# Institutional Sales Playbook

Target: $90K bar prep revenue, July 2026 season (May 1 - July 28)
Addressable schools: ~198 ABA-accredited law schools

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## Revenue Model

Two revenue streams running in parallel:

| Stream | Target | Mechanism |
|--------|--------|-----------|
| Institutional (site licenses) | $50-65K | 10-15 schools buying seat packages |
| Individual (direct-to-student) | $25-35K | Self-serve at $129, classmate code at $49, referrals |

Institutional is the engine. Individual is the floor.

---

## Institutional Pricing Tiers

| Tier | Seats | Per-Seat Price | Example Total |
|------|-------|---------------|---------------|
| Pilot | Up to 25 | $2,500 flat | $2,500 |
| Standard | 26-75 | $75/seat | $3,750 (50 seats) |
| Program | 76-150 | $60/seat | $6,000 (100 seats) |
| University | 150+ | $50/seat | $10,000 (200 seats) |

All tiers include:
- School-specific signup page and access code
- Admin usage dashboard (who's practicing, how often, score trends)
- Kickoff session for students (25-minute live walkthrough)
- Retaker/alumni cohort option at no extra cost
- Repair drill access (rule recall practice)

**Why these prices work:** Barbri institutional is $2,000-3,000 per student. JD Advising is $1,800. SHEP is positioned as a supplement, not a replacement. $50-75/seat for unlimited essay practice with AI feedback is an easy budget line for any bar support office. Most schools spend more than this on a single outside tutor for a semester.

---

## Two Engagement Models

Not every school will cut a PO. Offer both:

### Model A: Site License (School Pays)
- School purchases seats. Students get free access.
- Longer sales cycle (needs budget approval), higher revenue per school.
- Best for: schools with dedicated bar support budgets, retaker programs, schools under ABA Standard 316 pressure.

### Model B: Distribution Partnership (School Shares, Students Pay)
- School distributes a 20% discount code to their bar takers.
- Students pay $103 individually (20% off $129).
- School gets: usage reports (which students are practicing and how often), kickoff session, no cost to them.
- Faster to close (no budget approval needed), lower revenue per school, but wider reach.
- Best for: initial contact, schools that want to "try before they buy," schools with no discretionary budget.

**Conversion path:** Model B schools that see student engagement become Model A buyers in the next cycle (February 2027).

---

## Pipeline Math

| Stage | Count | Conversion | Running |
|-------|-------|-----------|---------|
| Schools emailed | 198 | -- | 198 |
| Opens/reads | 40-60 | 20-30% | 40-60 |
| Responds or clicks | 16-24 | 8-12% | 16-24 |
| Takes a call or requests info | 8-12 | 4-6% | 8-12 |
| Converts (A or B) | 6-10 | 3-5% | 6-10 |

### $90K Target Model (10 deals + 250 individual)

**Institutional: 10 deals at ~$5K average = $50,000**
- 3-4 small pilots (25 seats at $2,500 flat) = $7,500-$10,000
- 4-5 mid-size programs (50-75 seats at $60-75/seat) = $12,000-$18,750
- 1-2 large programs (100+ seats at $50-60/seat) = $5,000-$12,000

**Individual: ~250 sales at ~$120 blended average = $30,000**
- ~180 at full price ($129) = $23,220
- ~50 referred at $119 = $5,950
- ~20 classmates at $49 = $980

**Combined: ~$80-90K**

To close 10 institutional deals from 198 schools (5% close rate), the pipeline needs strong follow-up sequences, LinkedIn touches, and phone calls to non-responders. Individual sales need ~21/week (~3/day) sustained over 12 weeks.

---

## Cold Email Template

### Email 1: Introduction (Week 1 of outreach)

**Subject:** Essay practice pilot for [School] July bar takers

**Body:**

Hi [Name],

I built SHEP Bar Prep after graduating from Fordham Law and passing the February 2026 bar. My co-founder is a software engineer at Google. We built something we think your July bar takers could use.

SHEP is an essay practice platform for the legacy MEE. Students write a full essay response, get scored across four dimensions (issue spotting, rule statements, application, organization), and see exactly where their analysis breaks down. They can also upload any practice question they already have and get the same structured feedback.

We are not a bar course replacement. We are the writing reps your students are not getting enough of.

For [School], I can offer:
- A school-specific access code for your bar takers
- An admin view showing which students are practicing and their score trends
- A 25-minute kickoff session to get students started
- Institutional pricing starting at $50/seat

Would it be worth a 15-minute call to see if this fits your bar support program?

Best,
Sanoj Allen
Fordham Law '25 | February 2026 UBE | Co-founder, SHEP

---

### Email 2: Retaker-Focused (alternative opener for schools with retaker programs)

**Subject:** Retaker essay support at [School]

**Body:**

Hi [Name],

31% of bar examinees nationally are retakers. Their pass rate is 31%, compared to 75% for first-timers. The gap is almost always in essay performance.

