I’ve recently had to fire a couple of clients. It’s an unfortunate reality in any business – the end of a customer relationship. Hopefully, it is a rare occurrence for us all – it definitely is around here. However, HALO Business Advisors is absolutely dedicated to working with passionate, forward-thinking small business owners, and when we realize that a client does not fit this model for some irreconcilable reason, we move on.
At the risk of airing too much dirty laundry, I’d like to share an example from a former client who didn’t "get it." HALO Business Advisors is NOT about traditional methods, miracle cures or one-step marketing miracles. We’re about creating marketing systems – each unique to an individual client’s specific business, story and needs – based upon proven steps borrowed from lean thinking principles.
In this case, the business owner heard me on a three minute TV interview, then attended one of my "Revolutionize Your Business" workshops. He recommended me to speak to a professional organization to which he belonged. After two hour-long sessions of initial consultation (we always offer a free one-hour consultation) and negotiation, we came to an agreement regarding a work arrangement. I thought.
After two and half months, the client remained unwilling to provide basic information about the business, and instead kept requesting visits and phone calls. His focus seemed to be locked in on direct mail, which wouldn’t have been bad, except that to get great results from direct mail, the strategy behind the direct mail must be great. His closing letter to me after we cancelled our work agreement shows how he didn’t "get it."
"…To me, it left developing a good and effective direct mail piece or pieces and that is the main reason I agreed to pay you a monthly fee and anything extra. All the other was not necessary." – former client
The unnecessary "other" was the actual strategy development that would have made any campaign more productive. The client was unwilling to consider other "non-media" tactics that would have considerably boosted his return. As I said earlier, these situations are very unfortunate, but a fact of our economic environment.
Small Business Marketing Tip: Take a cue – make sure you "get it" when it comes to marketing your small business. Don’t think in terms of the media until you’ve first defined the strategy. The media will be obvious once the strategy is in place.
