Until you make your first sale, your flash of cash is simply an idea that needs a customer. Finding that first customer is critical to understanding whether your flash of cash will lead to a meaningful business or just turn out to be a waste of cash.
Here are some ways to get started on finding your first customer.
1. Network with existing relationships
In today’s world of social media, there is no better place to begin your search than on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Go through your list of social media friends and business contacts and identify anyone that might be interested in your flash of cash, or know someone else who potentially might be. Reach out to them and let them know what you are working on, and see if they show any interest. This doesn’t have to be a hard sell, but rather an information exchange. Let them know you are looking for feedback and would like to speak with them further either face to face or over the phone. Once you get this far, then you will be a lot closer to getting your first customer.
2. Friend an authority figure
Identify individuals that are respected authority figures in your chosen industry. This might be a blogger, an author or maybe someone that has thousands of Twitter followers. See if they would be willing to listen to your pitch, take a look at your “free” sample and provide candid feedback. Depending on the nature of your flash of cash, there may be all sorts of people that could provide you with an endorsement. For instance, if you have created a new type of food product, then you might reach out to the hosts of cooking shows, authors of cookbooks, editors of food websites, etc. Even if you don’t immediately find someone that is willing to endorse your product, it’s more than likely that a few of the people you contact will point you in the right direction.
3. Demonstrate your expertise
Since it’s more than likely that your flash of cash comes from your personal or professional experience, you are probably an expert in the subject already. Let others know about your expertise by writing articles, blog posts, and tweeting about things that are going on in the industry. Beware that you are not trying to sell your flash of cash to this audience but rather trying to become a recognized figure that offers credibility on the subject matter. Once you have established your platform then you can engage your audience about your flash of cash.
It goes without saying that all three of the ways identified above take time and will not lead to any quick sales. One thing you can do to speed things along is to work these efforts in parallel while you are developing your flash of cash. Then once your flash of cash is ready for “prime time” you can then start to position it with your chosen audience.
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