How to respond to “I've never heard of you”: 3 answers
“I've never heard of you.”
“I've never heard of you” is normal when you're new. How to answer without pretending to be big, and what to offer instead of a famous name.
Practice this objectionWhy buyers say it
If you just launched, nobody knows you. That's a fact, not a flaw. The buyer who says it is voicing a fair concern: who are you, will you be around in a year, who else has trusted you. They want to lower their risk, and reputation is just one way to do that. Founders often react badly: they apologize, inflate numbers, or name customers they don't have. All of those get paid for later. The good path is to be transparent about your size, explain why you specifically, and offer concrete guarantees in place of name recognition: no-risk trial, no lock-in, direct access to the person who built it.
What it often means
- Fear that you'll vanish in six months with their data
- No social proof: they don't know who else has trusted you
- They want to know who's behind it, not how big you are
Three answers that work
That's fair, we're new and I'll say it plainly. What I can tell you is who's behind it: I built it after [experience in the field], and if you ever have a problem, I'm the one who answers, not a call center. Beyond that, I'd rather you judge the product than the name.
Why it works: You admit your size without apologizing and turn it into a concrete advantage: direct access to the builder. Shifting the judgment to the product is honest and invites them to try it.
Right, and I get the worry. You don't want to hand your staff schedule to someone who might disappear. That's why I'm not asking for trust on my word: try it for [length] with no commitment, export your data whenever you want, and if we shut down you lose nothing. The risk is on me.
Why it works: You name the real fear, disappearing, instead of dancing around it. Then you address it with verifiable guarantees: trial, data export, no lock-in. Trust is built by lowering risk, not by asking for it.
Not surprised. Our first customers are [kind of business] like yours, not big names. If you want, I'll connect you with [a similar customer] who's used it for [period]. They'll tell you how it went, good and bad. I'd rather you hear it from them than from me.
Why it works: It offers social proof that's small but real, peer to peer, without inflating it. Letting another customer talk, flaws included, is more credible than any pitch. If you have no customers yet, use the first two.
Avoid this one
We're growing fast, we already work with tons of businesses all over the country.
Why not: If it's not true, it's a lie that takes five minutes to uncover. If it's only partly true, the buyer hears it in your voice. Either way you've answered a trust question with an ad slogan, which is the exact opposite of what builds trust.
Example dialogue
BuyerNever heard of you. How am I supposed to trust an app nobody knows with my whole staff schedule?
YouFair question. We launched a few months ago, I won't dress it up. I built it after years of doing schedules in a restaurant, and if something breaks, I'm the one who answers.
BuyerAnd if you shut down in six months?
YouYou can export the schedule to a file whenever you want, one click. And there's no contract. If we close, you go back to your old spreadsheet without losing anything.
BuyerHm. Who else uses it?
YouA couple of places around here. If you'd like, I'll put you in touch with one of them, so you hear how it went from someone who uses it, not from me.
Practice this objection
A simulated buyer says it to you out loud (or in writing), you answer, and you get a score plus the model answer. Free, no account, 2 minutes.
FAQ
Should I hide that we're small and new?
No, because it comes out anyway and lying costs you the trust you were trying to build. Say it first, calmly, and move straight to what you offer instead of fame: who's behind it, direct access, a no-risk trial, data that's always exportable. For a small buyer, those things matter more than a familiar logo.
How do I answer “what if you shut down in six months”?
With verifiable facts, not reassurance. Explain how the customer gets their data back at any time, that there's no contractual lock-in, and what actually happens if the service stopped. If you have a plan for that case, say so. The question is reasonable. It deserves a reasonable answer, not an optimistic line.
Can I use a free user or a friend as a reference?
Only if you say so clearly. “A friend uses it on a free account” is honest and worth little, but it does no harm. Passing them off as a paying customer gets found out and destroys your credibility. No reference plus a good no-risk trial beats a fake reference every time.