Wrong Customers?

Good Morning 

It should take only a few minutes to read this weekly email, so stop what you’re doing, grab a pen and paper to make some notes on what action you will take by reading this email.

My parents would sometimes say about a person that they don’t have two pennies to rub together. The reason I bring up something that my parents or anyone who grew up during the Depression would say is that I was reading an article that triggered a memory about working with the wrong customer.

We all have them. In my case it used to be the one who wanted me to design a business card and print only 250 of them yet complained when I charged them for my small bit of time designing their card (which I had to take off the invoice). When it was done, I was lucky if I made $10.00 off of them, after putting in hours on their card. Of course they did not want any other service I’d offer so I could recoup my losses. Now, I only do business cards for current customers in connection with their other marketing work.

I needed to learn how to stop working with customers who couldn’t afford my services and giving away my time and resources. I also found out that working with the wrong customer takes up the same or more time and resources as the very profitable customer.

How do I avoid working for the wrong customer? The ones who, as my parents used to say, don’t have 2 pennies to rub together, the ones who can’t or won’t pay for services, but suck up all your time and energy.

I’ve learned to ask leading questions about their business, their dreams, goals and timelines for achieving them and I also charge a fee to plan out a preliminary strategy and budget for them. It’s at this point that we find out if they are willing and able to spend the money. Doing all this helps, but it’s not a foolproof system. I’m working on a better system to weed out the tire kickers.

Time to stop dealing with the “small potatoes”? You need a system to identify and attract your most profitable customers. Let me repeat: You need not only a system to identify your best customers but also a system to attract your best customers to you.

What systems do you have in place?

Now, send this email to at least 2 of your customers whom you would like to see do better. If they send me the forwarded email, you both get 10% off your next order. Sorry, postage is not included.

Till next week,

Great Things Happen, But You Have To Take Action, NOW!