I may not have done business for too long to qualify giving sound business pep talk, to some it may look like I am simply running a hobby and getting paid for it. In addition some may think that since it’s a side hustle, it is not much of a class A business. Whatever it is, whether business, whether hobby, whether side hustle whatever it is that I do and getting cash while at it, one way or the other there are some few business pecks that I have picked over the period including gaining the ability to differentiate between fans and clients..
In any business you are bound to meet either if not interact with both. Let’s start with Fans. These are your cheer leaders. People who clap for you even when no one else is watching. People who are always eager to see you do good everyday. People who enjoy seeing your successes every time . Imagine being in a race like a marathon or whichever race. Imagine running your last miles and people cheering you on waiting to see you cross the finish line. They are so happy, they cheer and cheer shouting your name and that even propels you forward by giving you that last energy you need to cross the finish line. They will be the happiest to jump for joy when they see you finally win. And you too will be happy and thrilled that you did not disappoint them and that’s aside from making your own self proud. You will feel excited that you first of all you won the race and secondly all the people who had all their hopes in your win, who had banked in your success are also proud of your achievement.
On the other hand, Clients are people who now actually buy your product they are the end users. The end consumers of your successes. Those who believe in your product and actually want to offer their support and this support is financial support. They buy whatever it is you are selling.. Are these clients your fans? Some could be but others are not so much of fans or maybe not like those fanatics but they are people who are totally sold to your product who don’t just only clap but buy. They are the beneficiaries of the end product of what you have been working for. They are the ones who know the true value of the product you are selling. Back to our race. There are many people who work behind the scenes. Those people who actually know what it means to have you win. They are called stakeholders. People who will benefit directly from your win in return. They could be partners, coaches, team managers, employees, employers, etc. Who through your win they benefit from it in one way or the other. If you loose they are seriously affected by that loss. Clients are more than fans at times because their stake is much bigger.
But these two work well. They work hand in hand. They both need each other for that overall win. Your fans give your clients confidence which overally translates into a purchase. With the online business frenzy going on these days. People are more lured into businesses that have a good following, a good fan page. This builds up the confidence of any potential client looking to buy anything from you. Your fans may not be your clients but they play a huge role in drawing your clients to your business. Keep your fans engaged and see how they bring you clients. It’s just a matter of knowing how to make your fans engaged.
Being the baker that I am, I have watched some of my top fans cut cakes of other bakers, but they are always willing to hit the like button on my work and for a long time I struggled understanding why they would be liking my work and not ordering from me. Until when I got to understand that they are actually fans and not clients maybe future clients. Why are they not clients probably they can not afford your product, they could be too far from where you are , or they could be having another person so close to them who would do their cake even for free which in my case I probably wouldn’t unless I am running an offer or a promotion . Or they could actually be able to make a cake on their own. What I am saying is if you strike a deal between the two, your fans can actually help your business thrive. When having business conversations know how to classify them into the two as either fans or clients. Know when you are speaking to a client and when you are speaking to a fan. This is not something you learn overnight but overtime and you could use either to your advantage to help your business thrive.. In my side hustle. Or hobby. Or future class A business, I have learnt to different between these two and these days I am thrilled of the fans who will always be cheering me on the fore front because the clients on the background are building confidence day by day in what I am doing.
Is this the right analogy. Maybe or maybe not but I have analyzed this for a while to come through to this conclusion and somehow seen some truth in it.
sensesNhumor 