Growth, Ideas

5 expert tips for getting your first customer 0 1095

Many entrepreneurs say that getting the first customer for their new service is one of the best moments of starting a business. It shows you’re on to a good idea, that people are ready to depart with their cash for your service and trust you to deliver. It’s a good feeling!

However, let’s be honest: getting your first customer is not easy. Before you launch your service, your credibility is pretty much zero. Potential clients will not have heard of you, and so will have little reason to take the risk on an unknown quantity. While you might offer a better service at a lower price than your competitors, people are creatures of habit, and often prefer to work with what they know.

Nonetheless, if you put yourself out there and stay positive (and with a little bit of luck), you will get your first customer for your new service before long.

At Book Like A Boss, we’re an entrepreneurial bunch – we’ve all worked in small start-ups and growing businesses before – so we know what it’s like hunting for your first customer! Here are our tips on everything you need to know to get your first customer.

CAC and LTV: two essential acronyms

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Lifetime Value (LTV) are two essential metrics any entrepreneur needs to know about:

  • CAC can be calculated by how much you spend on getting the customer: marketing, your website, time spent promoting yourself on social media or other advertising. If you spend $100 on acquiring ten customers, that means your CAC is $10.
  • LTV can be calculated by how much your average customer spends over the time they work with you. If each customer spends $20 with you, you would have doubled the CAC – meaning you’d have a pretty healthy business model.

Why’s this so important to think about early on? Because acquiring new customers costs five times as much as retaining existing ones. If you’re planning on selling your new service for $10,000, be aware that the CAC is likely to be relatively high too.

5 tips for getting your first customer

With those pointers in mind, here are our five tips for getting your first customer:

  1. Create a business plan with a short description of your USP

If you can’t explain to customers what makes you special, you’re going to have a hard time convincing them to spend money with you! Your business plan needs to describe what your service is, how it works, why it’s useful and who it’s for. This will help with everything you do subsequently to get new customers.

  1. Research your customers

Sure, you probably naturally have a fairly good idea of who your customers are. However, you need to go further. Work out exactly who your ideal customer is, what they want, why they’d buy from you, and think in detail about what you could do to convince them that you’re the right choice. Detailed research and planning is essential here.

  1. Utilize your network

If you’re launching a new business, you likely have a number of contacts in the local business community. Let all those people know what you’re doing, ask those people to take a trial with your service and offer them discount rates to entice them onboard. There’s also a lot of value in speaking to your friends and family and letting them know what you plan on doing – some of them may be able to put you in touch with someone they know who’s looking for the service that you’re offering.

  1. Launch a website

A website is an essential tool for acquiring new customers today. Having a presence online lends credibility to what you’re doing and means people can read about you, what you do and helps potential customers decide if you’re right for them. And, creating a functional, smart and usable website doesn’t mean a huge expense nowadays – you now can set up a professional-looking website, where customers can book sessions with you and even pay for your services up front in a matter of minutes.

  1. Use free marketing methods

You also need to do some basic marketing. Again, none of this needs to involve spending vast amounts of cash on ads. Utilize social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to create a buzz about your product. Start groups, join forums and participate actively and, where appropriate, link back to your website. It’s also worth launching a blog. Blogs allows potential customers to read more about you, and also mean you’re more likely to appear on a Google search. And of course, you should be sending potential customers regular emails.

The right tools for getting your first customer

Acquiring your first customer is one of the most exciting moments when you start your company. There’s always a bit of luck involved but, with a little extra work, you can ‘make your own luck’.

Book Like a Boss provides a low-cost, easy to use customer booking websites which allow your first customer to book their first gig with you. Ready to book your first customers? Sign up for a free trial here.

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Increase Business Revenue by Booking Like A Boss 0 1032

Earning more revenue has never been easier.

If you’re looking to turn your time and services into a profit, look no further than Book Like A Boss. Within 10 minutes you can create a booking page for clients and start making money sooner.

What is Book Like A Boss?

Book Like A Boss is more than just a standard scheduling app. It provides professionals looking to earn more income with a full web page and scheduling platform, one that’s optimized for booking and sales. Your all-in-one page comes with a customizable dashboard where you can easily manage your business and focus on selling your services.

No more jumping from app to app to run your business. Scheduling, payments, CRM, social media management and more can all be accessed from one centralized location. Save time and money by creating your business booking page with Book Like A Boss.

Who is Book Like A Boss for?

