Let’s face it, founders are often the first (and only) sales engine in new ventures. No sales = no company. It is as simple as that. No need to treat it as a dirty word.
This said, many founders struggle as they don’t have a sales background. All kinds of questions pop up:
- Where to start?
- Should I do cold calling?
- How persistent should I be?
- How do I differentiate from others?
While you can have a great service or product, you’ll need to start somewhere. As Michael Humblet likes to phrase it: “Nobody knows you.”
Visibility
Starting from the assumption that you know exactly what you want to sell to whom and at which price, you have done a good deal of the work. Yet, without any further steps, you’ll remain invisible. Word-of-mouth helps but that implies you have clients already. Setting up a website is great but without SEO/SEA efforts, you’ll be floating in the vast web space.
So, the question becomes: “How do I become visible?” Preferably, you’ll also keep costs down.
How I Did it
Nail your proposition and your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile). Basically, what problem are you solving and for whom? I don’t believe in the adage that “good” salespeople should be able to “sell ice to an Eskimo.” Even if it works I the short term, it backfires in the long run. When done correctly, your target group is limited, especially in B2B. Get to know your prospects, earn their trust. In the beginning, knowledge about your potential buyers trumps monetary gain. With a few cases in, refine your proposition further. Now you have all you need to do targeted outreach. What this looks like:
- Build your lists
- Build your tech stack and automate your outreach
- Follow-up with calls
- Even with the slightest interest, keep the momentum going
If I triggered your curiosity, I’d be happy to share my set-up in a complimentary call.