Andy Raynor - Beyond the Brief
Andy Raynor's blog
We need better clients
(Oh my God! Did he really say that?)
Yes, it’s a quote.
At first, you might think there’s little wrong with it. What’s the problem with ambition? We think we’ve grown up a lot and want to go play with the big kids.
So we need to change our client base. True?
Well, let’s think first. Here are some pretty basic things about clients, growth and ourselves.
1. It’s not necessarily the wisest move to start believing you’re better than your clients
2. Clients are a reflection of us. We get the clients we deserve. If we seek different clients, then we must be different, too
3. You may say “we need better clients” ....your team may hear “we don’t value you”
4. Most existing clients can be worth more in profits than most new ones
5. It is neglect that reduces the value of existing clients. This is your problem, not theirs
As long as I can remember, firms at some time have started to believe that they have to move “upmarket”. They're not necessarily the winners in the long-term.
Getting to the heart of this, a very wise branding expert once counselled a chief executive. The CEO was celebrating the pin-sharp targeting of the message for his chosen client base.
The expert said that, perhaps surprisingly, many businesses at some stage find an almost perfect harmony between their customers and their product - between what they do and what their clients want.
“And then what?” asked the CEO.
“They go and do something else” he said. "Will you?"
Tell me what you think at andy@andypraynor.com
And see what's been said before by looking in the archive:
© Andy Raynor 2013