Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Getting Better Prospects

Here we are in the information age where data rains down from the heavens filling our lives with more information that we would have ever dreamed of and I need to ask you, Do you have any idea what you’re doing? No really do you have a plan in place for 2011?


It’s not too late to get one going.


First sit down and outline your goals for the year. Ya all of them! Are you looking for more quality or more quantity? Are you looking for more prospects or more customers? If you want sheer quantity you might want to put more effort into social media. You can get lots of action and names but are they qualified? If you want more quality you might want to be looking at the more traditional direct marketing ideas in your plan. You will get more meaningful data and have greater control.


So where to start? Well right there in your own customer list. Start out by profiling your existing customers matching it against other databases you can obtain. Use things like SIC numbers, employee size, sales size. This is the footprint of your best possible prospect.


Next thing to do is using more traditional marketing channels such as direct mail, e-mail, and telemarketing you will generate a higher conversion rate when used in combination. Using past marketing experience you might have some secret information as to how this kind of prospect likes to be contacted. Ok, here is the time to use it. Contact them as experience says they like to be contacted to.


Offer a deal, give a sense of urgency and let it roll.


Larson Notes & Satire: I’m not going to say much here today. I think I said what I wanted to in the main part of today’s blog. There are rules to advertising and marketing. Do you need to always follow the rules? No. But you need to know the rules so when you break them you can consciously be aware of what you did and why.


Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws/
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate


P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.


P.P.S. Take the Larson Challenge to double your sales this year and get listed on our web site @ http://www.larsonassociates.ws/Larson_Challenge . Email us your company name and web address to get listed. Make this year your best ever!

No comments: