Ask HN: How do you go about acquiring your initial customers? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do you go about acquiring your initial customers?

5 pointsRulero6 comments

I'm in the process of developing a new web based app which is targeted towards estate agents (B2B).

I was curious to learn more about how you initially acquired your first set of customers when building your MVP? Did you email any potential leads explaining what you are developing? Did you call them? Do you have any advice or tips you could provide me?

I have already created a landing page explaining the concept and a form to capture any potential leads. I have also created the screens in HTML of what the application will look like so I can provide them with a demo in order for them to get a good grasp and feel of how it will work.

I'm basically attempting to validate whether I have a potential product or not - ideally, if my idea is validated and my leads express interest I would like to work with at least 10 of them and develop a MVP. Would you have personally gone about doing it this way?

You seem to be on the right path by saying you want to work with 10 of them. However, it doesn't sound like you're ready for your first customers, since you haven't talked with any of them!

While you think you have a great idea that will change the real estate business, the truth is that you don't know at all. You need to start talking to real estate agents. Send emails, phone calls, offer to take them to lunch, drop by their office. Talk about your idea (focusing on why they should care -- what will this do for them?). And -- importantly -- listen to their feedback.

Once you've had several in-depth conversations with 5-10 of these folks, you should know what they care about, and what the value of your product is to them. At that point, it should be easy to get your early partners to pay for the service -- after all, it was pretty much designed for them!

Also recommended: Steve Blanks "4 steps to the epiphany".

One final thing - be resourceful. You have to call, email, visit, get referrals to, use linkedin (seriously, linkedin is great for b2b companies because people on Linkedin actually want to talk/connect with you!).

Doing the whole landing page "Field of Dreams" approach isn't going to work. Be resourceful (or, if you're into this term, hustle!).

Do you have any pre-existing experience or connections into the estates agent business? If possible, I would start there and with them.

If you don't have any pre-existing experience or connections into that market, it's still possible to find success but it's going to be a long and challenging path to forge...and so before even building much of an MVP, I would spend some time getting connected and ingrained in that world (which will likely have the happy side effect of revealing a lot of the real 'problems & opportunities' within).

Boots on the ground. Before the product was finished being built we had interviewed dozens of potential customers, etc. Don't be afraid to walk up to strangers and at the end of an interview, ask someone who they think would be helpful person to contact. The latter trick starts to point you toward more influential / bigger players. We had a check before the alpha version was done.

Talk to the customer directly! Pick up the phone and call them.. Everyone tries going viral.. but your chances are so slim. Let your customers do the work for you. It won't happen overnight, but if you believe in the process, it will work.

Thanks for all the feedback, it's really appreciated.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com