Thursday, November 02, 2006
Fishing For Prospects, What is your Lure ?
This is an exercise to help you define what prospects you
are attracting. Fly fishing — it doesn’t work, does it? When
I first watched someone fly-fishing, I saw them release the
line that went out far in the water. No sooner had the fly hit
the water it was being jerked back and reeled in. Even today,
I still don’t understand how this method catches any fish.
Yet it does, so I am told. See, I have never been fly-fishing.
It looks like so much more work too. I’m used to the worm,
bobber, sitting on a short foldable chair, having some great
conversation ever once in a while, sipping on a beer (okay
root beer so we don’t X factor this article, relaxing and waiting
for the nibble.
If you talk to a fly-fisherman, he will say to you that his method
is the best. And the same is uttered from a by-the-seat-of-the-pants
fisherman as well (cute description huh, I thought so too).
What makes the difference than? Is it technique? Is it the
water type — salt or fresh? Is it the type of fish you are going
after? Is it the equipment or supplies? Is it the bait offered?
Okay, back to the first question — what is the difference?
The right answer is “all of the above.” You can also throw
in the temperature, weather and time of day you are fishing
as well. The right answer still is, “all of the above.”And it all
depends on the right combination of all these items performed
in a step-by-order method too.
You don’t want to toss out the fly without the line. Well, I guess
you can but the chances of seeing that fly again is next to nil for sure.
Marketing is not any different from fishing. If you are tossing out the
wrong hook to the right fish, they are not going to bite. If you have
the right fish and hook, and the wrong technique — fly-fishing instead
of butt, wait and pray fishing. This too will not get many results.This is
why so much emphasis is placed on your needing to know your target
market. Because if you don’t you are forever going to be trying what
different lures, hooks and techniques that wear you down as well as
your resources trying to figure out what is the right combination.
You can’t catch flounder in a fresh water or blue gill in saltwater. Many
times, and without knowing it because you are just glad for the business,
the fish pick you. So, what are you attracting? Let’s take 15 minutes today and
begin an exercise that answers that question. Okay, where were we. Getting
late in the day. Oh, yes, what are you attracting? Since I write mostly for service
professionals, let me present the “how-tos” for you. If you own a retail store or
have a much larger client base, you can do the same by calculating just the top
“A” list by revenue generated. I recommend starting this process by hand to get
the “feel”of it and then you can move it over to Excel or a similar software as it
grows. Yes, you have my permission to allow this fish to get bigger in this “fish
tale.”On a new sheet of paper, turned sideways or landscaped, in the far left hand
side create the first column. Now write down the first name of you client (or
last name or both).If you don’t remember their name and you had given them a
nickname, use that. It doesn’t matter as long as you know who they are.
In the second column, title it “M/F.” You guessed it, “male or female.” I knew I
didn’t have a “dah” market reading this. Now, go down the column and write in
the answers next to each name. Next column, title “M/S/D/U” = married, single,
divorced, unknown. Go down the column and complete again.
Remember, before you move onto a new column you want to complete the
previous column as much as possible — there is a subconscious reason for this
I don’t want to go off topic to explain, so I’m asking you just trust me on this.
Please. Here is a list of other demographic type of information you want to
continue in this same kind of format: Age, time zone, number of children,
how long a client, marketing resource (how did they find you or you them),
fee, and service type.As you continue to go through and complete each
column you will start to see some patterns on the type of client you are
attraction as well as how they became your client (the source).
Continue with this project by adding more distinctions over the next week.
As you complete each column, another important fact will emerge for you
that you will want to review. If you are missing some information, you might
want to pick up the phone and call that past client and ask – a great reason to
get back in touch with them and renew your name in their mind. When you
start seeing the patterns emerge, like you work mainly with 90% males, or
everyone lives in a certain area, or all are divorced, etc. Some of
these patterns are going to be obvious and some aren’t. This is why this
exercise is good to complete at least once a year. You should try it and
then analyze you results.
are attracting. Fly fishing — it doesn’t work, does it? When
I first watched someone fly-fishing, I saw them release the
line that went out far in the water. No sooner had the fly hit
the water it was being jerked back and reeled in. Even today,
I still don’t understand how this method catches any fish.
