A lot has been said here about how to validate your business idea using either SALES or TRACTION.

These concepts sound lofty, but at the heart of them is something very simple, human, and so practical that anyone can do it.

How do you go about getting more sales to prove your business idea is workable?

You start by talking to friends, family members, and associates.

Eventually you'll work up the courage to start talking to strangers.

Somewhere between friends, family members, associates, and a couple of strangers, you'll know if this is a bad idea because you haven't been able to sell anything.

Of course the next question would be, "do you have the knowledge to sell effectively?" or "were you targeting the right people?," but in either case you'll be better along in your business journey than if you had done nothing.

How do you explore traction with your business ideas?

The process is the same! Start talking to friends, family members, and associates... see if you can get a few people to sign on.

After working these comfortable relationships for a while, you'll gather the strength to start talking to total strangers and potential investors.

If you fail to get any sign ups, the questions might now also be, "were you targeting the right people?" and "do you have effective communication skills for persuasion?" but either way, you've still made progress beyond conjecture.

Whether you rely on actual sales or traction to get your business going, the journey begins with talking to someone other than yourself.

Learn how to have conversations today and get the ball rolling on that brilliant business idea of yours.