Reduce the Friction: Chapter 1 of The First Domino

Tim Castle
11 minutes ago
5 min read

In my new book The First Domino, I wanted to address an issue I see time and time again, whether you are launching a new product or service, breaking into a new market or joining a new company - you need to win your first flagship client.

This client will carry you across a sea of doubt, establishing credibility, gaining you influence and proving traction. Whether you are reporting to the board, drumming up investors for your next fund raise, or looking to prove your worth internally - landing your first flagship client is a big deal.

Whether you are an entrepreneur and founder or a sales professional, this crucial moment causes an incredible amount of stress, sleepless nights and anguish. I wrote this book as a playbook to help those who need to deliver results fast get going and stand out.

The main challenge when the pressure is on and the bills are mounting, is, it skews our vision of what's possible. Our mindset shifts from one of openness and abundance to a palace of pessimistic fear ridden repetitive thinking.

For Founders who have a technical background they spend months or even years building a product that they know the world needs, then they rush out to market to try and sell it to their ideal prospects. Slowly the contacts run dry and the sales pitches fall on deaf ears, doors start closing and their motivation wains. This is when the fear creeps in, everything rests on landing this first client, everyone is watching and they are out of sales strategies and out of energy.

This is exactly what and who this book is for. Similarly, joining a new company is equally as stressful albeit in a different way, you know you have to drive revenue impact as fast as humanly possible yet you haven’t built the internal relationships to get what you need to move fast or effectively. Nevertheless the expectation is there, perform or you’re out.

Sales people all over the world want to improve their close rate, to rise to the top and make endless amounts of commission, to be seen as a rainmaker. In this book I am going to show you what these rainmakers do differently and the exact process to follow to unlock this flywheel of sales success.

“Tim Castle has done something special with The First Domino.

This isn’t just a book about strategy – it’s about what happens

when you lead with heart. A powerful reminder that success starts

with how you show up for others.”

– Will Guidara, Author of Unreasonable Hospitality

Whats interesting is that theirs a large proportion of people in sales that aren’t actually ‘selling’ or shouldn’t be in sales. They find it stressful, this is because they are too focused on ‘winning’ too focused on themselves and not on creating value for those they can serve.

My goal with this book is to help you execute at speed, each chapter comes with a Domino Challenge to help you implement what you have learned and build muscle.

I want you to have fun with it, I promise you, if you do, your network will go through the roof and you’ll be inundated with requests to pitch.

So, the all important question…how do we land our first client in 90 days or less?

We start where every sales person, any one trying to expand a business, or looking to grow should start and that is with the cold email and cold call.

I want you to remember that this is the crux of your funnel, you can’t rely on marketing or referrals to feed your pipeline, you must do the work and keep on doing it to generate a bucket load of momentum.

The mistake most make is, because they are too focused on themselves, they miss the ‘hook’ that gets the client interested, they are too busy telling how amazing their solutions are that they miss the red flags, don’t learn from mistakes and as a result they stagnate.

Crafting the ultimate cold email and cold call, to be able to get cut through is a game changer, your only goal at this stage is to breakthrough and land the first meeting. To get yourself in the door.

Again, most over cook the first email stuffing more information and facts into a simple act of communication that it feels more like a manifesto than an appeal to meet up. The ineptitude of this stage is magnificent, why is prospecting something most dislike yet has the potential to generate asymmetric upside and exponential growth through the wazoo.

The next mistake is sounding cookie cutter, sending templated emails that like spirit, heart and care. Big no no, yet no matter how many times people still revert to shortcuts and what seems easy.

You are limiting the pipeline before you even get going. Throttling it. This is why Chapter 1 is called Reduce The Friction, after all that's what is going to help you drive maximum impact and get a number of balls up in the air quickly.

In this chapter I will help you to do the following:

Detach from the outcome
- Approach cold emails and first meetings without desperation. The less attached you are, the more attractive and confident you’ll appear.
- Visualize yourself as already successful - busy, productive, in demand, and act accordingly.
Master cold email strategy
- Use the magic formula:
- Cut jargon and fluff. Be authentic, polite, and focused on the outcome the client wants.
- Keep it short and intriguing — don’t oversell in the first email.
Send at the optimal time
Handle the first meeting with restraint
- Avoid pitching too much. Listen more than you talk. Focus on uncovering the client’s true pain points and objectives.
- Show curiosity and patience - you’re building a relationship, not closing the deal in one meeting.
Follow up effectively
- Use a sequence The First Domino email sequence
- Each email should reduce friction and make it easy for the client to take the next step.
Adopt the right mindset
- Stop scarcity thinking. Don’t let fear of failure drive you to over-explain, over-discount, or oversell.
- Think and act as though success is inevitable - because mindset shapes reality.
Work your calendar like a pro
- Fill your schedule with high-leverage, “big rock” activities that move the needle.
- Always have a “game-changer” client or project you’re pursuing to keep your energy and ambition high.