Who hasn't had the customer who nickel-and-dimes you, doesn't return phone calls, and makes unreasonable demands? Many consider it a part of the job, but referral expert Joanne Black believes differently.
Black calls these customers "PITAs," or 'pain in the ass' customers. "PITA customers are never happy," explains Black. "They're emotionally draining and they use up your valuable resources. Collect too many PITA customers and watch your profits dwindle - not a compelling scenario."
"When organizations take bad business, they are paying a hidden opportunity cost - the opportunity lost to use their resources to go after the phenomenal clients they want and need to make money! Servicing a PITA customer takes away time we could use providing something extra for our truly great customers."
"We shouldn't target just 'anyone,'" says Black. "You need to create a profile of your "Ideal Customer" so you can recognize perfect opportunities when they arise. These Ideal Customers are those you want to serve and the ones you will bend head over heels for."
"For a lot of salespeople, being too specific in describing their Ideal Customer may seem like they might be leaving good business on the table. It's exactly the opposite. The more specific you are, the easier it will be for someone to refer you. A long list of the things you do blurs your image. For someone to be able to refer you, they need a clear picture of you."
Ask yourself these questions to create a description of your Ideal Customer:
Industry: In what industry does your company have a track record?
Geography: Where would these customers be based - regions of the United States, North America, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa?
Size Company: How large would the company you would most like to work with be and how do you measure its size (i.e.: number of employees, revenue, age, geographical coverage)?
Business Unit or Function: What group of people within the company are your ideal contacts - CEOs, CIOs, COOs, HR, marketing?
Type of Person: What are the personality traits (Sense of humor, responsible, dedicated, integrity) of your "Ideal Customer?"
Situation/Need: What sort of situation is your ideal customer in that creates the need for your help? Here are some ideas: "My salespeople aren't performing, our teams are not working together, we've just acquired another company, we have difficulty recruiting the right talent, we don't have enough clients, our systems are at capacity, we'll be acquiring more companies."
If a prospect doesn't meet your criteria, Black advises you to just say NO! The cost of working with a PITA will outweigh any benefits you get from the sale.
Joanne Black is America's leading authority on referral selling and the author of No More Cold Calling The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust. Learn more at her website, www.nomorecoldcalling.com 
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