How to find and close your first customers

Many entrepreneurs quickly come to the same realisation: We need customers.

But how do you turn a good idea into a sales process? Who should you contact? What should you say? And how do you avoid sounding like someone who just wants to push a product on people?

For many, it can feel overwhelming – which is why the sales process often gets postponed.

The product just needs those final few tweaks. The website could use a little more polish. And then there is the price that needs to be nailed down.

But holding back is not doing your new business any favours.

Because selling starts long before potential customers sign a contract or click the buy button. It starts as soon as you reach out to potential customers, explore their needs and find out whether your product solves a problem they are willing to pay to have solved.

And no: Sales is not just for extroverts or people who were “born to sell”.

It may come more naturally to some than others, but selling is first and foremost a muscle that gets stronger with structure and practice – and it is something anyone can learn.

So, if you are ready to get your sales process started, we have put together seven steps to help you on your way.

1. Find the right people

Before you contact anyone, you need to know who you are looking for.

Define your ideal customer profile: What type of company or person has the problem you solve? Who feels the problem most acutely? And who has the authority to make a decision?

The clearer you are about your target audience, the easier it becomes to find relevant potential customers and craft a message that addresses a need they recognise.

2. Set the scene for a good conversation

The goal of your first contact is not necessarily to make a sale. It might be to secure a meeting, learn something or test whether your understanding of the market is accurate.

Be clear about why you are reaching out, how much time you are asking for and what the other person can expect. This takes some of the pressure out of the conversation and makes it feel less like a sales pitch.

3. Explore their needs

Once the meeting starts, listen more than you talk.

Ask open-ended questions about the customer’s day-to-day work, goals and challenges. When does the problem occur? What do they do about it today? What does it cost them in terms of time, money or frustration?

The goal is not to get confirmation that your idea is good. It is to understand the customer’s reality.

4. Agree on the real problem

The first problem the customer mentions is not always the most important one.

Summarise what you have heard and ask whether you have understood it correctly. Which challenge is the most urgent? Which problem would make the biggest difference if solved?

Once you agree on the problem, it becomes much easier to assess whether your solution is relevant.

5. Present the value – not every feature

Now is the time to introduce your solution.

Link it directly to the problem the customer has described. Explain clearly what your solution does and  the value it can create. There is no need to run through every feature if the customer only needs to understand how your solution can help them.

6. Take objections seriously

“It’s too expensive”, “we don’t have time” or “we need to think about it” do not necessarily mean no.

Acknowledge the concern and ask questions. Is the value unclear? Is information missing? Or are you talking to the wrong person?

Objections are valuable feedback. They show you what needs to be clarified before the customer can move forward.

7. Agree on the next step and follow up

Many sales opportunities stall because a meeting ends without a clear agreement on what happens next.

So agree on the next step, who is responsible for what and when you will speak again. Afterwards, send a brief summary of what you agreed.

Good follow-up is not about being pushy. It is about keeping things moving and showing that you are structured and reliable.

Sales is a process

You do not need a finished product before you start selling. Those first conversations can help you develop the right solution and avoid spending months building something the market does not want.

At our Entrepreneurial Sales workshop, we take you through the entire sales journey and work hands-on with how to find potential customers, make that first contact, conduct a sales meeting and follow up to keep the conversation moving.

The next Entrepreneurial Sales workshop takes place on 16 September from 9:00 to 12:00.

Sign up here