But why don’t they like me?

Oh, youthful angst.

The source of ample fodder for nearly every movie John Hughes directed in the mid- to late-1980s (The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, etc.), the childhood years that end in “teen” are, as everyone knows, life’s first real roller coaster ride. Delight can quickly turn to dread and then, just as quickly, pull a 180.

The source of much of that sorrow? Other people.

What others say and don’t say. Do and don’t do. Think and don’t think. Worrying about such matters is a queasy rite of passage for most young people. Even those who most would consider nauseatingly “popular” still spend much of their youth obsessing over the opinions of others.

The most disquieting component of this phenomenon is that the “others” young people often worry most about are those who – for whatever reason – won’t offer even the time of day. While some teenagers are emotionally equipped to brush off this brush off, for many, this rejection can lead to overwrought outbursts and a redoubling of efforts to make nice with someone who isn’t.

As a result, energy that should be spent nurturing existing friendships and developing new ones that offer promise is wasted worrying about people whose minds are already made up.

What does this melancholy walk down memory lane have to do with strategic communications? Plenty.

In determining how to allocate resources for marketing communications activities, company after company takes its current customers somewhat for granted while it chases after those who have yet to see the light. Make no mistake: If you aren’t constantly prospecting for customers, you’re asking for trouble. But, the first target for that prospecting should be people who already know you – but who could stand to know you a little bit better.

So, what are the appropriate percentages? Here’s a suggestion:

• Zealots – 20 percent – Any customer who actively speaks about you to others (without prompting) qualifies as a Zealot. Give them plenty to talk about, by using part of your marketing communications budget to reinforce those good feelings.
• Friends – 40 percent – Work to turn these regular customers into Zealots by thinking on their behalf. Help them understand why they should buy more of what they already buy, try something new, or both. In their minds, you’ll move from a vendor to a partner.
• Targets – 35 percent – Before you invest marketing communications resources on a single Target, get out a sharp pencil and pare the list down to the most likely suspects. Studies show that it costs four to five times as much to get a new customer as it does to keep a current one. So choose wisely.
• Cold Fish – 5 percent – Face facts: There are some people who will never be customers and will, in fact, only get annoyed (and potentially hurt your cause) if you keep pursuing them. Once you identify a Cold Fish, dedicate the bare minimum resources necessary to respond, should they happen to come to you.

If you strategically eliminate someone from the Target list, does that automatically mean they’re a Cold Fish? Not necessarily.

If you scratch them because you’ve tried a host of approaches in the past and failed to make a dent, stamp them “CF” and move on. But, if you believe they hold promise, keep them on a macro list of Targets for future consideration. After all, what you have might be just what they need...next year.