I believe one of the most difficult challenges that a marketer comes up against is … reality. No one likes to recognize or admit that he or she cannot be all things to all people. Who wants to turn down business? Or miss the chance to tell a potential customer about your product or service?

Actually, we all should. No matter what you sell, there is a marketplace for it. But it’s nowhere near as broad as you think. All too often, business leaders think they must cast a wide net to be successful. But the harsh reality is that most people don’t care about what we have to sell. We are much better off talking more often to the smaller group of people who actually want to listen.

Chasing after the universe as a potential client base is exhausting and expensive. And worst of all, it’s not effective. So how do you narrow your focus?

* Know yourself. You are the right fit for a certain type of customer. Figure out who they are. Medium-sized businesses with a small accounting staff? Parents who are juggling the sports calendars of three kids?

* Find where they gather. Once you know the people who are your best fit, discover where they hang out. Rather than casting your net into the ocean’s depths, wouldn’t it make sense to fish in a stocked pond?

* Know their hearts. What matters to them? Why should they care about what you sell? What is in it for them?

* Speak in their native tongue. Demonstrate that you know their hearts by talking like they do. Study them. Listen. Don’t let your industry jargon or advertising hyperbole get in the way of them hearing you.

Rather than struggling against reality, use it to your advantage by acknowledging and understanding it.

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and the author of “99.3 Random Acts of Marketing.” He can be reached at Drew@McLellanMarketing.com.