Today I'm giving thanks for Andy Asbury. Andy signed on as our second client in early 2010.
I think sometimes it’s hardest to commit to becoming a startup’s second client. The founder(s) may have developed a bias that future clients should look and act like the first client. Or they may lack understanding of the market they’re selling to.
My sales skills in 2010 were exceptionally poor. I had just launched MobileRealtyApps.com. Andy and his father/business partner Jim (who you’ll hear more about later) left voice mails and filled out online forms, but I was slow to follow up. A long string of prior inbound requests I returned weren’t interested when they learned how expensive our service was. At the time, I wasn’t keen on another rejection and I was more focused on figuring out how to get in front of big brokerages.
When I finally sat down with the Asburys (thanks to their persistence), I learned how they had made real investments in their website to build a lead generation machine for the lofts and condos market in Minnesota. Together we launched a fantastic app that paired well with their website.
Key learnings at this stage were that: a) our white-labeled branded apps paired well with websites with meaningful inbound traffic; and b) that I could find a market to sell to.
Andy- thanks for taking an early bet on me. If you’re looking to buy or sell in Minneapolis/St. Paul, consider giving him a call.
Originally posted on LinkedIn – head over to give it a like or a share.
I’m giving thanks for 100+ days to individuals that positively impacted me or HomeSpotter’s trajectory.