I will show you exactly what I’ve done to acquire my first customers for all of my successful businesses.
The concept is simple, but it takes some work.
If this doesn’t give you a clear direction for where to acquire your first few customers, then email me and I will personally advise you where to go.
Most people need help getting their first few customers.
I will show you a strategy any business can use to acquire your first few customers.
The strategy is to Find your customers where they are already hanging out.
Instead of trying to find them amongst the masses of Facebook Ads and guessing about the audience, go to places where your customers already hang out.
That could be an online community, marketplace, or something local.
Let me explain with a few examples…
Ecommerce
Instead of setting up a store on Shopify and running ads, put up ads where people are already looking for the exact thing you are selling.
Are you selling an anniversary ring for women? Sell it on Amazon, where people are literally searching for this exact thing.
Or let’s say you sell coffee. Sell through Spinn’s (view their site) Roaster Market to their customers direct.
Sometimes it takes some digging, but find a place your potential customers already are… and sell there!
Local Service
Depending on the service, there are many different ways you can acquire customers by finding where they already are.
If you own an electrician service, find a way to have a presence at hot tub dealerships. Every hot tub requires 240V, and many people need that installed when putting in a hot tub.
If you’re a plumber, get on Thumbtack, where people are actively looking for a plumber for an immediate need.
Software
I have a lot of experience with this one since I have launched several software products over the last 5-6 years.
The best places to go are marketplaces for other platforms. So many software companies have built nice-sized companies by acquiring customers through marketplaces. Examples of this would be Intercom App Store, Airtable App Store, Slack App Store, Shopify App Store, etc.
You get the picture. This works REALLY well. Try to find the platforms with the least number of competitors in your space to launch.
Blog/Content Site
This one is obvious, and most people do it already. People are constantly looking for things on Google, so make sure you are writing articles in a way to get to the top of page 1 on Google.
Find groups on Facebook, make videos on YouTube and TikTok, and make boards on Pinterest.
There are lots of ways to find your customers in places they already are going.
Consumer Product
Smart brands already do this. And you can do it, too.
Find retail locations that sell to customers similar to yours.
Let’s say you sell a very cool, unique coffee mug.
Go to all your local coffee shops and try to get them to sell your product. You can offer it on consignment and set it up for them. No risk to them.
Another example could be going to trade shows.
If you sell car accessories, go to car shows.
If you sell running shoes, go to running events.
It takes some creativity, hard work and determination.
But follow this simple strategy, and I GUARANTEE you will get a few of your first customers.
Then you’re officially IN BUSINESS!
