Marketing 101 :
How To Strategically Pick Your Clients For Maximum Money And Maximum Growth
One of the core fundamentals I teach is summed up in a favorite quote from my long-term mentor , Dr . Nido Qubein : “ Who your customer is today is a piece of data ; who your customer should be is a piece of strategy .”
To whom do you want to be a hero ? Who has a flexible wallet ? Unmet needs ? Who is ready , willing , and able to pay a premium for the results you deliver and the services you provide ?
A big reason businesses stay small is they approach their business with the “ We ’ ll take anyone with breath and buck ” strategy . The problem is that a lot of people have BAD breath and ALL they have is a buck . Now , they won ’ t say they ’ ll take anyone , but their behavior reveals an entirely different truth . Look at their client base — it ’ s rife with low-money , pain-inthe-ass clients who drain their energy , suck up resources , and are NOT true “ assets ” that can be developed and grown . And now , in this tough labor force , you cannot afford to have a low-money , no-growth client sucking up both your time and your employees ’.
I have a small garden in the back of the house with limited space . If a plant isn ’ t producing , is diseased , or is showing signs of root rot , it ’ s removed and replaced with a productive plant . I don ’ t coddle it , hoping it will get better . It won ’ t . I rip and replace .
So , let me be VERY clear : As long as you refuse to STRA- TEGICALLY clarify WHO your target market is and really dig in to understand them and use that information to construct products , services , and marketing messages that have a strong appeal to them that they will enthusiastically respond to and open their wallets for , your fate is going to be one of commoditization , mediocrity , and poverty .
I hear “ bad clients ” as an excuse for why businesses can ’ t get ahead . They love to blame their current clients for their failures in business : My clients are CHEAP . My clients are STUPID . Often , my clients are stupid AND cheap . I “ can ’ t ” get my clients to pay that much . I “ can ’ t ” get my clients to take my advice . I “ can ’ t ” get my clients to meet with me to do QBRs . I “ can ’ t ” get my clients to pay via ACH draft . I “ can ’ t ” _________. The list is long . Just like bad dog owners , they blame the poor animal for the bad behavior . A dog WILL crap on your carpet IF you don ’ t train it otherwise . Yes , some train easier than others , but ultimately , you the owner are at fault if the dog misbehaves .
So , let ’ s start with a few fundamentals :
No . 1 : If you cannot describe , in detail , who you want as a client , you can ’ t possibly be effective at building a business , period . How can you build a list or write content for your website if you cannot clearly define whom you are trying to persuade ? Surely a practice manager at a small doctor ’ s office needs to be talked to differently than the CEO of a construction company — and trying to broaden your message and approach is the fastest road to failure .
No . 2 : Once you have identified the “ WHO ,” and ONLY after you ’ ve identified the who , can you go about building the “ mousetrap ” that will attract them . It is SO easy to get sucked into focusing on the deliverable over the client . It ’ s what you know and love . It ’ s what you think your business is about . But this is not the correct order of things .
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