Your first ten customers will not come from ads or search. They come from you, asking people directly. It feels slow and awkward, and it is still the fastest way.
Customers 1 to 3: people who know you
Start with your own network. Friends, former colleagues, past clients, your neighbours. Not because they will buy out of kindness, but because they will listen and introduce you.
Be specific about what you offer and who it is for. Vague messages get vague replies.
Hi Tomás, I have started a new business: I set up simple online booking for hair salons, so they stop losing appointments after hours. If you know a salon owner, I would really value an introduction. And if you have two minutes, I would love your honest view on the offer.
Customers 4 to 7: where your customers already are
Go where your customers spend time. Local business groups. Online communities for their trade. Industry events. The street where their shops are.
Be useful before you sell. Answer questions in their forum. Share what you know. When someone describes the problem you solve, offer to help.
If you sell to businesses, a short, specific email works. Keep it under 80 words with one ask, as in how long a cold email should be.
Customers 8 to 10: referrals from the first ones
By now some customers are happy. Ask each one, kindly and specifically, who else they know. There is a full guide to asking for referrals.
Collect a short quote from each happy customer too. Proof from a real person makes the next sale easier. Here is how to ask for a testimonial.
What to offer the first customers
- A fair price, with a reason for any discount. "Founding customer price until 1 December" is honest and gives a reason to act.
- More of your attention. Early customers get you directly. That is a real benefit.
- A clear promise. What they get, by when.
Avoid giving it away for free. Free users rarely give honest feedback, and they prove nothing about whether people will pay.
Track every conversation
You will talk to dozens of people. Keep a simple list: name, where you met, what they said, the next step and the date. Without it, follow-ups slip and warm leads go cold.
- Who they are and where you found them.
- What problem they described, in their words.
- What you offered.
- The next step, and the date you will follow up.
Their words matter. The way your first customers describe the problem is the language your website and emails should use.
Look for the pattern
After ten customers, look at who said yes. Same kind of business? Same size? Same trigger, such as a new shop or a bad season? That pattern is your real target customer. The next hundred come from finding more people exactly like them.
If you have not yet tested whether people will pay, start with how to validate a business idea.