Strategy tip
There are all sorts of experts to turn to for advice and guidance when it comes to problematic clients and customers. However, maybe it’s time to step out of the expert’s field for a moment and into the horse arena.
Janice Terra is The Lady Horse Whisperer. She has over thirty years of experience helping people and animals from the boardrooms to the barn stalls. In her brief video about working with wild and difficult horses, one thing caught my attention and immediately made my business brain buzz.
According to Terra, “… in the wild, it’s the dominant mare that rules the herd not the stallion.”
Hmm… if a dominant mare can rule a herd rather than the supposedly all powerful stallion, is there a strategy here that business women can apply to their own herd of problematic clients and customers?
The dominant mare strategy
It begins with the understanding that horses like clients and customers come wired in their brains the way they are.
One aspect of this wired brain is behavior unpredictability – meaning they can bolt from you and then you have to start building a trusted relationship all over again.
The usual attempt to lure them back is with rewards (carrots and love). But, according to Terra what they really want is leadership, and that’s what the dominant mare provides.
How the strategy works
The dominant mare establishes her authority by moving the members of the herd. She nudges, nips and guides them in the right direction. The secret behind this leadership behavior is that “If you control the feet you control the brain.”
When Terra is in the horse arena, she’s applying the same strategy with problematic horses.
She becomes the leader by first having the horse move in one direction. To change direction, she stops the horse, makes sure there is understood communication between them and then guides the horse into the new direction. If there is an attempt to revert to old behavior, she gently redirects again to the desired behavior.
Our problematic clients and customers are no different.
We expect all of our clients and customers to move in the right direction that will benefit them the most, but somewhere along the line some of them bolt.
- They download a free offer but shy away from the buy button.
- They remain on the email list but sporadically open email offers.
- They become a one-time low end buyer but never return to invest in higher-end products or programs.
- They never become word-of-mouth referrals because they fail to follow through and get the benefits.
Whatever the experts may tell you, it still comes back to horse sense.
By recognizing that problematic clients and customer are really looking for leadership, women marketers can leverage their success with the dominant mare strategy.
- It means not only understanding where your clients and customers are coming from but also understanding their leadership needs.
- It means that despite your great products, programs and irresistible offers, you also need a leadership strategy, as well as, a marketing strategy.
- It means in order to tame your problematic clients and customers and get them moving in the right direction, you need to let them know that you are the leader that can guide them to success.
More about how to be that leader in out next post.
Sources: The Lady Horse Whisperer – Video; theladyhorsewhisperer.com
Photo Credit: Frlickr (cc by 2.0) Bureau of Land Management – Utah Onaquil HMA 12/27/12
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An interesting take on how to deal with clients :-)…and it is indeed about steering them in the right direction.
Definitely! I can relate to this. As much as you want to control them, you can only guide as they will not be do anything if they feel they are forced or intimidated. I look forward to hearing more strategies.
I loved this analogy, Joyce. It made perfect sense to me. Looking forward to the next post.
Assertiveness is one of the first steps in leadership. I like that you’re using the horse whisperer. Nice post!
Or they want everything done for them, easily and at little to no cost… lol and then there is your side of things too. teehee. Sadly, it’s true.. just like with children… they don’t want to be let loose, they need direction… they need rules and structure!
Most definitely, Kristen. Sometimes even a kick in the …!
Wow! That is interesting Joyce. It makes so much sense of the feedback I get from clients. I tend to be outcome oriented and teach and give assignments in my counseling sessions and I hear from clients that they like that. Too often clients have complained that counselors just listen and don’t offer any direction. It’s their decision of course whether or not they want to be lead to new behaviors. Love it!
This is the crux of the matter. As an entrepreneur, you want to share your information, and you believe the customer/client will take your information and run with it. Actually, they want to be taught your information by you. Not everyone is willing to make that commitment.
