The point of a strong brand – a unique position in the prospect’s mind – is to make it easy for those same prospects to find and choose you when they have a need. But a strong brand should also repel some people. Here’s why.
Unless you’re Amazon, you don’t want everybody in the world for a customer. And for most companies – especially in the B2B space – there’s a particular group of prospects who are potentially much more profitable than the rest. Those are your ideal prospects.
To make the most of your marketing resources, your brand should be positioned to attract a high percentage of those prospects – and to repel the rest. When it is, your lead generation becomes exponentially more potent and profitable, with far less waste.
If you’re resisting this idea right now, you’re hardly alone. Most companies don’t think about pushing away prospects. It’s all about sales volume. So pushing prospects runs contrary to our natural impulse to sell, sell, sell.
But it isn’t just about sales volume. It’s about profitability. And some clients or customers are simply more profitable than others. Sometimes far more profitable. The more of those you land, the healthier your organization becomes.
And keep this in mind: this is about the brand you need to build, and about your inbound marketing. You can still accept and serve those “B” and “C” customers when they come to you, as long as they’re somewhat profitable. They just shouldn’t be the focus of the marketing and branding efforts you’re spending time and money on.
So look at every aspect of your marketing. Seriously – all of it. Your website, your social media efforts, and every marketing message, from digital to traditional – even your facilit6ies and point of purchase material if you see prospects in person. Is it designed to appeal to those specific prospects you most want as clients? What do you need to change to make your messaging magnetic for those “A” prospects? Make a list, and make it a priority.