SLAP
I slap you across the screen.
You shout in shock.
“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT, NADIA?!
I SIGNED UP FOR SECRETS.
SEEE-CR-ETS.”
SLAP
I slap you again and laugh like a 5-year-old jacked up on their first-ever can of Coke.
“Great choice, friend. You picked right.”
I hand you a business card and a small white book.
You flip over the card to read it, then you open the book on the first page and begin to read…
Lesson 1. Customer pre-qualification process
Even a client who self-identifies as your ‘ideal customer’ may not be the right match for your game/product/service.
Perhaps they like you.
The way you do what you do.
The way you talk about the things you can do.
But do they know you’ll deliver a result they like or love?
Do they know you might shoot them to death with a semi-automatic rifle if they don’t follow your (vague) rules?
Perhaps not.
So you need to pre-qualify them.
Add a tiny bit of friction between the opportunity to work with you, and a chance to walk away.
Ask them to fill out a questionnaire.
Request a chemistry call.
Show them your portfolio.
Play a weird game where you slap them and offer them cash prizes.
Ask your potential customer to exert a micro-effort towards the actual commitment required to participate in a successful version of your game/product/service.
Your seriously interested customers will call you back on that special little calling card you leave behind (or email you).