At a recent staff meeting, we were talking about a client that balked at multiple quotes for their product photography.  My business partner said, “Sounds like an eastbound train.”

That referred to a line often quoted by motivational speaker Earl Nightingale about choosing the right kind of clients.

He said northbound trains are those who need and want your services, and can afford to pay for them.  Eastbound trains are those who need and want your services, but can’t necessarily afford them.  Southbound trains are those who don’t need or want your services, but can readily afford them.  And westbound trains are those who don’t need or want your services, nor can they afford them.  Nightingale’s advice is to focus only on northbound trains.  Anything less will just hamper your business.

I once called on a hospital foundation about an hour’s ride from the city.  They were interested in doing a direct mail program to solicit donations.  After meeting with the foundation director, I was turned over to a young summer intern, who gave me the parameters for quoting the job.  We submitted our proposal.  Later, I was called back to their office and given new parameters and asked to re-quote the job.  This occurred four times.  Finally, I told the young woman that our business is getting the work done — not endless quoting of projects.  She took the hint and didn’t call back.

That was clearly an eastbound train. 

While we sometimes want to take work just for the cash flow it brings, we’re really working against our long-term goals for a successful business.  We need to focus on growth more than immediate cash flow.

This was succinctly stated in a recent American Marketing Association newsletter in a quote by Barry Judge, Chief Marketing Officer at Best Buy.  He says, “Once you understand the business and how you make money, you will start to become immune from grandstanding for what Marketing just does.  You will start to label your budget and efforts around growth, and not just marketing, and work with the CEO to help drive the growth agenda.”

Whether a large business like Best Buy, or a small business like a creative agency, the principle still applies.  Successful businesses must focus on long-term growth rather than short-term sales.

Take a look at your customer base.  If you have more than a couple eastbound trains, then they are a serious drag on your business.  Leave them at the station and do whatever it takes to go book another northbound train.

Ralph Yearick is CEO of Yearick-Millea, a public relations agency specializing in business-to-business marketing communications.  Read more of his thoughts on the marketing process at www.yearick-millea.com.