Let’s get real for a minute. Today, someone clicked ‘unsubscribe’ on my newsletter. And guess what? I couldn’t help but smile. Yes, you heard that right.

Why, you ask?

Because it means my Marketing Elimination Diet is working its magic.

The joy of losing subscribers

Every time you see someone has unsubscribed from your list, you might feel the need to quickly check your total subscriber count to confirm it’s still growing.

When your prospects list continues to grow in spite of unsubscribes, you know your marketing is on the right track.

Even though one person has left, many others have joined. Over time, the number of people you have been able to engage with your content and offerings has grown, and grown, and grown.

But in the beginning, bidding farewell can be tough (speaking from experience here).

When I was just starting to grow my email list, every unsubscribe felt like a punch to the gut. What made them not want to hear from me? What did I do wrong?

When someone unsubscribes, remember: it’s not personal.

People unsubscribe for various reasons. It could be because:

• They don’t need or want what you offer, at least not at the moment.
• They have no budget, and your solutions aren’t free.
• They might not like that your helpful information sometimes includes your paid offerings. They forget you’re running a business.
• They don’t “like” you. The truth is, they don’t actually know you, but they’re not fond of how you present your business.

You’ve likely unsubscribed from many email lists for the simplest of reasons. It wasn’t about trying to send a message to the list owner. It was simply because what they offered wasn’t a good fit for you at that time.

Related: How to Create Email List Growth Fast with Content Upgrades

Related: Anatomy of the Perfect New Subscriber Welcome Email Template

The power of a regular Marketing Elimination Diet

As you market your business, some people will naturally fall away.

But the ones who stick around? They’re far more valuable. They’ve shown a sustained interest in what you offer.

Having a large, engaged group of prospective buyers far outweighs the pain of saying goodbye to those who aren’t a good fit.

After all, wouldn’t you rather market your business to people genuinely interested in it? Instead of wasting time and effort trying to reach people who will never become your customers?

Refine your prospects list to those who truly fit

You can confidently promote your paid solutions on your blog, your social channels, and in presentations you make.

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m speaking from professional experience. And that’s why I urge you to talk about the solutions you provide your customers.

Don’t be concerned with the people who object to that.

Let’s face it, in the world of business, not everyone is your customer. And that’s okay!

Your energy and resources are precious, so it’s essential to focus on the people who genuinely align with what you offer.

Be proud of the offerings you’ve developed. Don’t hesitate to put them out there.

And remember …

Every time you make an offer, some people will decide to say goodbye.

In a healthy business, dozens of people unsubscribe from email lists every week. But every week, many more dozens subscribe.

As new subscribers start receiving your free materials and interacting with your community, some won’t be a good fit. They’ll drop away. And that’s perfectly fine. They’re simply filtering themselves out of your email list.

Related: How to Build an Email List: The Fast and Slow Methods

Don’t hesitate to shake up your prospects list

Years ago, I wrote a post called Shake It Baby, Shake It for Real Good Marketing!

In that post, you’ll see advice on narrowing down your list of prospects to only those who are a good fit.

Ultimately, it’s not just about the quantity of prospects you have. Of course you need healthy subscriber numbers to get good conversion rates.

But ultimately, it’s about the quality of those prospects.

By paring down your list to those who are a genuinely good fit, you can focus your efforts on building meaningful relationships and sustainably growing your business.

Since writing that post, thousands of people have unsubscribed from my email lists. Thousands.

But there’s been a gain of many, many thousands more.

In the beginning, it’s normal for a business owner to grieve every unsubscribe. But when you have knowledge and experience, you see the people who leave, and the many more who join, and you know your marketing is functioning as it should.

This is the marketing mindset you want to develop.

Your Marketing Elimination Diet in 4 steps

To revamp your marketing and refine your prospects list to people who desire what you offer, here are some simple, proven recommendations:

1. Make it clear, from your very first interaction with a prospect, that you run a business. Don’t hide this fact. You don’t need to be overly aggressive with an offer, of course—a link to your online store or a mention of your store’s physical location will suffice.
2. Integrate offers into the content you create. Again, no need to be overt about them, but ensure they’re present. You’ll lose some people, but those who stick around are worth their weight in gold.
3. Occasionally reward your most loyal prospects with a significant discount or early access to a sale. Let them know you value their continued interest.
4. Don’t hesitate to create marketing materials that regularly eliminate prospects. That’s how the Marketing Elimination Diet keeps your business robust.

In the end, you only want to offer solutions to people who resonate with your work.

Your marketing strategy shouldn’t just be about accumulating numbers. The Marketing Elimination Diet is about focusing on the right people, the prospective buyers, rather than merely looking at subscriber numbers.

It’s about shedding the unnecessary weight from your prospects list and embracing the ones who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

So, are you ready to start your Marketing Elimination Diet and keep your business healthy and thriving?

Not sure who you’re trying to reach?

I have an article that will help you with that.

Related: Create an Eye-opening Ideal Customer Profile [Free Worksheet]

(See what I did there?) The Ideal Customer Worksheet will show you how to build your business on the foundation of a deep understanding of the customers you want to reach.