Your best friend is not your customer
Authors
Categories
You’ve probably heard more than once that, in entrepreneurship, “your BFF (Best Friend Forever) isn’t your customer.” Don’t take this “mantra” as a way to free your friends from the pressure of buying your product or service. Quite the opposite: it’s to remove the “burden” of relying on the support of people you know. That way, you can focus on your mission.
Find real customers Your friends are there to support you… emotionally, but aren’t your ideal market nor the foundation of your commercial success. Your goal is to find real customers: you need to go where there are people who actually have the problem you want to solve. To do this, you must understand these three key points:
If your acquaintances buy your product or share your posts, your friendship could turn into a business relationship and lead to tension. Their support is a bonus, not an obligation.
Your "BFF" rarely fits the customer profile who needs your solution and is willing to pay for it.
It’s much more common (and professional) for a customer to become a friend, not for a friend to be a good customer.
The sooner you stop expecting your BFFs to support your venture financially, the sooner you’ll find the people who truly need what you’re offering.
How to separate your friends from your business Apply these tips:
Don’t look for customers in your inner circle: research the places where your potential customers gather. Track forums, social media, product reviews… identify complaints and questions to understand what users need and what their pain points are. This will give you plenty of clues
Value the encouragement, advice, and emotional support from your friends rather than a potential purchase from them.
Set boundaries: if a friend becomes a customer, treat them with the same professional standards as your other users. No special favors.
Respect their decision: if they don’t buy, it’s not personal. They’re not “betraying” you; it’s simply that your product isn’t for them.
The validation from someone you don’t know is tangible proof that you’re on the right track. Support from those close to you is just a favor (and that won’t make you take off).
Stop asking your friends to buy what you offer and start creating something that a stranger can’t ignore; this way, you’ll move from emotional sales to real ones.
Sources:
https://stackingthebricks.com/cant-find-audience/
https://medium.com/activated-thinker/your-friends-are-not-your-customers-stop-selling-to-them-b41478b8a799
Image generated with AI.
Related
