My friend went to a restaurant that is well-known in dining circles in St.Paul, Minnesota. She is a vegan and usually can find food to eat almost all the time. This posh and expensive place had a dish on the menu that sounded perfect except it had some Italian sausage mixed in with the roasted vegetable casserole. When she asked if they could make it without the sausage, the waiter said no. We don’t cater to vegans; we serve the food we want people to eat. The waiter said, “I’m sorry, but our brand (restaurant) is not for you.”
Not Everyone is Your Customer
When you serve a narrow and specific audience, you can’t be for everyone. There will be people who you aren’t going to sell. That’s okay and demonstrates marketing at its best.
If you are for everyone, you aren’t for anyone.
- Ghost kitchens or restaurants that only do take out, don’t want you to come and dine with them. Kitchen United and Cloud Kitchens are two examples of restaurants without seating for customers. They are created to serve delivered restaurant meals – without the restaurant.
- Lefty’s – the online retailer doesn’t want right-handed people to buy their garden and kitchen tools for themselves. Only 15% of the population is left-handed, and they aren’t for 85% of the general public.
- JP’s Pastry’s – A Gluten-Free bake shop in Benson, NC, only sells gluten-free pastries. The minority of pastry-loving consumers eat gluten-free, but they aren’t serving those customers. They aren’t for everyone.
Who aren’t you serving?
When it is clear who you serve, some customers won’t fit with your business model. Don’t worry. It will make your brand strong, not weaker. Marketing is about making a choice not to sell everyone, but to serve someone.
If you broke your leg in a skiing accident, would you visit a general practitioner, a dermatologist or an orthopedic specialist?
That’s what I thought. Find your community and serve them.
Does your business need a marketing coach, guide, or sherpa? Are you generating enough leads? Is your marketing underperforming? I can help.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Our initial conversation is free. You talk, I listen. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com or call me. 919 720 0995. Visit my website at www.themarketingsage.com Let’s explore working together today.
Photo by Rustic Vegan on Unsplash
