By Solo Entrepreneur · 14 September 2026 · 2 minute read
Before you begin
Choose a specific audience and explain one outcome you can deliver. Ask for a short conversation or a small trial rather than an immediate large commitment. Keep notes on objections and repeated questions. Follow up with a clear summary and the next step you agreed. Do not interpret every refusal as a pricing problem. The audience, timing or problem may need to change.
Start with a reachable audience
For an example bookkeeping support service, a reachable audience might be small local businesses with a recurring document-organising problem. Describe the specific task you can handle and the limits of your role. Ask how the owner manages it now, when it causes difficulty and who decides on outside help. A broad audience of all businesses makes both your message and your learning less precise.
Keep the conversation concrete
Ask about the last time the problem happened. What did they do, how long did it take and what remained unfinished? Avoid leading with a long presentation of your idea. At the end, summarise the problem in their words and ask whether you understood it correctly. If appropriate, agree a small next step. Record objections without immediately arguing against them; they may reveal a mismatch in timing or scope.
Follow through on the next action
Finding Your First Customers includes doing what you said you would do after the conversation. Send the sample or summary on the agreed date and make it easy to reply. Compare patterns across several conversations before changing the entire offer. Revisit Solopreneur Business Ideas if the problem is weak, and One-Person Business Operations if interest is stronger than your ability to deliver consistently.
Put the notes to work
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