May 12, 2012

How to Get Your First Sales

Glenn GaudetPresident & Founder

Remember – This is YOUR Job

• Nobody can sell YOUR product better than YOU

• YOU need to hear the feedback… the good and the bad.

• If YOU can’t sell it. Don’t expect someone else to.

Role of Early Sales

• For the product– Validation– Market Fit– Will someone pay?– Are you leaving money on the

table?– Is it sustainable at that price?

• For you– Revenue– Confidence– Credibility

• Create a “Garden” so you can harvest revenue beyond your first sales.

Step 1: Get some tools

• Don’t reinvent the wheel. Fill up the wheel barrel with what you will need.

• What we use:– Salesforce – for CRM (Customer

Relationship Management) and opportunity tracking ($15/month)

– Google Apps – email and collaboration (FREE)

– Yesware for Gmail– email tracking ($4.95/month)

– Rapportive for Gmail – email lookup (FREE)

– Grasshopper – toll free number, forwarding and vmail ($24/month)

Step 2: Fertilizer

• Website – Beyond your product– Important to sell company

credibility• Team• Third party validation• Contact info

• What we use for social & web engagement:– Tweetdeck – publishing and

singular engagement (FREE) – GaggleAMP – social

amplification ($25/month)– SnapEngage – website visitor

chat ($19/month)

Step 3: Seed the market

• Pre-availability – build a list– ttp://launchrock.com (FREE)

• Use your beta program to get the word out– The more the merrier– Target a representative sample– Get engagement and use (1/10 at

best)– Transition to a paid beta

• Free/discounted use– Seed your product with influencers

• Bloggers• Podcasters• Companies that will be a reference

Step 4: Greenhouses

• Events are a way to exhibit & network– Forces you to refine your pitch

with lots of practice– Leverage FREE events such as

Mass Innovation Nights & other startup showcases

– Leverage any “partner pavillions”

• Do your homework before the event– Research who will be there– Reach out ahead of time to set up

meetings– Leverage “startup areas or

pricing”– Work the event’s lunches &

cocktail events

Step 5: Harvesting

• The hardest part from most entrepreneurs is to ask for the order.

• Negative self-talk includes:• What if they say no?• What if the price is too high?

– Don’t psych yourself out of the game!

• Ask for the order and find out if you have a company.

• Remember - Sell the benefit NOT just the feature

Sell the benefit NOT just the feature

• Example – Gillette Fusion ProGlide:

• an enhanced lubrastrip with more lubricants enables the razor to glide smoothly.

• a redesigned precision trimmer ideal for shaving tricky places like under the nose.

• a more ergonomic handle for better control.

Final Thoughts

• If you get frustrated… sell your product

• If you get depressed… sell your product

• Selling your product is the magical elixir that heals almost all ills of a startup.

Thank you for your time!

Now go forth and sell!

Contact:– Glenn Gaudet– President & Founder– 617.682.0777– @glenng on Twitter– glenn@gaggleamp.com