Yet it does, so I am told. See, I have never been fly-fishing.
It looks like so much more work too. I’m used to the worm,
bobber, sitting on a short foldable chair, having some great
conversation ever once in a while, sipping on a beer (okay
root beer so we don’t X factor this article, relaxing and waiting
for the nibble.
If you talk to a fly-fisherman, he will say to you that his method
is the best. And the same is uttered from a by-the-seat-of-the-pants
fisherman as well (cute description huh, I thought so too).
What makes the difference than? Is it technique? Is it the
water type — salt or fresh? Is it the type of fish you are going
after? Is it the equipment or supplies? Is it the bait offered?
Okay, back to the first question — what is the difference?
The right answer is “all of the above.” You can also throw
in the temperature, weather and time of day you are fishing
as well. The right answer still is, “all of the above.”And it all
depends on the right combination of all these items performed
in a step-by-order method too.
You don’t want to toss out the fly without the line. Well, I guess
you can but the chances of seeing that fly again is next to nil for sure.
Marketing is not any different from fishing. If you are tossing out the
wrong hook to the right fish, they are not going to bite. If you have
the right fish and hook, and the wrong technique — fly-fishing instead
of butt, wait and pray fishing. This too will not get many results.This is
why so much emphasis is placed on your needing to know your target
market. Because if you don’t you are forever going to be trying what
different lures, hooks and techniques that wear you down as well as
your resources trying to figure out what is the right combination.
You can’t catch flounder in a fresh water or blue gill in saltwater. Many
times, and without knowing it because you are just glad for the business,
the fish pick you. So, what are you attracting? Let’s take 15 minutes today and
begin an exercise that answers that question. Okay, where were we. Getting
late in the day. Oh, yes, what are you attracting? Since I write mostly for service
professionals, let me present the “how-tos” for you. If you own a retail store or
have a much larger client base, you can do the same by calculating just the top
“A” list by revenue generated. I recommend starting this process by hand to get
the “feel”of it and then you can move it over to Excel or a similar software as it
grows. Yes, you have my permission to allow this fish to get bigger in this “fish
tale.”On a new sheet of paper, turned sideways or landscaped, in the far left hand
side create the first column. Now write down the first name of you client (or
last name or both).If you don’t remember their name and you had given them a
nickname, use that. It doesn’t matter as long as you know who they are.
In the second column, title it “M/F.” You guessed it, “male or female.” I knew I
didn’t have a “dah” market reading this. Now, go down the column and write in
the answers next to each name. Next column, title “M/S/D/U” = married, single,
divorced, unknown. Go down the column and complete again.
Remember, before you move onto a new column you want to complete the
previous column as much as possible — there is a subconscious reason for this
I don’t want to go off topic to explain, so I’m asking you just trust me on this.
Please. Here is a list of other demographic type of information you want to
continue in this same kind of format: Age, time zone, number of children,
how long a client, marketing resource (how did they find you or you them),
fee, and service type.As you continue to go through and complete each
column you will start to see some patterns on the type of client you are
attraction as well as how they became your client (the source).
Continue with this project by adding more distinctions over the next week.
As you complete each column, another important fact will emerge for you
that you will want to review. If you are missing some information, you might
want to pick up the phone and call that past client and ask – a great reason to
get back in touch with them and renew your name in their mind. When you
start seeing the patterns emerge, like you work mainly with 90% males, or
everyone lives in a certain area, or all are divorced, etc. Some of
these patterns are going to be obvious and some aren’t. This is why this
exercise is good to complete at least once a year. You should try it and
then analyze you results.
# posted by Twanzell Williams @ 12:05 PM 
