How to get your first customer

In today’s blog, I’ll talk through a question that every client asks and we answer when they join our Start Up Accelerator Programme, how do I get my first customer?

Answering, how to get your first customer, is likely the first and biggest hurdle for new entrepreneurs to overcome and get their first paying customer.

In today’s blog post, I’ll share how you can get that first customer when you have no audience, no leads, just your website and your product.

The task can seem very daunting, but remember, every successful business has gone through it. So, you can do it too!

That first customer is incredibly rewarding. It’s amazing to see someone buy what you’re putting out in the world. It’s validation that your product has value in the marketplace and gives you hope for the future of your business.

So, it’s crucial for us to get that first customer to have all the positive feelings and to capitalise on that momentum. So, how do you get your first customer?

I’ll discuss through this using the hardest case scenario, you have no audience, no email list, and a brand new website. You haven’t built up a substantial following yet. You have a product that you believe could help people, and you’ve validated it through the process of creating it.

Now, let’s get your first customer.

I’ll cover a few strategies with you today, these strategies will require some effort. It might be a bit more challenging than you’re used to, but it’s worth it. Things will get easier once you get the ball rolling.

There are different ways to gain customers. If you have a budget to market and gain leads, then obviously this is an advantage.

This will speed things up, but even if you don’t have a budget, there are ways to do this, and I’ll explain.

Let’s start with the fact that, let’s say you have a modest marketing budget.

How do you get those first customers? Some people say, “Let me advertise. Let me run some Facebook ads, some Google ads.”

I’m not really fixed on those types of marketing when you’re starting out because the ads on these platforms really perform well when you have some data, where you know what kind of people visit your website, you have some data and analytics behind it, and you have an existing audience or email list that you can build lookalike audiences off.

If you’re going in fresh with Facebook or Google ads, you’re really going to be doing mass marketing, really. You’re just putting out, ‘Hey, I have this thing, check it out.’ The chances of you converting are very low, and it’s going to get expensive quickly because you don’t really have a target market or audience defined.

What you want to do is high-trust-building activities at the start. You want to build trust with your customers as quickly as possible.

If you’re just starting out, for the vast majority of start-up businesses, I actually think one of the best ways to spend your money is at events.

These events could vary depending on the type of business you have, for example

Product based - trade shows, fare’s, markets, etc

Service based - trade shows, conferences, workshops, local events

Information based - conferences, workshops, local events or talks

Let me explain. Number one, if there is a way for you to attend a virtual event or in-person event, just do it. Buy a ticket.

Get to that event because you’re going to meet new people. You’re going to be on a mission to meet new people, people that share your audience, have businesses that have your audience. You’re going to get to know your potential customers.

This is money well spent because you’re going to be building relationships. We’ll talk more about that later because it’s super important.

Now, let’s consider a scenario where you have limited budget.

You can still reach people’s audiences through podcast interviews, guest posting on their blogs, and appearing on their podcasts. At the end of your guest posts, you can subtly mention that you recently launched a new business and encourage them to check it out.

Here’s the link, or perhaps you could invite them to attend a free webinar or workshop if it’s a local thing, it needs to align with your content and encourage them to sign up. Leveraging other people’s audiences is an inexpensive way to reach a wider audience, but it will require a significant amount of effort.

Understand that you’re putting in the leg work to get your business off the ground and acquire your first customers.

My next piece of advice is this, if you’re starting a business with no audience, focus on building your own. This will significantly accelerate your chances of attracting more customers over the longer period and make you efforts to grow the business easier.

Be diligent about building your audience, whether you’re running a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel. The key is to make a concerted effort from the start, as it’ll help you acquire customers now and in the future.

My final piece of advice would be around collaboration. Let me first define what I mean by collaboration, in this sense I mean collaboration around a symbiotic business relationship. Explore possible business collaborations where you compliment each others businesses without competing with each others, here are a few examples.

These partnerships enhance mutual growth, leveraging each other's strengths for shared success.

Here are a couple of examples of symbiotic business relationships:

Coffee shops and retailers: here in the UK there are Costa Coffee in Next Retail stores. You can get a coffee to walk around when you’re shopping or grab a seat after a long shopping trip and relax before moving on. It works perfectly for both businesses without competing with each other.

Restaurants and consumable brands: McDonald's serves Coca-Cola products exclusively, creating consistent brand pairing, while Coca-Cola gains a vast distribution network through McDonald’s restaurant network globally.

These are just two example of businesses collaborating. Look at your market and niche to find opportunities.

Look at the other businesses that depend on your services. Even if there’s a kickback, referral fee, or affiliate commission involved, it’s worth it because you’re getting free clients at no cost in terms of customer acquisition, unlike running ads. Sometimes, it’s just a win-win, and no money needs to change hands.

The agreement just need to be simple, I’ll refer you to my customers, and you’ll refer me. So, you can definitely get creative and use these strategies to get your first customers and get the ball rolling.

To wrap up today’s episode, getting your first customer can be challenging, but it’s exciting and requires creativity, hard work, and honesty. You need to be out there, connecting with people, and talking to them. Remember, if you’re working with someone or trying to get a referral, make sure it’s a win-win. No one wants to be constantly asked for favours with nothing in return.

Invest in relationships, even if it means spending money, to build those relationships.

Ideally, you should be getting your first customers before you launch your product or service, when you’re validating the idea. Pre-sell it and get people to put their money down, even if it’s just a deposit on your product. This is validation that you should go ahead and build this product or service or business.

Pre-selling is a fantastic strategy because it demonstrates people’s genuine willingness to invest in your product. Additionally, it can provide you with seed money to build the business you envision.

Don’t hesitate to ask for sales even when your product isn’t fully ready. That’s why relationships and contacts are invaluable because you can always reach out for support during this process.

Got a burning question? Reach out on our social channels or email me at michael@purpleyak.co.uk

Thank you so much for reading.

Take care.