Which comes first: sales or track record?

How do you get your first sale without a track record? How do you get a track record without your first sale?

It’s like trying to figure out whether the chicken comes before the egg, or vice versa.

The answer is: Your first sale comes first. When it comes to your sale, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

Somewhere along the line someone needs to give you a break. A stranger won’t take a chance on you unless they have a reference from someone they trust. You need to shamelessly work your network to get your first sale.

If you have no network because you went to a crappy school, or your parents are poor (or dead), or you’re in a brand new country, or whatever, then life is tricky.

The only way to break into the system is to pick a company you admire and do whatever it takes to get a foot in the door. Work for free as the floor cleaner. Make coffee for the floor cleaner. Work so hard that its impossible for people to not to notice you.

Build a network of people that can one day potentially buy from you.

When you’re ready, sell to that network.

Once you start selling, you can build a track record.

Once you have a track record, there’s no holding back.