Who Wants to Go First?

Michael Gifford

Everything is in place. You have the business cards, the website, the license, the location, etc. It's all there. Now you are ready for your first customer. There's just one challenge. Many people don't like to be first. Like the second mouse to approach the cheese in a trap, they prefer to watch someone else take the risk. They want to see your company's track record before they will turn over their hard-earned money to you. It's a Catch-22. Your potential customers want you to have an established business before they will buy from you, but, in order for you to have an established business, you have to have customers.

There are many reasons why some consumers don't want to be first. At the top of the list is their experience with fly-by-nights. They have been burned in the past and don't want to get roasted again. The first website I ever created in my website design business was for a customer who had paid a company $5,000 and, after three months, had only their logo on a single page to show for it. Since that time, I have picked up business from a number of people who had paid someone for website work and then did not get the service they were promised or, in some cases, never heard from them again.

Another reason why some consumers don't want to be first is because they feel that experience is the number one qualification that a business owner must have in order for them to trade with him or her. After all, the experienced person always knows the ropes, ins and outs, the tricks of the trade. Right? While that is often true, it's also true that the "newbie" can be more hungry and can also have some innovative ideas that the more experience person has not considered.

With this tendency on the part of consumers to hesitate at the opportunity to be at the front of your line, what can you do to get someone to stick his or her neck out and give you a try? Here are five suggestions:

1. Start your solicitations for business with your warm market. It doesn't matter how much cold, lifeless technology influences our lives. As warm, living humans we still want to do business with a real person we can trust. Let your friends, family, and others close to you know about your business. Because of their trust in you, someone from those groups will likely take a risk with you when no one else will.
2. Provide your credentials. Perhaps you are a plumber who had worked for another company prior to launching your own operation. Let consumers know of your knowledge. Even if you are totally new to a field, let people know of the related knowledge that you are bringing to your new venture and how it will benefit them when they buy from you.
3. Testimonials. If you are not in direct competition with your most recent employer, you could ask him or her to write a testimonial regarding your abilities. Even though you are new in owning your own business, you could be immediately viewed as well-versed in your chosen field.
4. Give. There are many ways for you to give in a way that can generate new business. You can give a discount, give something free, or even give a percentage of your sales to charity. If you choose to give to charity, be sure that you have already talked with the charity to let them know your plans. Knowing that they will benefit from your sales, they might even help bring customers to you.
5. Offer a guarantee in conjunction with a commitment. Be specific when you do this and offer it in writing.

Because you have been willing to risk it all to start your business, it can be difficult to comprehend why customers would not be willing to engage with you right off the bat. After all, they are taking a much lower risk. Just understand that not everyone has the entrepreneurial spirit that you have. Be patient and give consumers reasons to believe that you have something great in store for them. Then, reward them for their commitment to you by giving them more than they expected.

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Michael Gifford has been has often been called “The Go To Guy.” In his many years as an entrepreneur, he has been involved in business start-ups, aided in business expansions, registered a patent and trademarks, and authored a number of books and articles. Currently he serves as President of New Heights Marketing, Inc. in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this article provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.