Stop Trying to Please Everyone in Business
“I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is: Try to please everybody.” Herbert B. Swope, American Journalist
As a business you cannot please everyone. Not everyone will not like what you do, not everyone wants or needs the products or services you offer. Really.
In my experience the hardest thing for new business owners to accept is that not everyone is their target market. At the beginning of your business journey you are just happy to sell to anyone with a pulse.
This is dangerous. Your marketing programs should be designed to attract your ideal customers AND at the same time put off potential clients who might waste your time and ultimately cost you money. An ideal customer is one who values you product or service, is prepared to pay the price you ask and is willing to come back or tell others about your business. One you can build a relationship with.
A less than ideal client is one who you have to prove your value, modify your offer and justify your existence. Impossible to please, or when you do – happy to brag to others about your willingness to negotiate. Like attracts like.
Many people are familiar with the concept of #Getting to Yes, a negotiation strategy developed by Harvard professor #Roger Fisher however for many SME’s however, the more difficult day-to-day challenge is “getting to no” – that is finding out in business what not to do.
Saying no can help grow your business faster than saying yes will. Whether you’re just starting in business or you’ve been trading for a while the easiest business to get isn’t necessarily the business you want.
Saying no to potential sales, or appealing to a small niche of customers can seem counterintuitive as you start and grow your small business – surely any money in the bank is good money?!
When I started in business I couldn’t say not to anyone – even if the service required wasn’t what I really wanted to do. If a client asked me to do something I would – no questions asked. And it would take me twice as much time to service these clients because I was on the learning curve. It’s hard to say no when you are starting or growing but all that it is – is distracting.
If you have a business plan and a clear understanding of your products, services and target market it is easier to say no.
When you do the way to say no happens before you’ve had to say no! The more you understand your target market the more efficient your marketing programs will be.
What that means is that every element of your marketing plan: Product, Price, Place, Position, Promotion and Personality – aims to those people who you want to say ‘yes’ to and discourages the people who fit outside your target market.
This marketing efficiency does require trade-offs however a sale today could lead to less sales in the future!
We all have those customers we wish we had of said no to – who are yours?