How to Get Your First 10 Customers
When looking at the Googles, Amazons, and Apples of the world, and even the IBMs, Nikes, and Coca-Colas, it can be difficult to remember that they weren’t always enormous companies with globally recognized brands and billion dollar budgets. At some point in their past, they were tiny startups trying to get their first customers.
Since you’re reading this article, I’m guessing you’re closer to being the latter — a tiny startup — than the former. In that case, I want to remind you of an ancient Chinese proverb:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
While I’m sure the proverb wasn’t directly referencing the work of building startups, the premise is certainly applicable. Successful companies aren’t built overnight. They take years upon years of work. And, more importantly, the work builds on itself. The steps you take in the beginning aren’t going to be the same as the steps you take toward the middle or near the end.
Of the many steps you’ll take while building a company, lots of them will relate to your customer acquisition process. After all, if you can’t sell your product, you don’t have a business.
Customer acquisition is also something that shifts substantially as companies mature. For example, the process Google goes…
