Sometimes things don’t work out as planned. My first attempt at this challenge turned out to be one of those times, though I still see value in this exercise.
A few months ago, I announced this challenge, saying I would try to talk to 1,000 potential customers over about 100 days. I was convinced it was possible—and I still am—but I couldn’t see it through to the end.
I remember the start being rough — after the first day, I was exhausted and slightly depressed. I even posted the following tweet on X:
Some Mistakes I Made
- Not targeting potential customers wisely: I started with no clear criteria and ended up calling many non-English-speaking restaurants. It was uncomfortable for both me and the person on the other end of the call, and it led to a lot of polite rejections.
- Not understanding what a day is like in a restaurant: Restaurants are incredibly busy. Understandably so — their brand and reputation are tied to the very last meal they served. That makes it tough to find someone with time to talk.
- Lack of practice with cold calling: I didn’t have much experience calling strangers, and it showed. I definitely need to find a way to get more reps.
- Not knowing how to navigate conversations without selling: I had set a personal rule of not pitching any products or services. But when the conversations naturally turned in that direction, I wasn’t sure how to handle them smoothly.
Takeaways
- There is real value in doing direct sales or outreach.
- The only way I can get better is to find ways to get more reps.