Yeah, you might quietly mutter the words ‘I never, ever don’t want to work with that guy.’

But you wouldn’t dare say it publicly, right? 

But if you don’t say it publicly, you could be missing a trick. 

When you explain who you’re not the right fit for publicly, two things can happen: 

1. You no longer waste your time communicating with people who aren’t the right fit
2. You increase your trust and loyalty with those who are the right fit. Because they understand that you don’t just work with anyone and everyone. And that you’re not out to make a quick buck! 

But the question is, how do you say it? 

And more importantly, how do you say it without coming across as a complete arse? 

This is where a ‘who we’re not the right fit for’ piece of content comes in. 

What is ‘wrong fit’ content? 

Wrong-fit content is a clear way of stating, well, who you’re not the right fit for. The idea comes from our Content Fortress framework, which helps you attract your dream clients (and repel the ones you don’t want!)

It’s clear and direct. It usually comes in a basic list format and is a pretty easy piece of content to create. 

Preventing problem clients from happening again 

You can (and absolutely should) use your own experience to create your wrong fit content. 

Chances are, you’ve worked with people and realised, for whatever reason, they weren’t the right fit. 

• Maybe they expected too much. 
• Maybe they expected things done too quickly. 
• Maybe they didn’t do something they had to in order for you to do your job. 
• Maybe you didn’t like the way they spoke to you. 
• Maybe someone misinterpreted what you offer. 

Whatever the reason, this content can help. 

Because when you have a problem with your clients, it’s your job to prevent that problem from ever happening again. 

If a client fools you once, that’s on them. If they fool you twice…well, you know how it goes. 

That’s why we recommend that you create content that prevents the same issues from cropping up in your business. 

Why is ‘wrong fit’ content so effective? 

Imagine you spend two hours every week talking to people who aren’t the right fit. This could be…

• Replying to emails 
• Going on video calls 
• Writing proposals 
• Meeting people face-to-face

All with people who aren’t the right fit for your business. 

Now multiply those two hours by your hourly wage. Let’s say £50. 

Over the course of a year that would be £5200. 

Now imagine at the end of the year I gave you an invoice for £5200 for absolutely nothing.

You wouldn’t be very happy, would you? 

And yet, this is what we’re doing day-in-day-out in our business. We’re wasting time with people who aren’t the right fit that ultimately cost us money. 

And don’t get me started on what happens if you actually take on a wrong-fit client. Because that’s even more stress and, potentially, wasted money!   

Essentially, wrong fit content prevents you from attracting people who will suck all your time, energy and money from your business. 

And when you put it like that, you can clearly see the benefits. 

First things first: how do you work out who you’re not the right fit for? 

Hold your horses! 

I know you want to drive right into creating this content. (It’s actually the most fun content to create). 

But, sometimes we really need to establish who we’re not the right fit for. 

And it’s not as obvious as you might think. 

Obviously, you don’t want to work with that guy who expects a reply to his email at 11 pm and never pays on time. That’s kind of a given! 

But think about…

1. Who isn’t quite ready for your products or services? 
2. What do people often ask you to do that might be out of scope?  
3. Who can’t fit within your processes? 
4. Is there anyone you clash with in terms of values or beliefs? 
5. How do you hate to be treated? 

Dig a little deeper into who really isn’t the right fit for your business, and once you have this, you’ll be able to create compelling ‘wrong-fit’ content. 

The Three Rules of Wrong-Fit Content

The problem with ‘wrong fit’ content is that it can easily go in the wrong direction. It can come across as arrogant, or disingenuous. That’s why you should follow these three rules. 

1. Don’t be sleazy 

Ever see one of those pop-ups that encourages you to sign up for someone’s freebie or newsletter? And when you want to exit it, it says something like ‘no thank you, I don’t want to be a millionaire who never has to worry about money again.’ 

Ugh. So sleazy! 

Unfortunately, this kind of thing can happen when you create wrong-fit content. If you’re saying things like ‘you’re not the right fit for me if you don’t want to be a millionaire’ or ‘you’re not the right fit for me if you want to work every hour in the day’ etc, then you’re doing it wrong. 

