Alienate and Embrace Customers

The most successful creative entrepreneurs deliberately alienate those customers who don't matter in order to more strongly embrace those who really do matter.

This is my version of something I read the other day in the free report 'The Lateral Action Guide to Becoming a Creative Entrepreneur' by Brian Clark. 

Not all customers are good customers and marketing is about choosing the right customers; it's not about trying to please everyone. Of course this means you have to choose which customers not to deal with. It's scary to deliberately turn your back on potential customers - but not if you end up facing the right ones and then have the time, energy and resources to serve them wholeheartedly.

Alienating the wrong customers isn't a matter of being rude or unprofessional. Put your prices up and unprofitable customers will walk away; ask for a percentage of the fee upfront and the non-payers won't sign the contract; shout loudly about your values and the people who don't share them won't knock on your door (but those who do, will ).

So your marketing strategy involves deciding which types of customers to alienate so you can really embrace the right ones.

Read more about how to market creative businesses in the free eBook version of 'T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity'.

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Comments

[Mark McGuinness]

Thanks David. Yes, that's exactly what we're getting at - if you try to be all things to all people, you'll be remarkable to no-one!

Better to thrill the people you want to reach, even if - or especially if - others 'don't get it'.