50 marketing mistakes / Mistake #07
Mistake #07 of 50Don’t pick a marketing item because YOU like it.
Ask whether your customer will like it. You’re not the one keeping it.
What it costs you
You’re not the one keeping it.
You’re flipping through a catalog. Something catches your eye.
You’d use that. You think it’s great. You order 500.
But you’re not the one who gets it.
The product isn’t good or bad. It’s right or wrong for the person holding it.
A tape measure is perfect for a contractor. An emery board is perfect for a nail salon client.
Switch them, and they’re both junk.
A real example
The roofer at the bridal show
A roofer gets a great deal on a booth at a big bridal show. Hundreds of people. Only $800.
He orders 300 tape measures with his logo and smiles at everyone who walks by.
Everyone who walks by is thinking about dresses, flowers and cake. Not one of them is thinking about a roof.
The next month, a windstorm knocks shingles off half the houses in two neighborhoods.
He spends $150 on door hangers: “We’re in the neighborhood checking roofs after the storm. Free inspection this week.”
His phone rings for two weeks.
The bridal show had more people. The storm streets had the right people.
Same roofer. Same budget, give or take. The only difference was who he was talking to.
Why it happens
Why owners pick for themselves
None of those reasons are about the customer.
Do this instead
Match the thing to the person.
Before you look at a single product, picture one real customer. Not “everybody.” Ask where that person spends their day, because that’s where your marketing needs to live.
| Your customer | What they’ll keep |
|---|---|
| A nail salon client, purse goes everywhere | An emery board |
| A homeowner, in the kitchen | A refrigerator magnet |
| A golfer, out on the course | A golf towel |
| An office manager, at the desk | A good pen and a notepad |
| A dog owner, on the daily walk | A bag dispenser on the leash |
| A loyal customer, out all weekend | A T-shirt they actually like |
Write one sentence and tape it above your desk: “My best customer is [who] in [where] who needs [what] when [the moment].” Not your only customer. Your best one. Then, before you spend a dollar, read it and ask one question: Would this person keep it?
Do this today
- 1
Pull up your last 20 customers.
- 2
Write down what they have in common: where they are, what they bought, how they found you.
- 3
Write your one sentence: “My best customer is…”
- 4
Tape it above your desk.
Before you spend a dollar on marketing, read that sentence and ask: Would this person keep it?
From the book
Chapter 4: Know Who You’re Talking To
Starts on page 33. The whole chapter, plus 250+ ways to market your business, in the free book.
Download the free bookIdeas that fix it
Things your customer will actually keep.
Idea 86 · book page 304Magnets$0.75–$2 eachOn the fridge right when the pipe bursts.
Idea 105 · book page 314Dog Waste Bag Dispensers$1.50–$4 eachClipped to a leash and walked around the neighborhood daily.
Idea 177 · book page 350Golf Towels$10–$25 eachHangs on the bag for every round.
Idea 126 · book page 324Tote Bags$2–$7 eachReused for years and carried in public.
Idea 107 · book page 315Car Air Fresheners$1.50–$4 eachHangs in the car for weeks.
Idea 171 · book page 347Insulated Tumblers$8–$25 eachUsed daily, and seen on desks and in cars.Want a plan built around your best customer?
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