Which do you prefer: Clients = 🙋🏾or Customers = 💳?

jikajika·Jul 28, 2021

Posted in:Favors

Heard this question in a podcast, and it put a LOT of things in perspective for me.

And for those of you wondering what the difference is, a customer is considered to be a quick transaction (e.g., you selling them a physical product).

And typically the sale would happen without you having to be present. One & done.

A client is someone who will need your skillset & attention for a longer period of time (e.g., a 3-month project). And typically, the payment comes as you hit milestones within the completion of the project.

So - which do you prefer?

Sierra166·Jul 28, 2021

I have many clients but I would choose customers if I could. Notice how there are so many 'coaches' posting on Elpha lately. Coaches need clients, and clients that pay well aren't so easy to find. Clients that enable you to make a living and don't bother you too much are actually hard to find. I am thankful for the ones I have but it can be exhausting. There is too much interpersonal effort involved. It's unstable. Notice how the most profitable companies don't have customer service for regular users. Google and Facebook are largely automated. Because they have *customers* not clients. VC firms don't invest in industries that have a 'client ' base, because they look for large markets. Large markets = tons of customers. Customers = software and automation. Clients (unless you're a top law firm, McKinsey, or LPs for VC firms) mean much lower revenue and a lot more human contact and time.

anitadhir·Aug 19, 2021

I define customers as end users of a company's products / services and clients as people who pay for those products / services. Thus, each entity has a distinct role and responsibility. Both have different needs. Of course, one entity can be both a customer and a client. This makes managing them either very easy or challenging (you have to deal with their internal conflict).

jikajika·Jul 28, 2021

I've actually noticed that A LOT of agencies, across industries, are switching their business model so they have more customers than clients. It used to be 100% clients. Now it's 80% customers, 20% clients. And it's working out BEAUTIFULLY for them. They're a lot less stressed about payroll, they're creating really great products for the public or brands that they can purchase, and they can now be REALLY PICKY about the clients they DO want to take on. Right now I'm client based as well. Though, starting REAL SOON it's going to be time to flip that script.

Monisha·Jul 28, 2021

Clients.!