Leadership is a fascinating answer to a marketer’s question of how to convince people to invest in themselves and their business. After reading your post, I see the correlation. I’m interested in exploring this strategy more. I think influence and trust probably accompany leadership somewhere in the process. The date is older on your post, so I’m hoping part two is already available on your blog–I’m excited to read it!
Thanks for the interest Meghan. I’m posting these earlier blogs this month so I can get a jump on a new project. More is definitely coming.
I love the analogy you shared in your post, Joyce, as I see how the online space has become filled with ‘experts’ of one sort or the other. I wonder how we’ve arrived at the place in our world where we have more experts than we have people looking for experts, it seems? For that reason leadership is the defining distinction, isn’t it? I also have a lot of people who follow me who are perpetually ‘interested’, yet seem to take few if any actions…not only on what I offer, but on what other people offer too. Thanks for the insights in your post. Food for thought…
The whole customer relationship is changing. Partly, there are greater expectations and a lot of social fears and concerns about committing. These are unsettling times, and the best we can do is to be consistent and continue to be there with our knowledge.
Joyce,
An excellent article here that had a good message that was understood. It helps the way you clarified the client and the mare. It’s always great to read an article like this one because I learned much to do about the business. Great article !
Lori English
There’s so much we can learn from the natural world. They’ve been working on leadership issues for eons. The only story we got was the alpha male. Well, it’s our turn to let the wild mares loose.
This is fascinating, Joyce. I’d never thought of business leadership in this way, even though I’ve had horses all my life. And yes, I too can attest that the dominant mare runs the show. Same thing in dogs–one of my older girls always takes the lead. She disciplines with nips and growls, then grooms and loves on them.
Course, this is pretty much what I do with my editorial clients–metaphorically speaking! 🙂
I’m glad you clarified your metaphorical role. Wouldn’t want you nipping and growing at your clients. Although I’m sure there are times you wish you could.
Appreciating your horse metaphor as I rode horses from age 8-15 when I then traded horses for boyfriends. It’s very well written and laid out. Also very content-rich I’d add! This pearl speaks to me now, “…We expect all of our clients and customers to move in the right direction that will benefit them the most, but somewhere along the line some of them bolt.” Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks for taking the time to comment Lore. Since I wrote this, there has been even more research confirming this wild horse phenomenon. For those of us who have had horses, it’s easy to relate.
I have quite a few subscribers on my list who match the criteria of problematic clients and it’s true, they lose out a lot by not following the lead or opening emails because I share some really good content and guidance. They get eliminated every 3-6 months when I clean my list and then they return for another freebie! 😉
I cannot control their behavior but I can do something about mine, Joyce. I’m looking forward to the next part of this blog series. Please write it quickly!
Well, it looks like they want to be in your herd but not willing to do what it takes to stay in your herd. Kicking them out is fair. I don’t know if this is appropriate, but maybe it’s time to limit the number of new freebie’s you offer. Or, if they are returning for the same freebie, is there a way you can block their email list?
I believe the quickest way to understand humans is by studying animals. Our basic behaviors and needs are so similar, including leadership. Great blog.
Yes, we have so much to learn from observing animal behavior. Especially with all the wonderful YouTube video showing how even enemies can co-exist.
What a great article on leadership, Joyce. Seems like leadership is a new buzz word, per se- especially for women. I too am a big messenger of feminine leadership and know that it is really is more than a buzz word but actually and evolution. One that we want to be a part of. It is about marketing and life out there but the difference is, as you know, it starts within first. I enjoyed reading this, thank you.
What’s interesting is that we have thought that men and the males of the animal kingdom are the inherited leaders. When we look more closely, it’s actually the females that step forward. It’s time all women see themselves as having leadership quality. We’re all in the movement together. Thanks, Teresa, for standing out as your own leader.
I like it! I think anyone who has a subscriber list has at least a few people who fall under the examples you’ve provided, I sure do. I like the analogy and visual and look forward to reading more in your next post. Thanks!
Well, it seems wild mares have got this figured out. The problem children either get in line or they get marginalized and don’t get to eat the green grass first. I think we can turn this into a good marketing strategy.