My brand must be really growing.
I’ve been getting more connection requests and DMs than ever. Recently, almost all the questions I’ve been receiving have been about the exact same topic:
“I am just getting started, so how do I generate leads and start making sales?”
It’s all fun and games when you’re talking about ideas, strategizing, and creating your vision board. It’s an entirely new experience when you actually have to start generating revenue.
Today, I’m going to share a few accessible ways to get your first sales.
LFG. 🔥
1. Start A Newsletter
You’re probably sick of hearing me say this, but I’m always surprised by how few people take it seriously and actually do it.
You aren’t going to generate sales overnight. The real purpose of a newsletter is to build your brand and establish your authority. Once that authority is built, the sales start coming to you.
About nine months ago, my friend David and I sat down for coffee. He asked me if starting a newsletter was worth it and whether he should launch one.
I gave him an emphatic yes.
The secret is to publish consistently without obsessing over immediate outcomes. You simply keep hitting publish.
Now David has over 5,000 subscribers and regularly generates new opportunities. He is a perfect example of what happens when you let results build naturally. In the early stages, you don’t fully know what your business will look like down the road. Your content acts as a series of tiny experiments and market research to discover what people actually want from you.
Just do it. Please.
2. Go To Conferences
I just returned from The Wonderland Conference.
My wife and I spent four days in Austin and met so many incredible people. Jules is coming home with a stack of leads, opportunities, and new relationships. She might have even booked a speaking gig at next year’s event.
I’m returning with what looks like an equity deal as well (I’ll share more once the paperwork is finalized).
We met business owners who actually flew to the conference from Denver as well, and who requested marketing help, as well as people who want to travel to Denver just to attend one of Juliana’s breathwork sessions.
More than anything, I got out there and showed my face. I collected business cards, swapped emails, started text conversations, and immersed myself in an industry that is gearing up for massive growth.
Networking doesn’t come naturally to me. My default setting is sitting in a corner by myself reading a book. But the opportunities are out there if you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone, show vulnerability, ask questions, and take a genuine interest in others.
3. Local Chamber Of Commerce
One of my very first clients was a local sign company.
Yes, signs: those big plastic neon lights businesses put on their doors or out by the street.
I met the owner through a Chamber of Commerce meeting in Boca Raton.
My second client was an organic juice bar in Delray Beach. I charged the owner $300 a month to manage her Google profile and handle basic website updates.
It wasn’t a huge payday, but years later, Jules and I ran into that owner at a concert. She introduced me to a friend, who introduced me to another friend starting an online organic juice company. I ended up building their e-commerce store on WooCommerce.
When you put yourself out there, things happen. So stop hiding behind a keyboard and a cell phone and get out in the real world.
Social media is a great tool, but for the most part it’s a huge waste of time and a very inefficient way to generate leads and most people do it simply because it’s more comfortable for them to fail in silence than to push themselves in the real world.
If you’re serious about building a business, you will get out in the real world.
In Conclusion: Don’t Get In Your Own Way
I’m not a naturally outgoing person. Networking and relationship building required real effort, but I decided early on that building a successful business was worth pushing past my discomfort.
I’ve never run ads for my own companies, and I’ve never relied on a formalized sales team. I’ve generated tens of millions through SEO, networking, directories, and newsletters.
We recently hired a Head of Growth at Quantum to formalize our sales process, but the point remains: you don’t need a massive sales engine right out of the gate to build a profitable business.
The first step is simply showing up. There are no secret frameworks or hacks. You just provide value and talk to anyone willing to listen about your business and how you aim to serve them.
Momentum kicks in, your reputation grows, and revenue follows.
Love you guys. Talk to you next week.
Tim
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