Cold email and LinkedIn profile audit
- Priority Q&A in the community
- Early access to new modules and bonus content
- 1 proposal review with feedback
If the build fails, you get a full rollback.
Try selling.engineering for 30 days. Go through the modules, send some cold emails, try the discovery call framework. If you don't feel like you've gotten your money's worth — if the system doesn't click, if the templates don't work for your niche, if you decide sales really isn't for you — email me and I'll refund every cent. No questions, no guilt, no "exit survey."
Why? Because I know what it's like to buy a course and realize it's not right. It sucks. I don't want that for you. I'd rather give you your money back and part as friends than have you resent a purchase.
Also: a guarantee is a signal of confidence. If I didn't believe this material works, I wouldn't offer a refund. I do, so I am. Simple logic.
Launch pricing — available now, not forever
These are introductory prices. When the launch window closes, prices go up — Self-Paced to $147, Templates to $297, Coaching to $697. I'm keeping launch pricing low because I want early students, early feedback, and early testimonials. That's a fair trade.
What you get for being early:
- Lowest price the course will ever be
- Influence on future modules (I build what early students ask for)
- Founding member badge in the community
- Locked-in pricing for life (even when new modules are added)
Launch pricing. 30-day guarantee. Lifetime access. Choose your plan →
Give 20%, get 20%
Know another engineer who needs this? Share your unique referral link and you both win:
Your friend gets
20% off any tier. That's Self-Paced for $78, Templates for $158, or Coaching for $398.
You get
20% of the sale as a cash commission. Not a credit, not a coupon — actual money, paid to you.
How it works: After purchase, you'll get a unique referral link in your course dashboard. When someone buys through your link, they get 20% off automatically. You get notified and paid within 14 days.
There's no cap on referrals. If you send 10 people who buy the Templates tier, that's $394 back to you — more than the cost of the course.
Why this works: Engineers trust other engineers. If you take this course and it helps you, telling a colleague about it is the most natural referral possible. I'd rather pay you than pay a Facebook ad. Everybody wins.
Frequently asked questions
Good. Neither am I. This course doesn't try to turn you into one. It teaches you to apply your engineering problem-solving skills to a new domain: finding and helping clients. You won't be selling — you'll be having technical conversations with people who have problems you can solve. That's just consulting with better marketing.
I built this course specifically because I hated how sleazy most sales advice felt. There are zero manipulation tactics, zero "always be closing" pressure, and zero advice to pretend to be someone you're not. The approach is rooted in empathy, honesty, and genuine problem-solving. If anything, it'll make you more authentically helpful — which is the opposite of sleazy.
Some of the best salespeople I know are introverts. Here's why: introverts tend to listen more than they talk, and listening is the single most valuable sales skill. This course leans into that. The outreach methods are mostly written (email, LinkedIn), the discovery call framework is about asking questions and listening to answers, and Module 7 on personal branding is about writing — not public speaking. You'll have to stretch your comfort zone occasionally, but you won't have to become an extrovert.
Short answer: yes, if you do it well. Long answer: most cold outreach is terrible — generic, impersonal, and obviously mass-sent. That's why it has a bad reputation. The methods in this course work because they're personalized, relevant, and sent to people who actually have the problem you solve. A well-researched, three-line email to a VP of Engineering who just posted about scaling challenges is a different species from "Dear Sir/Madam, I hope this email finds you well."
A huge chunk of this course's audience is full-time engineers who are thinking about going independent — or who just got pushed into it by a layoff. Starting with a system is much easier than retrofitting one after years of random habits. Several modules (especially ICP definition and prospecting) are specifically useful for people who are still in the planning phase. You'll also learn how to test the waters while still employed — no need to quit your job to start.
I hear you. This course is designed with that failure mode in mind. Every module has practical exercises — not busywork, but actions that directly move your business forward (send 5 cold emails, run a discovery call, publish a LinkedIn post). The course is structured so you're doing real work, not just consuming content. That said, if you start and it's not clicking, the 30-day guarantee exists for exactly this reason.
No. The course is designed for any engineer with real-world experience who wants to sell their skills independently. That includes full-time engineers exploring independence, people who just got laid off, existing freelancers who want better deal flow, and engineers building an agency or consultancy. The skills also transfer to adjacent paths: sales engineering, developer relations, founder-led sales, or just negotiating better at your current job.
It depends on what you mean by "results." You'll be able to send your first round of outreach within the first week or two. Meaningful replies — conversations that lead to calls — typically start within 2-4 weeks of consistent effort. Landing your first paying client from the course material usually takes 4-8 weeks. But like any skill, the compound returns come later. Six months in, you'll have a repeatable system that you can turn on whenever you need new business.
No. In fact, Module 6 (LinkedIn) and Module 4 (Cold Email) can generate business with nothing more than a LinkedIn profile and an email address. A website is nice to have eventually, but it's not a prerequisite. Don't let "I need to build my site first" become a procrastination trap. (Ask me how I know.)
Module 2 (ICP definition) walks you through this step by step. You'll identify your strongest skills, map them to market demand, and define a service offering that's specific enough to sell and broad enough to sustain. Most engineers have more sellable expertise than they realize — they just haven't framed it as a service yet.
No, but you need at least ~2 years of real engineering work experience. The course assumes you have a proven skill that clients will pay for — something you've done professionally, in production, for real stakes. You don't need to be a staff engineer or have a decade of experience, but you do need enough credibility and expertise that a client would trust you with their project. If you're still building foundational engineering skills, invest in those first — then come back.
The principles are universal — understanding your client, communicating value, running discovery calls, handling objections. These work everywhere humans buy services. Some of the specific tools (LinkedIn Sales Navigator, certain email platforms) are more US/EU-centric, but the frameworks adapt to any market. I've included notes on cultural considerations for different regions where relevant.
Same. That's why Module 5 (Phone Outreach) is specifically designed for people who feel this way. It includes a warm-call framework that feels more like a scheduled conversation than a cold call. But here's the secret: most of the course doesn't require phone work at all. Email, LinkedIn, and content-based selling can carry a full sales pipeline. Phone skills are a bonus, not a requirement.
Three things. First, context: every example, template, and framework is built for engineers selling technical services. You won't waste time translating insurance sales tactics into your world. Second, philosophy: this course treats sales as a learnable engineering skill, not a personality trait. No "just be more confident" advice. Third, instructor: I'm an engineer who learned to sell, not a salesperson who learned to code. I know which parts are hard because I found them hard too.
Yes. 30 days, no questions, no hassle. If the course isn't right for you, email me and you'll get a full refund. I don't want your money if you're not getting value.
The frameworks are niche-agnostic by design. The ICP definition process (Module 2) helps you identify what's specific about your niche, and the outreach templates are customizable by field. That said, I include examples from web development, backend/infrastructure, DevOps, data engineering, mobile, and general technical consulting throughout the course.
The course is designed for 3-5 hours per week over 8-10 weeks. That includes watching lessons, reading guides, and doing the practical exercises. You can go faster or slower — lifetime access means there's no pressure. Realistically, the exercises (sending outreach, doing discovery calls) will take more time than watching videos, which is exactly the point. You're building a skill, not just consuming content.
Ship it.
You have the skills. Now get the system to sell them.
30-day money-back guarantee. Lifetime access. Launch pricing won't last.
Questions? Email alex@selling.engineering — I reply to everything.