A while back I wrote about leaving customers behind. As a business grows or evolves some customers are left behind.
That’s not to say those customers are wrong or bad, just that they are not the right fit for the long term objectives of your business.
Sometimes those customers are raving fans and passionate patrons are important; if you can meet your clients’ business and emotional needs then you, and your customer, are in a great place.
But not always, sometimes those fans are a boat anchor to your business.
In 1998 Steve Jobs announced he was ditching the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) standard for Mac computers and moving to the USB standard for new computers. Thousands of outraged Mac fans swore they would never buy an Apple computer again.
Henry Ford is quoted as saying if he’d asked 1890s what they wanted, he’d have built a better horse cart rather than a motor car.
Sometimes customers don’t know what they want and sometimes those who do know what they want aren’t the customers you want.
If you have to make that decision, it has to be firm – blinking in the face of opposition doesn’t work. You’ve shown you’ve blinked on one thing and you’ll be blinking on more. You’re now owned by your customers and the most conservative, risk adverse ones at that.
Once you’ve given ownership of your business to your most conservative customers, you’ll have to fight to regain control.
It’s much better to make a calculated, informed decision and go for it – if you’re right, your business is going to be stronger without those risk adverse and often low margin customers.
A lot of people decided they wouldn’t buy Steve Jobs’ or Henry Ford’s products again. Eventually they did.