MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE
|
Saturday, November 21, 2009
|
WIRELESS
CONTACT US
|
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
|
SIGN IN
SIGN OUT
|
MY PROFILE PAGE
|
MY ACCOUNT
Advanced Search
Current Conditions
59°
(Feels like 59°)
5-day local forecast
Home
News
Sports
Business
Special Projects
Blogs
Scene
Obits
Videos
Photos
Databases
Opinion
Comics
Jobs
Autos
Homes
Classifieds
Contact the Tulsa World
|
User Guide
|
About the Tulsa World
|
FAQ & Help
|
Advertise with us
|
Create an Online Account
|
Email Newsletters
|
RSS
|
Wireless
Local
|
State
|
US/World
|
Education
|
Health
|
Religion
|
Courts
|
Government
|
Stimulus Tracker
|
Weather
|
Births
|
Divorces
|
Marriages
OU
|
OSU
|
TU
|
ORU
|
High Schools
|
College Football
|
College Basketball
|
Blogs
|
Out Pick the Picker Contest & Blog
|
NFL
|
Fantasy
|
Pros
|
Golf
|
Outdoors
|
Motor Sports
|
All
Stocks
|
Aerospace
|
Agriculture
|
Employment
|
Energy
|
Real Estate
|
Finance
|
Tech
|
Retail
|
Transportation
|
FYI
|
Consumer Awareness
|
Action Line
Special Projects
|
The Homicide Report
|
The SemGroup Collapse
|
Puppy Profits
|
The Life of Oral Roberts
|
The Life of Will Rogers
Sports
|
Scene
|
Opinion
|
Photo
Dining In
|
Dining Out
|
Movies
|
Music
|
On TV
|
The Arts
|
Style
|
People
|
Home
|
Health
|
Family
|
Books
|
Travel
|
Celebrations
|
Blogs
Death Notices
|
Paid Obituaries
Videos
|
Blogs
Photos
|
Blogs
|
Order photo and page reproductions
Databases
|
State Salaries
|
City Salaries
|
Gas Station Violations
|
Crime Tracker
|
State Restaurant Inspection Reports
Editorials
|
Letters
|
Bruce Plante's Political Cartoons
|
Readers Forum
|
Wayne Greene's Blog
|
Mike Jones' Blog
|
Stems & Pieces
Comics Kingdom Online
|
Comics from the Tulsa World Print Edition
Job Search
|
Career Resources
|
Upload/Modify Resume
|
Hiring Companies
|
Career Fairs
|
Account Profile
|
Job Alerts
|
Employer Login
My Saved Searches
|
My Saved Ads
|
Boats
|
Motorcycles
|
Recreational Vehicles
|
Airplanes
|
Classic Cars
|
ATV's
|
Scooters
|
Sell Your Car
Property Search
|
Commercial Property
|
Foreclosures
|
World of Homes
|
Find a Realtor
|
Real Estate Login
Garage Sales
|
Pets
|
Post An Ad
|
Upload a Photo
|
Help & FAQ
Home
>
Business
Newspaper View
Print
Email
Comment
RSS
Bookmark
If you would like to bookmark this article you will need to
Login
to your tulsaworld.com account
close
The first customer is the hardest
By RHONDA ABRAMS Gannett News Service
Published:
11/18/2007
Last Modified: 11/17/2007 4:40 AM
Getting the first customer is a major hurdle for many new entrepreneurs.
Typically that's because new business owners either are afraid of asking for the sale or potential customers are afraid of being the very first to buy.
How can they conquer these issues? Here are some tips:
Overcoming the fear of making a sale: Let's face it; it's not easy to ask someone to give you his or her money. But if you're in business, you're going to have to do this over and over again.
Getting up the gumption to ask someone to pay you is tough. But here's something you must always remember: you are offering customers something of value. If it's of value to them, it's appropriate for them to pay you.
You have to recognize -- and believe -- that you are as entitled as anyone else in the business world to be paid for your work, your assistance, your time.
You can take classes or read books on how to become a better salesperson. You can eventually hire someone to make most of the sales for your business. But you still need to be able to make sales yourself, and there's no way to conquer the fear of making sales except by making sales.
Try out your sales pitch on friends and relatives. Work on what you're going to say, how much you're going to charge.
Overcoming the "I don't want to be first" mentality: Customers follow where others lead. If there are two restaurants
on the same street, one crowded and the other completely empty, most customers will wait for the popular restaurant.
Companies, as well as consumers, do the same thing. You've got to have a track record for prospective clients to feel comfortable.
What a dilemma: You have to have customers to get customers.
Some effective strategies to do just that include giving your product or service away for a limited time or offering deep discounts to hook customers.
If you can't do giveaways, don't be afraid to try drastic, but limited-time-only, introductory price cuts. If, for instance, you're opening a hair salon and you'll normally charge $50 for a hair cut, run an "Opening Special" of just $10 for the first week or two. This encourages people to give you a try and helps you build a clientele.
A final note: Sales takes persistence. Yes, you are likely to get many rejections. That's part of the reality of business life.
Rhonda Abrams is the president of The Planning Shop, publisher of books for entrepreneurs. Their newest is "Finding an Angel Investor In A Day." Register for her free business tips newsletter at
www.PlanningShop.com
.
By RHONDA ABRAMS Gannett News Service
Newspaper View
Print
Email
Comment
RSS
Bookmark
If you would like to bookmark this article you will need to
Login
to your tulsaworld.com account
close
Reader Comments
Show: Most Recent Comment First
Add your comment
0
comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!
Reporting Comments
If you see a comment that violates our
terms and conditions
, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. --
Web Editor Jason Collington
Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must
sign in to Tulsaworld.com
. If you do not have a site account, you can
create an account for free
.
Post Your Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Comments made yesterday
1,932
Total Comments
896,839
Register to make reader comments
1) Jobless rate hits 7.1 percent
2) Judge orders settlement meeting in Tulsa-based Cintas case
3) Health insurance costs rise
4) FAA glitch again snarls air traffic
5) SemGroup may exit court Nov. 30
6) Real Estate Leases
7) Tulsey goes to pizzeria owner
8) Boeing breaks ground for South Carolina plant
9) 5 questions with Brian Cantrell
10) Port tonnage far below totals of '08, '07
View the top 50
These are the most viewed stories in the last 24 hours.
1) Millions will have to repay part of tax credit
2) AA flight attendants plan 'mock strike' Wednesday
3) GM reports $1.2 billion loss, says it shows progress
4) Judge scolds attorneys on Oklahoma poultry case
5) Shale gas skeptic draws companies' wrath
6) Tulsey goes to pizzeria owner
7) AEP-PSO's proposed rider gets judge's OK
8) Jobless rate hits 7.1 percent
9) Social media focus of talk
10) Attorney: Non-poultry sources could have tainted water in Oklahoma
View the top 50
These are the top stories that have been commented on in the past 7 days.
1) Boeing breaks ground for South Carolina plant
2) FYI: Business
3) Port tonnage far below totals of '08, '07
4) Health insurance costs rise
5) FAA glitch again snarls air traffic
6) China Commercial Aircraft plans plant
7) Pre-Paid Legal says FTC may sue
8) Droid via Verizon gives iPhone run for the money
9) West side story
View the top 50
These are the top stories that have been emailed in the past 24 hours.
Home
|
About Tulsa World
|
Advertise With Us
|
Privacy
|
Usage Agreement
|
FAQ and Help
|
Contact Us
|
Today's Headlines
Copyright
© 2009, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
Advanced Search