Cosmodesign Lab

Success stories from others can be inspiring and motivating, and people often enjoy listening to them to gain insight and start their own ventures. Business coaches frequently use these stories to sell their services and make a profit.

However, if you hope to replicate someone else's success and become recognized in your own right, heed this warning: success stories can kill your business.

Consider the following statistics: according to the Chamber of Commerce, 627,000 new businesses are launched annually in the U.S., but 595,000 close within the same year. Only 32,000 entrepreneurs in the U.S. manage to survive beyond the first year.

And all of these success stories are nothing more than survivor's stories.

It's surprisingly simple to increase the price of your product by targeting the right audience. Consumers tend to believe that specialized products perform better than general-purpose ones. For example, if someone needs to make cheesecake and sees two brands of cottage cheese on the shelf, they're more likely to choose the package labeled "for cheesecake." Conversely, if they only need regular cottage cheese, they won't choose the "cheesecake" variety.

Similarly, automotive locksmiths, especially those who are new to the trade, are willing to pay five times the price for a rubber mallet specifically designed for body repair, even if it's made from the same material as a regular mallet.

In many cases, it's not necessary to differentiate between products; simply clarifying the target audience on the label can increase sales and justify a higher price point.

I have worked in marketing and website development for several years, beginning my career in Russia.

My first client, a friend, needed a website to sell winter windshield washer fluid and its promotion. I created the site, set up and ran ads, and his sales increased.

However, two weeks later, my client urgently contacted me in the middle of the night, demanding that I delete his website and erase any mentions of it on the Internet.

When I asked why he wanted to do this, he shared an interesting story. In Russia, some people who cannot afford vodka purchase winter windshield washer fluid because it contains alcohol, although they don`t not realize the difference between ethyl and methyl alcohol. That year, a group of alcoholics in his town died after consuming winter windshield washer fluid.

The police decided to blame the sellers for this apparent accident and began to organize raids. Because of this, many innocent entrepreneurs suffered. Fortunately, everything went well for my client, but he decided to leave this business forever.

There are individuals who disregard phone calls, keep their smartphones on silent mode, and may not reply to messages on Messenger or WhatsApp for weeks. So, how should business owners deal with such potential customers? Firstly, it's important to acknowledge that there can be various reasons for such behavior, ranging from being very busy to having social anxiety or fear of being sold unnecessary products or services.

However, the solution is simple - focus on developing your social media accounts. Showcase your company as friendly, respectful of personal boundaries, and capable of addressing customer problems. For many, paying extra for an all-in-one solution is much easier than controlling every action taken by a company.

Optimize your social media management to attract these customers and encourage them to follow your content. Share your knowledge, expertise, and demonstrate your friendly approach to even the most difficult customers.