Invest in the Customers You Want to Attract
Dreams are good things. Strategies to get us there are essential to making those dreams real. A key strategy in any business plan is knowing who the customers are that we want to serve.
Sometimes we think we know that, but then we make decisions worrying about what the whole world of customers will think of what we do. We want the whole world to love us, even though we know we’re not building a business for the whole lot of them.
Do you see the disconnect in that?
It’s hard to be irresistible to our ideal customers when we’re not showing them they’re the only ones we care about. Yet, sometimes we change our business because worry about the opinions of folks simply because they have opinions about us and what we do.
Before we change we really ought to consider whether the the folks having opinions are part of our ideal customer group.
The strongest businesses, the best web apps, the biggest celebrities and rock stars know that serving and celebrating their loyal fans is what builds a foundational brand. As Becky McCray and Sheila Scarborough pointed out so brilliantly at SOBCon2010 — If we narrow the niche we serve, the opportunity gets wider. If we invest hugely in the people we want to attract, the attraction factor becomes huge.
If we hedge our bets, those ideal customers can tell we’re not with them 100%.
Give your listening, your love and your best work to the ones who love what you do.
Think a minute. Have you been taking time from your ideal customers to please folks who’ll never care about you?
–ME “Liz” Strauss
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A real Liz quote that will go down in history: “Give your listening, your love and your best work to the ones who love what you do.”
Not sure what I can add, but I wholeheartedly agree.
Maybe this: if you’re unsure of what that niche is, think about who your favorite customers are. That’s probably it.
“Itâs hard to be irresistible to our ideal customers when weâre not showing them theyâre the only ones we care about.” Freakin’ sensational! Last week a florist friend of mine complained that a cookie entrepreneur posted to her Cookie Facebook wall that ââ¦flowers die, so send cookies.â My friend snapped at the cookie maven that this is precisely the kind of thing that deters customers from buying flowers. My reply was, (a) never post complaints again on someone else Facebook wall. And (b), so what?! Let âem buy cookies. I asked her, âwhy are you trying to convert cookie lovers anyhow?â I went on to say that if there are tons of Smurf nuts out there, surely there are boatloads of flower lovers too. I tried to explain to her that people who love flowers like you do want you to solve their problems and are way down the funnel already. They need a voice, an expert an advocate too. Convert them and let the cookie lady have the cookie crazy. This is a killer post as usual. Many I dig this gal Liz Strauss.
wise words.
It’s just marketing though really. Know thy customer and direct your efforts towards them, sell what they want/need.
sometimes we all need putting back on the right track!
Difference between persuasive marketing & interference marketing! Earn the trust of the people that influence your prospective clients & you’ll have a better chance of earning their trust.