It’s true. And it’s not just you!
Just when you start getting the hang of “marketing” — and many times well before — you start attracting some of the WRONG people to your business.
Price shoppers. Naysayers. Negative Nellies. Silent Sallies. Time wasters, Etc. (Btw, there’s a list of YOUR least favorite “unwelcome pests” at the end of this post.)
I can’t tell you the number of clients I’ve had who complained about their “list” and the people on it.
They’re cheap. They only want what’s free. They never buy.
They never respond. They copy my stuff. They just don’t get it.
Is it okay to REALLY come clean with you guys? Like, completely naked and honest?
In 2008, I went to my coach and complained bitterly about MY list. YES, I know. MANY of you were on my list “back then” and so, yes… I was complaining about YOU. I had the typical complaints. You didn’t buy. You complained about prices. You wanted to barter or have me work for free. Blah, blah, blah. So, the coach says,
“So, basically you have an entire list of cheapos?”
“YES!” (He got it. He understood. Perfect.)
“Well,” he asks with complete sincerity, “who brought them there?”
SURELY I didn’t roll out a sign and red carpet saying, “All cheapos welcome here!” Or had I? You see, as I was complaining about “you, you, you” — he showed me that the problem was “me, me, me.”
At least in large part. And, for the record, I was wrong about my list. I just hadn’t learned how to cultivate yet.
Still, why is it a big deal when you’ve started attracting (by accident, of course)
the WRONG market? And what can you do about it?
First, I asked for Feedback for this post on facebook today and one person replied that we shouldn’t focus on what we DONT WANT for fear that it will bring us MORE of what we DONT WANT. (Along the lines of the tru-ism that “what you focus on expands.”) I get her concern and take it seriously. But, there’s a fine line between NOT focusing on something and ignoring it all together. This issue of “unwelcome PESTS” is an important one, because unideal clients and even unideal potential clients:
- Take Up Our Time — Time that could and should be spent elsewhere, more profitably.
- Take Up Our Resources – One person on facebook brought up a great point that she sends employees out to meet with potential clients. This costs her money. So whether you’re sending large direct mail pieces, visiting in person, or meeting for coffee… spend too much time / resources meeting with “unwelcome pests” and you’ll quickly lose profitability, market share, and — unfortunately, confidence.
- Take Up Valuable Mental Real Estate — Whether their comments make us second-guess our pricing, our package, or even OURSELVES as business owners, these unwelcome “pests” take up way too much room in our minds! We think on their comments. We respond to their ridiculous posts on our facebook wall. We wonder if our prices really ARE too high… We digress….
- Travel in groups. Hey — like attracts like. Often, these “trouble” prospects or clients bring others with them…. all of their ilk.
Exactly HOW is this done?
Next, we’ve got to figure out a way to roll out an UNWELCOME mat for these unideal people / prospects / clients.
- Results Accountability
- An intolerance for excuses
- A Commitment to Achievement — as a personal responsibility
- A lack of respect for “talking” and “planning” in leu of action.
So, here’s a quick ACTION NOW BLUEPRINT that will allow you to get the MOST mileage out of this post:
- Make a list of what kind of person you want to REPEL. (Again, to make room for those you want to attract!)
- Find out what is attracting them to you in the first place, and fix that.
- Weave the things that repel the unideal — and attract the ideal — all throughout your online and offline presence.
Before I go, here’s a list of YOUR least favorite “unwelcome pests:”
- Content Vampires…take take take, all the time…. Freeloaders…free free free all the time
- Those who see the price, promise to buy but never do.
- Sometimes people who come asking for charity donations. I’m at the point where unless the charity aligns with my business philosophy it isn’t worth the donation.
- Those who pick your brain about your expertise, while you are sitting at their business patronizing them…….
- People who waste your time saying they’re gonna use my service then back out and give a lame excuse.
- For me it would be the “magic pill seekers” — the ones who are totally gung-ho at the beginning, then bail after a few weeks when I fail to drive millions of customers to their doorstep.
- Want to let go of naysayers. Those who read what is written or said simply to find a way to negate it even if in their own minds. Those who refuse to look for the good in anything and continue on a path that does not serve them or others.
