Making your first sale vs. getting your first customer! Which is tougher?

Getting your first customer and making your first sale can be challenging. Depending on the context, one may be more difficult than the other. But regardless of which one you tackle first, it’s important to understand that they are both critical to the success of your business.

When it comes to getting your first customer, the main challenge often lies in building trust. Customers may be hesitant to invest in a business or product they don’t know much about, so building trust and credibility is important. This can involve marketing and promotion, establishing a positive reputation, creating a strong website and social media presence, and developing relationships with key influencers.

For example, let’s say you’re an aspiring fashion designer looking to attract your first customer. You’ll need to establish your brand and build credibility in the fashion industry. You might reach out to fashion bloggers or influencers in your niche, offering them a free item from your collection in exchange for an honest review. This can help you gain exposure and build a positive reputation, making it easier to attract your first customers.

Making the first sale can be difficult for similar reasons. Prospective customers may be wary of taking a chance on an unproven product or service. To make a sale, you need to be able to provide enough value that the customer is willing to take a risk.

This will involve:

Creating a positive customer experience.

Offering attractive payment terms,

And highlight the features and benefits of your product or service.

Another example is, let’s say you’re an e-commerce store owner looking to make your first sale.

You’ve identified a specific need within your target market and developed a unique product to address that need. However, your product is untested, and potential customers are hesitant to make a purchase without seeing it in action first.

To overcome this challenge, you might offer a limited-time discount or free trial period to encourage customers to take a chance on your product. For an Ecommerce store, you may need to leverage the reputation of your other known brand or a known and tested range from a manufacturer. This can quickly help to lay the foundation for making a sale or attracting your first customer.

Both getting your first customer and making your first sale are key milestones for any business. They provide validation that your business idea can work and benefit your target customer. For sales-trained individuals, it can also attest to the fact that you have the skills necessary to sell effectively.

Here are some tips to help you make your first sale in your brand-new business venture or in a brand-new market:

Identify a specific need: It is key to identify that your offer meets a specific need in that market- i.e. someone needs what you’re selling. Once you identify that need, validate and test your solution (product package or service) to ensure it aligns with the market reality and customers’ needs.

Make sure to test that people have the potential of making a purchase as well, that is your target audience has money and can spend on your solution.

That your offer is attractive enough to draw in potential customers. You should research the competition to make sure that your offer stands out from the rest and really meets the needs of the market.

Develop a prospecting plan: Once you’ve identified the need, create a prospecting plan. Compile a list of people or companies in your target market who need your product or service. You can find prospects by researching industry groups online, online communities, and social media platforms or using on-the-field guerrilla marketing, but ensure you have a list of prospects handy first before you hit the field or a particular location, so your prospecting efforts are rewarding and not just blank shooting. There must be a strategy behind your prospecting On-the-field guerrilla marketing.

You can hire prospecting staff on a per-week basis and set targets for them. In addition, you can provide them with the training they need to market and represent your brand most efficiently. If they are familiar with your brand and product knowledge, they are more likely to succeed.

Download our free prospecting checklist to get you or your team ready to attract your first customer or sale. This depends on which comes first, although before you get either you must have built trust with the prospect.

Reach out to specified prospects one-on-one: Personalized communication is often the most effective way to get your foot in the door with potential customers. Introduce yourself, explain your offering, and how it can benefit them. Alternatively, you can ask for a referral from someone they trust.

Leverage paid marketing: Paid marketing, such as email blasts and sponsored social media posts, can help you reach new audiences quickly. But don’t forget to capture leads and build a relationship with them through your website or landing page. Use paid marketing services like email blasts leveraging an influencer’s email list that might have your audience, or sponsored social media posts to get a new target audience.

Offer loyalty rewards: Offering rewards for referrals or repeat business can incentivize customers to stick with your business or to refer you to their network. This can be as simple as giving a small discount or a points system that can be redeemed for future purchases. Have a loyalty and reward system that is known to your target market.

This will ensure that they will be able to refer you for free or for the reward attached to it. For instance, you could offer a free month of service for every 5 referrals your customers send your way within a given month. This could be every 3 months in a row. This can be effective if you are a startup. I believe you got the idea. There are a lot of ways to implement this.

However, to ensure it’s profitable and not overly overwhelming for you to fulfil especially if you are a service business that prioritizes time and availability to deliver the service.

Maintain relationships: It’s essential to maintain relationships with customers after making a sale. This can be done through email marketing, social media, or even a phone call. Keep them engaged with your brand, provide value, and listen to their feedback to ensure they remain loyal customers.

Doing this will create a sense of loyalty and trust between your customers and your brand, and it will help you build a strong relationship with them. This will lead to increased customer satisfaction, which will in turn result in more sales and better brand recognition.

Getting your first customer and making your first sale are key milestones for any business, and both require a considerable amount of effort and strategy. While the difficulty of each may vary depending on the context, building trust and credibility is key to attracting your first customer. In addition, providing enough value for your product or service is crucial to making your first sale. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can increase your chances of success in both areas and lay a strong foundation for the growth of your business.