My First 20 B2B Paying Customers Shivku from exotel
Jan 12, 2015
My First 20 B2B Paying Customers
Shivku from exotel
The three year startup networking baggage
• Exotel is B2SME. • Startups are SME too.• Attended startup conferences to learn about
starting up• Used this network of “early adopters” to validate &
sell• Linkedin maintained & managed my network on my
behalf• Bonus points: Helped in hiring too!
Asking for reference during validation pitches
• Pitched the deck to nearly 50 eclectic people (Including my mom & our electrician)
• Asked them to think of someone/anyone they know for whom the product might be useful for.
• How will it be useful for them?• Can you do an intro?
My first twentyCompany no 1 Friend’s brother
Company no 2 Startup friend
Company no 3 Startup friend & X-colleague
Company no 4 Friend
Company no 5 Intro through startup friend
Company no 6 Met at Geeks on a plane in mumbai during a pitch
Company no 7 X- Company secretary
Company no 8 Restauranteur friend & X-colleague
Company no 9 Startup Friend
Company no 10 Noticed exotel at Unpluggd (where we launched)
Company no 11 Friend working in a startup
Company no 12 TV show on ET-Now
Company no 13 Intro by X-Company Secretary
Company no 14 Startup friend
Company no 15 Tried to help me with my fundraise
Company no 16 From unpluggd
Company no 17 Friend who liked my previous startup
Company no 18 Reference by company volunteered to help with my fundraise
Company no 19 Startup friend
Company no 20 Startup friend
Take-aways
• Your customer can come from anywhere. Keep eyes & ears open, particularly to vendors
• Sell yourself along with the product. Pedigree matters
• Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter are your friends• Ask for references shamelessly• Grab every mic you get. Speak at every stage you
can. • Don’t be stupid
Thankyou