What I Learned From My First Customer

When I first started Tarheel PGx Consulting, I offered free 15-minute consultations.

After the initial consultation, I would send the patient’s information to the lab and the lab would send a test kit to the patient’s home.?

Once the patient received the test kit, they would collect their sample and mail it back to the lab.

Then I would get an email from the lab letting me know the patient’s results were ready.

I would email the patient to collect their payment for my services and they would be able to make their review appointment.

Two days after launching my business, I had my very first customer sign-up.

She wanted to work with me because she had struggled with finding a medication that could help with her mental health condition.

I was so excited to have my first customer and be able to help her.

We met over Zoom and I got her test kit ordered.

With OneOme (the lab I use for most of my patients), I can see when the test kit has been shipped, when the patient has activated the kit, and when the kit has arrived at the lab.?

So, I knew when my customer’s kit was shipped and I waited for her to use it.

Every day, I would log in to OneOme and see that the kit had not yet been activated.

After a few days, I texted her to see if she had received it.

She said that she had received it but hadn’t gotten around to taking her sample.

This text exchange continued for several weeks.

And I waited.

And waited.

Unfortunately, she never took her sample and I wasn’t able to help her.

What I learned from this:

1. People will be excited to work with you and you’ll be excited to work with them, but they still may not follow through on doing what you need them to do.

2. No more free consultations. My time is valuable and I have to protect it. I spent so much time reaching out to my first customer and following up and got nothing in return (other than learning a few lessons on what not to do). I continued offering free consultations for several more months but then changed my process.

I now require payment upfront (either in full or a monthly payment plan) before the initial consultation can be booked.?I want to know that the patient is invested in this process.

Owning your own business is filled with ups and downs.

I try not to see anything as failure.

Instead, I ask myself:

• “What did I learn from this?”
• “What can I do differently next time?”
• “Why didn’t that work?”

If you are thinking about starting your own business, I want you to know that there will be disappointments.

Not everything will always work out perfectly.

But the thing that will make you successful, is your ability to keep going.?

Show up each day.

Keep trying.

-Melissa

Have more questions? Need help starting your business?

Book a time to talk to me here.