Any service-based professional that wants earn more revenue faster can benefit from Book Like A Boss. It is designed to help business owners who want to:

  • Quickly get started selling their services on a small budget.
  • Simplify their workflow.
  • Make scheduling easy and effortless for their clients and for themselves.
  • Create an online platform to communicate with clients, but don’t want to spend a fortune or waste precious time building a website.
  • Increase their income.

Have you found yourself wanting any of these? Then Book Like A Boss is for you.

How does it work?

In just a few simple steps you can create a full-functioning scheduling platform that meets all your needs. Start by picking your page name, listing your services and setting up your schedule. Sync your calendar with a Google, iCloud, Outlook or Office 365 calendar so you never have to worry about double bookings. Add payment options directly on your page and you’re done! Just like that and you’ve got a page to start sharing.

Customize your page as you want it, with your own header and footers, testimonials, videos and more. Enjoy other features such as confirmation/reminder emails, a custom form builder and the ability to embed your calendar onto other sites. Book Like A Boss doesn’t take any percentage of your sales and will forever allow for unlimited bookings. Your business shouldn’t be limited by its platform, but should be open to greater growth and profit.

By automating your appointment scheduling, under a beautiful and mobile-responsive platform, you open the doors for that growth. Book Like A Boss makes booking and payment easier for customers, making it easier for you to earn more revenue faster.

Build a Better Business with Book Like A Boss

Appointment scheduling and business management shouldn’t be complicated, and now it doesn’t have to be. When you automate your appointment booking, you automate the revenue generation for your business.

So what are you waiting for? Start earning more revenue sooner with Book Like A Boss.

Get started today for free and see for yourself how Book Like A Boss can earn you greater profits and give you greater ease in running your business.

7 Ways to transform your schedule into a sales tool 0 1033


If you think of your schedule as a one-dimensional organizational tool, you’re missing out. That schedule that you’re keeping is a secret sales tool waiting to work for you. We’re talking big-time revenue potential, if you use it correctly.

It doesn’t matter how large your company is, how much revenue you’re bringing in, or how long you’ve been around, if you have a business – your schedule can (and should) be boosting your bottom line.

How can you transform your schedule into a sales tool?

  • Digitize and publicize your calendar. If you want your schedule to start making you money, you have to make your calendar accessible to potential clients. Leverage an online booking platform where customers can view openings for appointments, demos, classes, events, etc.

  • Link your calendar to marketing materials with a “Call to Action” button. Make it easy for customers and prospects to find your calendar via CTA buttons on your website, in email campaigns, or other digital marketing materials. These buttons should be the center of attention of your content, and labeled clearly with phrases like “Book Now” or “Schedule an Appointment.”

  • Put the power in your customers’ hands. Allowing your customers to reserve their own time slot on your calendar can make a powerful impression and win you major customer service brownie points. Online booking is a slick feature that is affordable and easy to manage, and shows a high level of professionalism. In addition, opening your calendar to your audience conveys the message that you are prioritizing their time by putting the power of scheduling in their hands, and skipping the painful phone tag or email inquiry process.

  • Capture contact information. When your client reserves a slot on your calendar, it is essential you capture contact information. At a minimum, this should be an email address. If it’s appropriate, snag a phone number and a mailing address here too. Obtaining this contact information opens up a world of opportunities to continually market to a warm customer base – people who have already come in contact with your brand.

  • Reduce cancellations and no-shows. Businesses can bleed money if their customers continually neglect appointments. There are a few ways to address the problem. First, you can take payment or a deposit online at the time of booking, if applicable to your business. Second, you can send friendly email or text reminders in the days and even hours leading up to your appointment. In these reminders, offer the opportunity to reschedule if necessary. People are forgetful. A simple email can be the difference between a lost sale and a closed deal.

  • Offer bonuses and promotions. If someone reserves time on your calendar, you’ve already made an impression. Now the goal is to keep them coming back. Track customer patterns and send targeted offers that remind them to return or try something new. For instance, if you own a spa and a customer routinely books massages, send them a special offer for booking a manicure/pedicure combo. If you use your calendar to schedule demos of a product, send a follow-up email to customers who completed the demo but did not follow through with a purchase. A little extra prompting may be all a person needs to make a purchase or increase their spending.

  • Alert and educate. Use the contact information you’ve gathered to alert your customers when new opportunities are available. Educate them about upcoming changes, or send newsletters with valuable information that does not push a sale. Consistent communication paired with valuable and relevant information will help you build a loyal client base of people who will continually look for more opportunities to connect with your business.

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