I have been to enough networking events or business social gatherings over the years to say that the number one answer I hear to this question “Who are your customers?” is Everyone!
I will cop to that.
I too was guilty of this misnomer at the very beginning of my business until I was set straight by someone who pointed out the folly of the statement.
It’s easy to fall into the idea because you have a product or service that everyone can use or may use on daily, weekly, or monthly basis. And you translate this to mean everyone is a customer – or potential customer.
David Ogilvy was a master at crafting ads that would get people to buy products. But even he did not target everyone.
Let me point out there is a difference between treating everyone as your customer and everyone being your customer.
Here are just three basic reasons everyone is not your customer:
- They have to be able to afford your product
If someone cannot afford what you have, they are not a customer. Yes, people get talked into buying things they cannot afford every day but guaranteed they will resent you for it. Do you want a sucker or loyal customer who will refer you to others and return again and again? - They have to want your product or see a need for your product.
There is this term that has been going around for years called “value added.” The idea of adding a feature or enhancement to a product or service to give it a greater perception of value to the customer. The problem here is the “perception” of value. If the customer does not perceive the value, whether you do is of no consequence, they will not bite. Free delivery is one example that is so overused that there is no longer a perceived value to it, but an expectation. - They may not want to do business with you.
Believe it or not, some people just may not like you. There is an Anthony Robbins saying that I think is very true, “When people are like you, people will like you.” Companies that have grown quickly have built a following of like-minded people who share what the company or company’s founders stand for.
It is also becoming more important to say what you stand against than jumping on the bandwagon of supporting the latest cause for risk of offending someone.
You don’t want everyone as a customer.
What you want are loyal, long-term customers who buy from you because they are like you, your values, your stance.
Figure out what you stand against. This means nothing more than telling the world what you don’t or won’t do. And yes, you may offend some people. Because, no matter what you do, you probably will offend someone – even when you are trying not to offend anyone.
Chick-Fil-A won’t open on Sundays. Curves Fitness clubs won’t accept men.
Could each of these make more money by changing their stances? Maybe, maybe not. But both would probably lose a large portion of their loyal customers who frequent them because of their stance.
Dick’s Sporting Goods stopped selling assault rifles. Which angered a large group of their customers – NRA members. But the sales they lost were made up for by people who liked their stand and converted to Dicks shoppers.
The point is everyone is not your customer, so stop trying to be everything to everybody. Take a stance.
What do you stand against? Tell it to the world.
