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Ask HN: How do you approach potential B2B customers for early stage research

6 points by mattvot ↗ HN
Hey HN,

I've got this idea for a web app from a service provider I recently used. He told me all about his business problems (problems that can be solved with a web app) once I told him I was in the web space. We both got really excited about the possibility of a product.

Now I feel I need to validate this idea with other business managers. I've have no contacts in this industry, nor do I know too much about it.

How do I approach business owners/managers to gain research without annoying/intimidating/frustrating them.

How do you do it?

1 comment

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mindcrime
For starters, you ask your initial contact for referrals. Then you ask anybody and everybody that you know, for referrals. If you don't know anybody or if no one you know can help, you join LinkedIn groups that are related to your targets, and you post a message to the group saying:

"Any (CEOs|CIOs|Accountants|IT Managers|Whatever) willing to help a startup with some product research? Will buy coffee to pick your brain" or something along those lines. You'll probably get a few nibbles if you do enough of that. Meet those people, buy them dinner (or beers, or coffee, whatever is appropriate) and then ask them for referrals.

Post on HN, and solicit connections that way. For example, email me about what you're doing, and link to me on LinkedIn and I'll probably be willing to forward introductions to anyone I know. I wouldn't be surprised if other HN'er make similar offers. Make sure you have an email address in your "about" section of your profile (your profile email itself is hidden to users, it's only for YC staff).

Search Twitter for people talking about something related to what you're doing, and then reach out to those people.

If none of this turns up anything, consider an $89.00/month subscription to Hoovers, and start cold-calling / cold-emailing people. Except, don't really make then "cold" calls... buy the book "Smart Calling"[1], read it, and use the advice therein.

[1]: http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Calling-Eliminate-Failure-Reject...