Don’t lie, at some point you’ve popped off the phone after chatting with a customer and thought:
“How annoying, ugh. I don’t have the time to deal with this, this customer is hardly worth the energy.”
You’re probably right, too – there isn’t time for nonsense, and the amount of energy this is taking from your business isn’t worth your bottom line.
But, how do we as business owners overcome this?
As a first step, it’s important to be crystal clear on what we do want. We have to realistically believe (it can be hard to accept this!) that we cannot serve everyone.
Did you hear me?
We cannot serve everyone! Our businesses should serve a specific niche audience ideal to our specific company, approach, values and so forth. To say your customer base is “anyone who needs A, B or C,” is just not going to take your business in the direction you want. You’re going to continue collecting clients who neatly fit on that “how annoying” list.
As an example, I hear many realtors say, “My clients include anyone looking to buy or sell a home in X, Y, Z area.” Frankly, no. Any given realtor is not going to be the right fit for any given person wanting to buy or sell – there are a number of factors that make two people a good fit. At the end of the day, a realtor and a buyer/seller are just two people doing business – and not all two people will get along if left alone in the same room together. Yikes!
So, clearly identifying who you want to work with is a start. When you know the types of people who fit your ideal market, you can eliminate most of the people who are going to leave you feeling drained.
You might be thinking: cool, but just because I know who I want doesn’t mean that’s who I can attract. I need to keep my bottom line moving, after all. I can’t turn away customers because they don’t match my ideal profile.
Well, OK. I understand at certain times we can’t be picky. But, what if you could be purposeful position your business so you started only attracting those that fit within that ideal market?
This means the second step involves a shift in how you talk about your business. If a realtor continues marketing that he or she works with anyone who is looking to buy or sell a home in X, Y, Z that is certainly who he or she will attract – and who knows what kind of baggage will come with any one of those customers.
However, if I instead market myself saying, “I work best with growing families who need to upgrade their homes, whether they’re adding to the family or they are outgrowing their starter space.”
Well, this is a start in the right direction towards a more ideal client base headed your way.
And this doesn’t just apply to the real estate industry – this will go across the board. The more specific you are with your language both about what you do and who you serve, the more positive experiences you
Ready to say goodbye to draining clients? Check out our free training that offers more advice on creating purposeful messaging for your business.
Not quite ready to take that leap? Take a simple step and join &Community on Facebook, a free social community where we talk regularly about purpose-driven business strategy to grow into a company you love, and work with clients that don’t drive you insane.
