Which clients do you need to stop chasing?
Trying to be everything to everyone is a risky strategy in tough economic times
During economic downturns, many companies fall into the trap of chasing every possible deal in an attempt to maintain revenue. However, trying to be everything to everyone is not a strategy—it’s a reaction. When businesses say yes to every opportunity just to keep sales flowing, they often stretch their resources too thin, dilute their market positioning, and waste valuable time on prospects that aren’t the right fit.
Without a well-defined Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy, every opportunity starts to look appealing, leading to scattered efforts, unfocused sales teams, and lower win rates. In uncertain times, efficiency and precision matter more than ever. Instead of chasing after every lead, companies must double down on their ideal customers, ensuring that their efforts are targeted, strategic, and aligned with long-term success.
The costs of going after the wrong clients are staggering!!
Pursuing unqualified sales leads can significantly drain a company's resources and impede its growth. Research indicates that sales representatives may waste up to 50% of their time on opportunities unlikely to convert, leading to substantial opportunity costs.
Engaging with unqualified leads not only consumes valuable time but also diverts attention from high potential clients who are more likely to result in successful sales. This misallocation can lead to missed revenue opportunities and increased operational costs.
Moreover, targeting the wrong audience can dramatically inflate marketing expenses without corresponding returns, as high marketing costs persist without being reflected in revenue.
How to define the right clients – AND SAY NO TO THE WRONG ONES
1. Identify your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) with intent
A strong GTM strategy starts by defining exactly who you want to sell to based on:
- Industry & company size
- Budget & ability to pay
- Problem fit: Do they truly need your solution?
- Sales cycle length (Are they ready to buy, or just exploring?)
- Cultural & operational fit (Will they be easy to work with?)
Action Step: If a prospect doesn’t match at least 80% of your ICP criteria, they’re not a priority.
2. Create a “No-Go” List – Who you won’t sell to
Take the time to identify you "Worst Client Profile (WCP)" and teach your people how to recognize them quickly. Being selective isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength. If a company isn’t the right fit, they will:
- Drain your resources
- Push your product in directions that don’t align with your strategy
- Reduce your ability to serve your best customers
Action Step: Write down the types of customers you will not pursue. This could include:
- Companies in industries where your solution doesn’t deliver enough value
- Businesses that demand excessive customization
- Clients that lack the budget or require long, uncertain sales cycles
Remember: Saying NO to bad-fit clients means saying YES to the right ones!
3. Focus your messaging and positioning
A clear GTM strategy means being hyper-targeted in how you position your business.
- Speak directly to the pain points of your ideal clients.
- Stop using generic language that tries to appeal to everyone.
- Be bold about who your product is not for
Action Step: Ask yourself, "Would my ideal client read our messaging and immediately feel like we’re speaking directly to them?" If not, refine it!
4. Train your sales team to qualify ruthlessly
Sales reps often chase every lead to hit quotas, but a great GTM strategy trains them to focus on high-probability deals.
Use qualification frameworks like BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) or MEDDIC (Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, etc.)
Help reps politely and respectfully disengage from unqualified prospects so they can spend more time on high-value customers
Action Step: Equip your sales team with disqualification questions—so they can politely walk away from bad-fit deals early.
5. Measure and refine your focus regularly
Your market evolves, and so should your GTM strategy.
- Review closed-won vs. closed-lost deals to refine your ICP.
- Analyze which customers churn—if a segment has high churn, it may not be the right fit.
- Optimize your messaging, targeting, and sales process based on data.
Action Step: Have a quarterly review process to fine-tune your ideal client focus and remove distractions.
If you can’t say NO to a bad-fit client, then you don’t have a real Go-To-Market strategy. Michael Porter said it best: «The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do."
What’s one customer type will you stop chasing?
Drop your thoughts in the comments!