A Dumb Business Mistake

Around 2006, I wanted to start a little business out of my home. I did everything I thought I was supposed to do. I worked with a designer to create business cards. Three weeks later and $165 spent, I got my first order of 1000 business cards.

I was so proud.

Then I proceeded to buy pens with my business name on them. I even bought a $300 fax machine! Really! Long story short, I didn’t make a dime with the business and wasted a ton of time and money in the process.

You know why I didn’t make any money? I never made a single sale!

Besides mailing some pens to some relatives, I never even spoke with anyone!

In this lesson, I’ll break down how you can avoid “pulling a Sean” and drive sales right from the very beginning.

The Importance of Making a Sales

Part of me really wants to make this the first lesson. I’m going to be super blunt here, if you can’t make a sale, then you’re never going to have a successful business. Why? Because even by definition, you don’t have a business unless a sale is made!

You can have the coolest product ever. You can have the best looking website in the world. You can have the catchiest slogan or most clever business name. You can have all of your paperwork filed and your bank account totally set up. You can take all of the action in the world, but unless you make a sale, you don’t have a business. Literally.

With the work you’ve done up to this point, you should be ready to rock’n’roll. Now, you just need to make a sale.

In fact, the only way you won’t succeed is if you don’t make a sale.

Go back to your vision. How badly do you want it? Get out there and help solve a problem for someone.

Sales is Proof

In the very first week of my own business, I sold a website for $1250. I thought it was such a huge amount! More than that though, I knew I had something! It was proof that I could make money on my own. My family would never go hungry because I knew that I had a way to provide for them without depending on a job or an employer.

At a fundamental level, sales are proof that you’ve got a winning business idea! Another human has seen enough value in your product or service to give you money in exchange. I know this is basic stuff but I can’t emphasize how many people think they can somehow skip this part.

When you make a sale, you’re not only proving that your product or service will sell, you’ve got proof that you yourself can actually make a sale! As your business grows, you won’t always be the salesperson for your business but you will always be in charge of it. And at the beginning, it’s vital that you’re in charge of it.

How to Get Your First Sale

First, think about your ideal client or customer. What problem are they dealing with? Really dig. Ask. Get online and go to Facebook groups or forums or blogs. Also, interview people around you. Remember to ask open-ended questions and really listen to what people say.

And there’s the secret: they will often tell you the solution!

How many times have you heard someone say, “Man! I wish I had something that would (fill in solution)!” or “Why don’t they make something that (fill in solution)!”.

If you ask enough people, you’ll start to see a pattern. Then you’ve got your product or service and you’ve also got your first customers or clients.

I don’t want to downplay it here but it really isn’t as complicated as most people make it.

Find out the problem, come up with the solution, package it, and sell it. Period. Do that over and over again.

I can break this down into steps for you.

1. Think about your business idea (remember your model?)
2. Ask real people about their biggest challenges when it comes to your business focus
3. Listen
4. Zero in on one person that you think might make a great candidate for your first customer or client
5. Present your solution to them
6. Ask them to make the purchase (you can offer a discount or increase the value you normally give – I personally avoid free because if it’s really worth it, people will give you money)
7. Do your best job and track the results
8. Get feedback and refine your solution as needed
9. Publish the results your client/customer got (online, PDF, photos, etc – whatever’s appropriate for your niche) and use this to get more sales
10. Approach others and don’t stop until you’ve blown up your business

If you follow the above, you’ll get your first sale.

Again, it doesn’t matter if it’s a product or a service, online or offline. Your first sale will happen by a real human giving you money.

With a few sales under your belt, you need to hurry and establish your business. We’ll cover that in the next lesson. For now, be sure to go through your homework!