I'm reaching out because [School] runs a bar support program, and I built something specifically for students who need more essay reps than a standard course provides.

SHEP Bar Prep is a writing practice platform. Students write full essay responses to MEE-style prompts, get scored on four dimensions, and work through repair drills on rules they missed. The feedback is immediate and specific.

I passed the February 2026 bar after building this tool for my own prep. My co-founder is a software engineer at Google.

If [School] has a retaker cohort preparing for July, I'd like to offer a pilot. No cost for a small group, and I'll provide usage reports so you can see who's putting in the reps.

Worth a quick call?

Best,
Sanoj Allen
Fordham Law '25 | February 2026 UBE | Co-founder, SHEP

---

### Email 3: Follow-Up (5-7 days after Email 1 or 2, non-responders)

**Subject:** Re: Essay practice pilot for [School] July bar takers

**Body:**

Hi [Name],

Following up on my note last week. I know this is a busy time with bar prep ramping up.

If a full pilot isn't the right fit right now, I'm also happy to share a discount code you can pass along to your July bar takers. No cost to the school, and I can still provide a usage summary if that's useful for your program.

Happy to send over a one-page overview if easier than a call.

Best,
Sanoj Allen

---

## One-Pager Content (for PDF attachment or landing page)

Create a single-page PDF with:

**Headline:** More essay reps. Better feedback. Admin visibility.

**What SHEP Bar Prep Does:**
- Students write full essay responses inside the platform
- AI scores on four dimensions: issue spotting, rule accuracy, application, organization
- Repair drills target weak rule areas identified in essay feedback
- Students can upload any authorized practice question for the same structured grading
- Designed for July 2026 legacy MEE takers

**What Schools Get:**
- School-specific access code and signup page
- Admin dashboard: student activity, practice volume, score trends
- 25-minute kickoff session for students
- Retaker/alumni cohort option
- Institutional pricing from $50/seat

**Who Built It:**
- Founded by a Fordham Law graduate who passed the February 2026 UBE
- Co-founded by a software engineer at Google
- Built on the practice-loop methodology: write, score, review, repair, repeat

**Credential line:** SHEP was co-founded by a Fordham Law graduate who passed the February 2026 bar and a software engineer at Google. No names or photos. Credentials only.

**CTA:** Schedule a 15-minute call: [scheduling link] | Email: strategy@sheplegal.com

---

## Execution Timeline

| When | Action |
|------|--------|
| April 25-30 | Build target list of 198 ABA-accredited schools + bar support contacts. Finalize one-pager PDF. Set up mail merge. |
| May 1-2 | Send Email 1 to first batch (75-100 schools). Prioritize schools with known retaker programs and ABA 316 pressure. |
| May 3-4 | Send Email 1 to second batch (75-100 schools). |
| May 5-7 | Send Email 1 to remaining schools. Begin responding to early replies. |
| May 8-12 | Send Email 3 (follow-up) to non-responders from batch 1. Schedule calls with interested schools. |
| May 12-16 | Follow-up for batches 2 and 3. Close first deals. Distribute codes to Model B schools. |
| May 19+ | Ongoing: close pipeline, support onboarded schools, second follow-up wave to non-responders. |
| June 1+ | Shift to urgency messaging for unconverted pipeline. "Your students have 8 weeks left." |

---

## Tools Needed

- **Mail merge:** Instantly, Lemlist, or Mailchimp (personalize school name and contact name at minimum)
- **Scheduling:** Calendly or Cal.com link for 15-minute calls
- **One-pager:** Canva or Figma PDF, one page, clean
- **CRM tracking:** Notion table or Linear project to track: school, contact, email sent date, response, status, deal size
- **Admin dashboard:** Needs to exist before first school onboards (even if basic)

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## Individual Pricing Note

Current landing page: $79 Founding Pack. Recommended change: $129.

$129 rationale:
- Kaplan Bar Essay Grader is $349. SHEP at $129 is 63% cheaper for a comparable product.
- $79 requires 1,139 sales for $90K. $129 requires 698. Volume pressure drops 39%.
- $129 makes institutional per-seat pricing ($50-75) feel like a genuine discount.
- Still well below the $249 licensed-content price, so the upgrade path is clear.

The classmate code stays at $49. Referral discount stays at $10 off. These are the structured negotiation mechanisms, not ad-hoc "reach out to discuss."

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## Confirm with Will Before Sending

- [ ] Google reference OK per his employer policies
- [ ] He's comfortable with "software engineer at Google" (not "Google engineer" or implying Google endorsement)
- [ ] No Google logo, no Google branding, just the credential line in text