Customer
Catcher™ Tips
Greater Success with "One More Question"
- Part 1
By Martin Wales
September 2, 2003
You
want a successful product launch. You want to the right
people to receive your marketing message and still keep
within a fixed budget. How are you going to achieve these
goals sooner rather than later? What enables a company to
outperform its competitors with limited resources? There
are no single answers of course, but the recurring theme
amongst industry leaders is their inquisitiveness about
what could be, rather than what is.
To work
through sales plateaus when falling short of growth objectives,
companies need to incorporate a marketing technique called
"One More Question." Let's look at applying
the power of questions in the quest for increased productivity
and profit.
Experience
greater results and save time and money by asking one more
question. It is applicable to every aspect of your business.
Questions are a powerful tool that can reveal overlooked
resources and opportunities by readjusting your focus.
Look
at different areas in your business development and marketing.
The following are suggestions to trigger more of your own
questions, using your personal knowledge of your company,
products and customers.
Ultimate
Strategic Positioning (USP)
Your USP is a defining statement identifying your corporate
uniqueness. Companies tend to base their marketing around
products, especially product features, rather than the strengths
of the company itself. Your ultimate strategic positioning
should clearly state the unique benefits experienced by
clients as a result of your corporate expertise. First ask
if you have a statement that truly reflects the corporate
message you want to send, regardless of your products. How
did you arrive at your current positioning? What would your
best customers say if asked to describe what sets you apart?
And finally, has your USP changed over time as the company
has grown or changed focus?
Direct
Mail
Direct mail is most effective when the marketing message
is powerful and sent to a qualified list. Consider creating
an appropriate list of questions for your qualification
process, starting with which prospect lists to buy or even
which list brokers to approach.
There
are many things to keep in mind. For example, do you buy
a list from an industry magazine or from a more general
source like Dun & Bradstreet? What single message could
get your prospects’ attention? What is the measurement
of any mailing's success? If you do a follow-up telemarketing
campaign, what would be considered an effective script?
What kind of drip marketing is implemented if prospects
are somewhat interested, but not yet ready?
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