This presentation was used by Anaz Kabeer at Headstart Startup Saturday Kochi on June 13th 2015. The topic for this particular meet was "Getting initial customers".

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Getting your initial Customers

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There’s NO one RIGHT way!
Getting your initial Customers
There’s no easy answer for you here. You can’t input
your industry, product, pricing, and positioning into
an algorithm and churn out the answer to who you
should sell to, what you should say, and how you’re
going to find them.

3. 3
Toughest Question
Your business concept seems sound
and your marketing and PR plans
all look well and good, but tell me:
Where are you going to get the first
THREE customers who will actually
pay for your product?
Because until you have them, I don't
see how you really have a
BUSINESS here.

4. 4
Toughest Request
I was totally product focused for the last year and
now it’s live, so I need to start thinking about
finding some customers. Any advice will help.

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GO and get your first 3 customers!
• Stop building complex marketing strategies for
customers you don’t have.
• Your first goal is to get 3 customers

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Who is a Customer?
A Customer Is Someone Who Gives You Money
Initiator: The individual who initiates the search
for a solution to the customer’s problem
Influencer: Individuals who have influence on the
purchase decision
Decider: The individual who incorporates the
views of the initiator and influencers in making the
final decision about which product or service is
purchased
Purchaser: The individual who actually pays for
the product or service
User: The end consumer of the product or
service

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Face the Reality
Get IN FRONT of your potential customers and
SHOW THEM how their life could be better with
your product/service

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How to Identify your potential Customers
• Who is your exact client, and where do they go to
look for a solution to their pain problems?
• Where are people already looking for solutions to
problems, and how can you make a match
between them and your service?
• People with problems are eager for solutions
• Make Sure You Get A Smart User
• Don’t Try to Sell a Bicycle to a Fish
• How we specifically solved the pain problem
• Learning From Our Competitors’ Customers

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KYC- Know your Customer
• "Tell me about [pain point]."
• "Describe your daily routine [with regards to pain
point]."
• "What are you currently using [with regards to
pain point]."
• "What do you like/dislike about your current
solution."
• "How and where do you get information to make
decisions about [pain point]."
• "How valuable would it be to have a solution to
[pain point]."

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FAIL Fast and Turn your SHIP
You can mis-step constantly without it being fatal,
if your eyes are open and you’re being honest
about what’s happening. You don’t have to pick
the right step each time. That’s what “fail
fast” means.
Also there’s more than one “correct” next step.
Lots of steps will do just fine. You’re not seeking
the One True Path, but rather any path that isn’t
so circuitous that your finances or resolve runs
dry before you reach the end.

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Become an EXPERT
If you can get your early
customers to trust you as a
knowledgeable resource in
your subject area, they will
buy from you.
The key here is not to fake it.
Before you start to prove
your expertise, you have to
develop it 

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How Value and Expertise works
• Try to produce an insane amount of VALUE
BEFORE charging, then it's impossible for
people NOT to buy from you.
• You just have to put your work out there and
claim your brilliance at it. Step up to the plate
and keep swinging till you make contact. The
only person that holds you back or limits you,
is you.

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Why First Customers are Critical?
Legitimize your offering, demonstrating that
YES, there is indeed a market for your
products and services.
Provide valuable feedback to help you
improve your business operations.
Give you real testimonials,
which you can leverage in
subsequent marketing
campaigns.

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Dissatisfied Customer

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How to earn money from your clients
• Be as honest and open as possible with your
customers. They need to be comfortable with you and
trust you. Without trust there is no loyalty.
• Customize Intelligently
• Support Before Referencing
• Reward With Recognition
• What about pricing? How do I test that? Can I
negotiate as a freelancer?
• What exactly should I offer, and how should I
structure my service? Hourly? By project?
• How do I get referrals? Should I be networking? How
do I do that without wasting my time?
• When do I raise my rates?

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Create partnerships for credibility.
• Find your Credible Business Partner
• Build your Marketing Channel
• Identify your stakeholders

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Networking
• Going to Local Meetups
• Getting Involved With Local Incubators
• Join Business Forums & Communities
• Attend Business Events
• Learn the ART of NETWORKING
Smart people Do Network others just Look
for Work

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Referrals
• Reaching Out to your Existing Network
• Use every relationship you have
It’s hard enough to make cold calls, but it’s
extremely difficult to sell new, innovative
products and services using that method.
You need to meet with people who have some
connection to you, no matter how slight.

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An Elevator Pitch
Your pitch should include intriguing details about your
business, paving the way for questions and
conversation.

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An Elevator Pitch- Mind the 9 Cs
1. Concise. Keep the pitch succinct and clear, with as few words as possible.
2. Clear. The pitch should be easily understood by a layman, rather than filled
with acronyms and industry terminology.
3. Compelling. What problem does your business solve, and what can you do for
your target audience?
4. Credible. Spell out what makes you qualified to do what you do, without using
buzzwords like "outside the box" or "synergy." Using credibility-driven words
like "certified" will help sell you.
5. Conceptual. Keep your pitch broad; don't go into too many details.
6. Concrete. The pitch should be tangible and easily grasped by your audience.
7. Customized. Each target audience is different. The pitch should be tailored to
the listeners.
8. Consistent. No matter how many versions of your pitch you have, they should
all convey the same basic message.
9. Conversational. Start the conversation, and hook your target. Keep it casual,
and don't try to close a deal in the pitch.

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How to do a sales pitch in 30 seconds
• Your Name, Company Name – 2 sec
• Service Domain/Area of Business you are into
-3 sec
• Your Unique Selling Proposition – 10 sec
• Expertise /Certification/ Credibility- 10 sec
• Specific ask for an appointment – 5 sec
Remember SPECIFIC is TERRIFIC!

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Tips
• Create high-quality content
• Test, test and test again
• Set up a waiting list.
• Build suspense
• Work with early adopters
• Use your personal network
• Incentivize customers to sell your product
• Offer a free product option
• Affiliate marketing
• Speak at conferences
• Online advertising

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More Tips from Succesful Entrepreneurs
• Do what you are good at. Go after it. Do it cheap and don't spend
money before you make money. Charge what you want to charge
and want to earn.
• Start with really small potential customers and use them as your
sales people once you've over-satisfied them for larger
customers.
• If you don't eat, sleep and breathe what you do, you'll never
stick with it, nor put in the hours necessary to make your
business work.
• Sell your vision to visionaries before you sell reality to realists
• If you have free users, don't ask people if they'll pay. Put a price
up and charge them.

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• Find that edge... even go over it because good things can come
from making mistakes vs. never getting in the game. Anybody
can bitch from the cheap seats!!! Be a player...
• Word of mouth is so powerful in a service orientated business.
Make sure all your friends and family know what you are doing
so they can help spread the word.
• Strike up a conversation. Give free value up front. Do excellent
work, and then procure referrals.
• Start small and aggressive.
• Be accessible, ask questions and listen. Work with you want to
work with. It makes your work more enjoyable and your
business grow.
More Tips from Succesful Entrepreneurs

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• Work with other startups in the beginning. They're smart,
love to try out something new and don't have a lot of
money to waste.
• Don't wait to take action. A plan without execution is
worse than execution without a plan.
• Make sure you have people committed to pay you before
you build v1.
• Build relationships with key influencers and potential
'referral partners' who are connected within your target
customer's circles, and offer to help them, do great work,
even do it for FREE
More Tips from Succesful Entrepreneurs

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Thank You
Business Contact:
Anaz Kabeer,
CEO & Director,
ValueFoc Technologies Private Ltd. Kochi, India
Phone:+91-989-503-6405
anaz@valuefoc.com
www.valuefoc.com
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