As a writer, my customers are my audience.
At the 2009 EntConnect conference, Patty Coldwater told her real life stories of how, as a professional marketer, she had attracted customers. One of her jobs was to convert clients' expiring warranties to paid service agreements.
Today’s wisdom would be to contact potential customers with email or call over the phone. Yet, as employees now are very likely to change jobs 40% to 60% of the time in a year, databases with emails and phone numbers quickly become out of date.
Understanding her potential customers, Patty figured how they would respond best to a solicitation. Most worked in the field, away from their desks. They did not have ready access to a computer to get email nor a phone at the office.
What worked well was the old fashioned direct mail with a reply card to call a toll free number and extend the service warrantee. Using her hook - reward what you are trying to accomplish - those who responded got a prize, like a fishing lure, a calculator, or a seven in one survival tool. These were tokens, but items her customers were interested in.
Knowing her potential customer allowed Patty generated a 300% increase in sales.
Who am I targeting as my audience? Are they being rewarded for what I am trying to accomplish? This evolving writer still has much to learn. I am grateful for the wisdom Patty shared at the 2009 EntConnect conference.
Related links:
EntConnect website: entconnect.org
TMR Direct: tmrdirect.com
Photos from everystockphoto.com:
US Mail Box: everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=391665
You never know where writing-related info will come from, such as a business conference. I'd like to attract other writers to my blog as an encouragement (okay, and shameless promotion). God's got to do it, cause there are thousands of blogs out there.
ReplyDeleteI like your blog, Bonnie. Advice. Examples. Like Goldie Locks, the size of it is just right to keep my short attention.
ReplyDelete