TX Zhuo has a good post up titled Teaching startups the art of the sale where he describes several customer acquisition ideas. Most startups struggle with sales — often in conjunction with not having product/market fit — making for a high likelihood of failure. From the article, here are four ideas for finding customers:
- Partner with the first three lighthouse accounts and charge them whatever they’re willing to pay (e.g. a big discount) so that they’ll be references and provide testimonials
- Spend time with investors and use their connections to find potential prospects
- Form a customer advisory board and use it as a way to entice potential customers (e.g. if you sign, we’ll add you to our customer advisory board)
- Deliver a good mix of targeted social, email, and event marketing alongside clear messaging to help your voice be heard
Sales and marketing is hard. Try these ideas and more to figure out what does, and doesn’t, work.
What else? What are some more ideas for finding customers?
David Cummings on Startups 