Not all customers are created equal. There are some that your business can’t live without, and there are others who are more trouble than they’re worth. Are you selecting the right customers to serve?
I use the word “selecting” with intent. In the early days of your business, you may feel like getting any customer is the goal. Maybe so. But ultimately, you need the right customers. And you want to work towards having the choice be up to you—not to the customer.
The framing mechanism that I always use is to think of it as a hiring decision. After all, it’s just as important. When candidates come to you looking for a job, what are your criteria for making a decision? Apply the same logic when you are picking your customers. Short-term gains are attractive. But in a hiring decision, you’re looking for long-term value.
Just like in hiring, involve people who provide more value than they extract. This goes for everything you do in your business. And in order for it to work, it has to feel reciprocal. The customer has to feel the same way about you in return. When you are providing consistent value with content marketing, you are already in the right mindset.
In this week’s episode, I get into the criteria you might use to help you make these important decisions.