How 5 Entrepreneurs Made More Than $1 Million in Sales

Find out how these successful business owners made a million dollars.

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Many online business owners have a very specific goal when it comes to success: They want to reach the seven-figure mark. But not just anyone can make that happen. It takes hard work, a lot of learning, and a few key business principles, too. I wanted to know what the secret to doing this was from online entrepreneurs who’ve reached this revenue tier, so I turned to social media (mainly Twitter and Facebook) to find out what tips I could find for surpassing the million-dollar mark.

1. A customer-centric approach

Tom Zsomborgi, CFO of Kinsta, said that for their business, reaching the million-dollar mark was all about taking a customer-centric approach. It wasn’t until they put all the focus on a customer-first strategy that they were able to reach this level of success.

“We shifted our focus to go the extra mile and provide an above average service for our clients,” he said. “That was what did it for us.”

2. Insider content

When the team at BannerSnack was looking for a way to increase revenue, they turned to their audience–and asked what they wanted. “Revenue increased when we started providing insider content and listening to what our audience wanted from our editor,” Marketer Robert Katai said.

For this company, the seven-figure mark was reached by getting the right feedback from the people who mattered most.

3. A name-your-price approach

For others, the million-dollar mark comes from technical success.

Using a fairly advanced rule-based system within their e-commerce platform, Atlanta Light Bulbs rolled out a name-your-own-price feature for online shoppers that took their business to new heights. “This tool helped us auto-calculate B2B pricing and offers the perfect deal to the customer right away,” Founder Doug Root explained.

By giving their customers the power to get the best deal via automation, this online business was able to remove some of the sales legwork and make more customers happy.

4. Listening and leveraging

Serial entrepreneur Sol Orwell said that when conversing with customers, you need to simply listen and let them speak. In his opinion, that’s the easiest way to reach the million-dollar mark.

“This means getting on the phone, asking an open-ended question, and letting them have their say,” he said. “Not only do they truly feel heard, but then you can use their exact language when you’re selling back to them.”

5. Surprise customers

Thanks to automation, online business owners like business owner Jessica McQueen of Henna Caravan have figured out that surprising customers with automated discounts and perks on important dates like their birthdays or the anniversary of their first purchase can do wonders for online businesses. “It makes them feel extra special on their big day,” she said.

When I looked back at the responses I’d gathered, I had to ask myself: Is there any one secret that helped these online entrepreneurs reach the million-dollar mark?

The answer: Probably not. But their tips do provide some interesting insight into what steps they took to get there. One common theme seems to be giving the customer a voice and leveraging feedback–so keep that in mind the next time you’re striving to reach the next revenue tier.