There’s a special kind of prospect in this world. The kind that books a call with you, swears up and down they’re looking for solutions, then proceeds to swat away every single idea you give them like they’re playing Whac-A-Mole with their own future.

Recently, I spoke to one of these rare specimens. Let’s call him Mr. Legacy Industry. He works in a field that’s about three nanoseconds away from being flattened by emerging tech. Think: the kind of work that’s been done the same way for decades, but is now being replicated by software at lightning speed and for pennies on the dollar.

Here’s how the conversation went:

Me: “Could you offer a package where your clients get regular updates, so they stay engaged and get more value?”
Him: “Oh no, that costs money.”

Me: “Okay… what about a premium version of that for those willing to pay?”
Him: “Nope.”

Me: “How are you staying in touch with your customers so they remember you exist?”
Him: “We leave them alone. We don’t want to bother them.”

And that’s when I knew… I wasn’t talking to a future success story.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
If you don’t talk to your customers, they’ll forget you.
It’s not their job to remember you—it’s your job to remind them.

In my own businesses, we’re constantly in front of customers. Weekly emails. Monthly postcards. Birthday cards. Newsletters. Reminder calls. I’ve yet to meet a profitable company that built its success on total radio silence.

This guy?
Nothing.
Zip.
Zero.

The marketing equivalent of locking the front door and hoping people will just knock out of curiosity.

And then, just as predictably as a plot twist in a Hallmark movie, he says:
“I just wanted to pick your brain.”

Translation: I had zero intention of investing in anything that might save my business. I just wanted free consulting so I can keep doing the exact things that aren’t working.

Why This Business Model Will Die (Soon)

1. Refusing to adapt – Tech disruption is a freight train, and he’s standing on the tracks.

2. No upsells, no premium offers – Which means no profit cushion when the market shifts.

3. No customer communication – Out of sight = out of mind = out of business.

4. “But my business is different” syndrome – Code for “I’m emotionally attached to my own bad ideas.”

Here’s the truth nobody likes to admit:
You don’t get to decide if your business needs to change.
Your market decides.

And right now? The market is moving at Mach 5, while “Mr. Legacy Industry” is still adjusting his rearview mirror.

If you recognize yourself in this story—this is your wake-up call: evolve or vanish. Keep insisting you’re different, and you’ll be different in the sense that your doors will be locked while your competitors are still cashing checks.

The future doesn’t reward nostalgia—it rewards adaptation.