This is not an opportunity for you to sell yourself. Wrong-fit content is a way of getting people to prequalify themselves and understand if they are the right or wrong fit for you.  

2. Don’t be rude 

Another common problem with ‘wrong-fit’ content is that people can come across as rude. Let’s say you’re more expensive than your competition. You could say, ‘I’m not the right fit if you’re looking for the cheapest option or solution’ and then go on to explain how much you charge. 

But some people might word this badly. They might say, ‘if you’re a cheapskate, don’t hire me!’ or ‘you get what you pay for and if you’re looking for cheap then you’ll fail.’ Stuff like this (even if you think it’s justified) can come across as rude. 

3. Think of it as good customer service 

Ultimately, you have to think of this kind of content as ‘good customer service’. If you walk into a shop and a salesperson approaches you, how nice would it be if they told you honestly who wasn’t right for the product? If they were matter-of-fact, genuine and knowledgeable? If they were confident? 

This is how you have to imagine this piece of content. You are helping people make an informed buying decision. And in the process, you’re also benefiting yourself by only attracting the right people to your business. 

What are some examples of ‘wrong fit’ content?

I love learning by example. And luckily there are some amazing businesses producing this kind of content that will inspire you. 

Content 10x 

I love this article from Amy at Content 10x. They make it abundantly clear who they’re not the right fit for. And I love the handy little table at the start of the article. 

I also love how they state that ‘When we work with the right people, it helps us to do our very best work, which generates the best results for our clients.’ 

This is how a ‘wrong-fit’ article works so well. Because, yes, it repels those who are the wrong fit, but it also increases trust and loyalty from those who are the right fit. Just reading that sentence you understand that Content 10x doesn’t just work with anyone and everyone. They’re not out to make a quick buck. They care who they work with, and want to make sure that they get the best results for their clients. 

Mira Rutter 

I love Mira’s ‘wrong-fit’ article that she published as part of our 90-day content marketing challenge. And I particularly like how Mira takes into account who aligns with her values and beliefs. 

In her article, she explains that she doesn’t work with people who ‘are in business just for the money.’ 

Mira states that ‘It’s important to me that you truly care about the core of what you do. You use your talent, skills and knowledge for the betterment of the world.’ 

Mira’s has a clear idea who her ideal client is, and she isn’t afraid to say that she won’t work with people who just want to make money and nothing else. 

This means she gets to work with people who align with her values. Mira gets to do the thing she really loves – which is to help women achieve their financial goals and also make a difference in the world. 

Denise Cowle 

I love this no-nonsense blog post from MYMO member and amazing non-fiction editor, Denise! 

Denise states clearly that she doesn’t work with offensive material, explaining that ‘When I say offensive, you can take that to mean any form of hate speech: racist, sexist, mysogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, whatever.’ 

This makes sure she doesn’t have to get to the point of viewing material before she declines to work on it – which would take a lot of time out of her business! 

Denise also makes sure she helps those who aren’t the right fit. For example, she says she doesn’t work with fiction writers or writing that’s highly technical or scientific. But she doesn’t just leave it there. She actually helps those who aren’t the right fit by directing them to other editors that can help. 

Denise has really used this content to deliver excellent customer service. 

What are your next steps?

Ask yourself the questions I listed above and start creating your content. It can be a simple list of reasons why someone isn’t the right fit for your business. It’s actually one of the easiest and most enjoyable pieces of content you can create! And you can always check out our blog post on why we’re not the right fit for you too, for inspiration. 

If you want more content ideas like this and exactly how to create them, check out our book Content Fortress. It’s available from just £5.99! And it tells you exactly how to attract clients who respect your time and expertise, are eager to work with you and love who you are and what you do! 

Lyndsay Cambridge

Owner at Jammy Digital, Digital Marketing Specialist and Writer of Young-Adult Fiction.

jammydigital.com

The post How and Why You Should Create ‘Wrong-Fit’ Content  appeared first on Content Marketing & SEO Agency | Get More Sales From Your Website.