How to Get Your First 10 B2B Customers (Without a Sales Team)

Your first 10 customers won't come from marketing. They come from you — the founder — doing things that don't scale. Here's the exact playbook that generated €2M+ in first-year revenue across 50+ startups we've tracked.

The Founder Sales Funnel

Stage	Goal	Conversion Rate	Numbers Needed
Cold Outreach	Get response	5-15%	200 outreach → 20-30 responses
Discovery Call	Qualify + demo	40-60%	20 calls → 10 qualified
Proposal	Send pricing	30-50%	10 proposals → 4-5 close
Close	Get signature	50-70%	4-5 → 2-3 customers

The math: To get 10 customers, expect to reach out to 600-800 prospects over 3-4 months.

Step 1: Build Your Hit List (Day 1-3)

Goal: Create a list of 200 ideal customer profiles (ICPs).

Where to Find B2B Prospects

Source	Best For	Cost	Quality
LinkedIn Sales Navigator	Decision-makers by title	€80/month	High
Apollo.io	Email + company data	€49-99/month	Medium-High
Industry directories	Niche markets	Free-€200	Variable
Conference attendee lists	Engaged buyers	Free (if you attend)	Very High
Competitor reviews (G2)	Unhappy customers	Free	High

Step 2: The Cold Outreach Framework

Rule #1: Never pitch in the first message. Start conversations, not sales calls.

The Email Template That Gets 15%+ Reply Rates

Subject: Quick question about [specific problem]

Hi [First Name],

Noticed [Company] is [growing/expanding/launching] in [area]. Many [job title]s I talk to struggle with [specific problem] when they hit this stage.

Curious — is this something on your radar?

[Your name]
Founder, [Company]

Follow-Up Sequence

Email #	Timing	Angle
1	Day 0	Problem question
2	Day 3	Share relevant insight/stat
3	Day 7	Case study or social proof
4	Day 14	Direct ask for 15-min call
5	Day 21	Breakup email ("Last follow-up")

Step 3: The Discovery Call Script

Goal: Understand their problem deeply, qualify them, and set up a demo.

The 30-Minute Discovery Framework

1. Rapport (3 min): "Thanks for taking the time. Before we dive in, tell me about your role at [Company]."
2. Problem exploration (10 min): "You mentioned [problem] in our email. Walk me through how you're handling that today."
3. Impact quantification (5 min): "What does this cost you in time/money per month?"
4. Decision process (5 min): "If we could solve this, who else would need to be involved in the decision?"
5. Next steps (5 min): "Based on what you've shared, I think we can help. Can I show you how on a 30-min demo next week?"

Step 4: Closing Your First Customers

Special tactics for first 10:

Tactic	How It Works	Trade-off
Founder Discount	50% off for "founding customers"	Lower revenue, faster close
Concierge Onboarding	You personally set them up	Time-intensive, high retention
Money-back Guarantee	Full refund within 30 days	Risk reduction, rarely used
Extended Trial	60-90 days instead of 14	Delayed revenue, better fit
Design Partner	Free access for feedback	No revenue, product insight

The Timeline to 10 Customers

Month	Focus	Expected Result
Month 1	Build list + start outreach	200 outreach, 20 calls, 2-3 customers
Month 2	Refine messaging + follow-ups	200 outreach, 25 calls, 3-4 customers
Month 3	Leverage referrals + case studies	100 outreach, 20 calls, 3-4 customers

Take Action

Find B2B problems to solve → with buyer profiles included.

Connect with founders → who've closed their first 10 customers.

Access sales playbooks → with more templates and scripts.

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Playbook based on 50+ founder interviews and sales data from startups that reached €100k ARR within 18 months. Average time to first 10 customers: 3.2 months.