There's a new breed out there

Is it just me, or does there seem to be a new breed of people out there - I'm noticing them when I'm driving around. Several times over the last few months, I've had people crossing the road when my car is coming quickly towards them.

Now, I don't know about you, but I certainly have no desire to knock these people over, but they don't seem to have any regard of other people - only themselves. Have you seen them too?

So, why am I mentoring this new group of people?

Well, these reckless people who only seem to think about themselves seem to be spilling out into the business world too.

You see, over the last six months or so, a new breed of customers has been emerging - these are more demanding; want more for less; take advantage and more importantly they know how to play the game.

And if you don't know how to deal with these new customers in your business, you're in trouble. Here's why.

In 2009, as a small business owner, chances are your instinct is to grab a new customer everytime one comes along. Nothing wrong with this you might think. But these days instead of taking on the right customers, we're tending to take on everyone no matter who they are, what they want or what they want to pay.

We're doing this because we have an underlying fear that we might not get customers in the future - "we'd better get them now" - we think. Even if they want loads from us and don't want to pay for it, they're still a customer and we should grab them with both hands.

The thing is this new breed of customers know that! They know that you want them no matter what - and they know that they can make unreasonable demands and you'll say ok.

I was talking to a contact yesterday who told me he'd taken on a nightmare customer who he would have stayed well clear of if things in the economy were ok. And I have people recently who've received my free tips and then wanted us to do the actual service for free as well.

So what do you do?

Well, the solution to this one is confidence. Confidence that things in the economy are not as bad as the press are making out. Right now, you need to be strong and recognise that not everyone is a customer for you. If the economy was ok, would you take on this type of customer? Probably not.

Don't let fear make you panic. There will be other customers.

But what do you do if you either have no choice but to take on this sort of customer or if you've taken them on already?

Well, even if you do take on these customers, be strong and don't let yourself be pushed around. It's the easiest thing in the world to think that you have to put up with difficult customers because you might lose them.

Not true!

Set some expectations for yourself - decide what is ok for your customers to do and what's not. Don't be afraid to push  back - tell your customers for instance, that you would be happy to meet their demands...BUT...the price will be going up if they want you to do that.

Don't worry - you won't lose them, but I'm willing to bet, they won't be so confident to demand as much in the future!  Remember, we're very good at being reasonable to our customers, but are you being reasonable to yourself and your business?