Who Is Your Customer?
It doesn't matter if you sell houses, some kind of service or shower curtain rings; it's all the same. You sell your
thing.
One of the most important aspects about selling your thing, is knowing who will buy your thing. I don’t mean the
name of the person but rather, their profile. Once you truly know who will buy your thing, you can find out how they
want you to sell it to them.
If your business is selling insurance, socks or carnival rides, you've at least sold a few of your things. Even if you
did it partially right, you've made a good impression on at least one of them. Assuming this is true, you probably
have a good enough relationship with this one previous customer that you could call them up, just to chit-chat.
Don’t pick up the phone just yet. Prepare your best solicitation letter in the form of an email – then call them. Tell
them that you want to get their opinion on the email you plan to send out to similar, prospective customers in your
next marketing campaign. Tell them that you’d like find out what they think of it. Your motive: you want to know if
this is how similar, prospective customers would want to be sold to.
They will give you their feedback because they like you; they already know what you sell and how great your thing
is. The odds are in your favor that they'll give you their honest opinion.
Here is the text of an email I sent to a satisfied customer. She had booked me for two previous events and had
me booked already for an upcoming event.
Meeting Planner replied the same day with this.
Betty gave me the names and contact information of seven other event planners that she knows personally. One
of them was her boss.
To be honest about my ego, I was pretty sure that my solicitation was good, but you can never learn too much
about your customer. It was reassuring that she liked it, and her comments confirmed my suspicion that I do
indeed know my industry and who my customers are.
By the way, the testimonial in my sales letter was from her - when she hired me three years earlier!
To break it down, the purpose of this exercise was three-fold.
1. It never hurts to make sure you're still on the right track as it pertains to who you think your customer is.
2. It gave me a chance to remind her who much she likes me.
3. It is always a good idea to find creative, interesting and different ways to contact previous customers.
This sales technique resulted in yet another booking with Meeting Planner (not finalized as of the writing of this
article) and over a half dozen very qualified leads.
Just in case it hadn't dawned on you, this sales technique is not new. It's basic market research and companies
spend millions of dollars doing it. You can spend zero dollars doing it.
So do it right now. Start writing (or rewriting) your next solicitation letter. Send me an email if you have trouble with
it and I can try to help you.
Jerome Mayne is a keynote speaker and author. He has worked with dozens of companies and associations
around the country helping their people make the right decisions, when the right decisions aren’t easy. He is a
member of the National Speakers Association as well as the Real Estate Educators Association. He’s the author
of the book, Diary of a White Collar Criminal and co-author of Mortgage Fraud and Predatory Lending – what every
agent should know (Kaplan Publishing).
© Copyright, Jerome Mayne 2010
It doesn't matter if you sell houses, some kind of service or shower curtain rings; it's all the same. You sell your
thing.
One of the most important aspects about selling your thing, is knowing who will buy your thing. I don’t mean the
name of the person but rather, their profile. Once you truly know who will buy your thing, you can find out how they
want you to sell it to them.
- Golden nugget: Your satisfied customers have the exact profile of your prospective
customers.
If your business is selling insurance, socks or carnival rides, you've at least sold a few of your things. Even if you
did it partially right, you've made a good impression on at least one of them. Assuming this is true, you probably
have a good enough relationship with this one previous customer that you could call them up, just to chit-chat.
Don’t pick up the phone just yet. Prepare your best solicitation letter in the form of an email – then call them. Tell
them that you want to get their opinion on the email you plan to send out to similar, prospective customers in your
next marketing campaign. Tell them that you’d like find out what they think of it. Your motive: you want to know if
this is how similar, prospective customers would want to be sold to.
They will give you their feedback because they like you; they already know what you sell and how great your thing
is. The odds are in your favor that they'll give you their honest opinion.
Here is the text of an email I sent to a satisfied customer. She had booked me for two previous events and had
me booked already for an upcoming event.
- Dear Ms. Event Planner (not her real name),
Thanks speaking with me earlier today. As I mentioned, I’d like your opinion on the letter/email I plan to
send out to other event planners. I’ve included it below. When you have a moment, please look it over and
give me your thoughts.
Specifically, I want to know: Is it too long? Does it contain too much information? Do you think this email
will “grab” other event planners so they will want to book me? How do you think event planners want to be
contacted? Should I leave in, or take out the testimonial? Your honest, brutal opinion would be very helpful.
Thanks again Event Planner.
Jerome Mayne
612-919-3007
www.fraudcon.com
jmayne@fraudcon.com
Making good decisions better.
PS: I will name my next child after you if you would pass along any hints or secrets on how to obtain the
contact info for other event planners.
Meeting Planner replied the same day with this.
- Jerome:
It looks great. Don't change a thing. I think your topics are of huge interest to the agency divisions right
now.
Below is a list of some of the event planners that I know. Feel free to use my name.
Thanks Jerome. See you in July.
Meeting Planner
Betty gave me the names and contact information of seven other event planners that she knows personally. One
of them was her boss.
To be honest about my ego, I was pretty sure that my solicitation was good, but you can never learn too much
about your customer. It was reassuring that she liked it, and her comments confirmed my suspicion that I do
indeed know my industry and who my customers are.
By the way, the testimonial in my sales letter was from her - when she hired me three years earlier!
To break it down, the purpose of this exercise was three-fold.
1. It never hurts to make sure you're still on the right track as it pertains to who you think your customer is.
2. It gave me a chance to remind her who much she likes me.
3. It is always a good idea to find creative, interesting and different ways to contact previous customers.
This sales technique resulted in yet another booking with Meeting Planner (not finalized as of the writing of this
article) and over a half dozen very qualified leads.
Just in case it hadn't dawned on you, this sales technique is not new. It's basic market research and companies
spend millions of dollars doing it. You can spend zero dollars doing it.
So do it right now. Start writing (or rewriting) your next solicitation letter. Send me an email if you have trouble with
it and I can try to help you.
Jerome Mayne is a keynote speaker and author. He has worked with dozens of companies and associations
around the country helping their people make the right decisions, when the right decisions aren’t easy. He is a
member of the National Speakers Association as well as the Real Estate Educators Association. He’s the author
of the book, Diary of a White Collar Criminal and co-author of Mortgage Fraud and Predatory Lending – what every
agent should know (Kaplan Publishing).
© Copyright, Jerome Mayne 2010
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| Jerome Mayne |
All of Fraudcon and Jerome Mayne Services:
Jerome Mayne is a Public Speaker for Fraud Conferences and Fraud Conventions, including
Mortgage Fraud Conferences and Mortgage Fraud Conventions. In addition to being a Fraud,
Mortgage Fraud and White Collar Crime and White Collar Mortgage Fraud Public Speaking
Expert, he also consults for Public Speakers who speak in the areas of Fraud, Mortgage Fraud,
White Collar Crime and White Collar Mortgage Fraud Public Speaking.
A customized public speaking engagement can include fraud statistics, federal fraud statistics,
mortgage fraud statistics and the effects of fraud on a company.
Has been an Expert and a Keynote Fraud Public Speaker at Fraud, Mortgage Fraud, White Collar
Crime and White Collar Mortgage Fraud Public Speaking events, including conferences and
conventions. For specific engagements, see client list.
Primary Areas of Expertise:
Mortgage Fraud Public Speaker
White Collar Crime Public Speaker
Fraud Public Speaker Trainer
Fraud Public Speaker Consultant
Fraud Convention Public Speaker
Fraud Conference Public Speaker
Fraud Expert Public Speaker
Mortgage Fraud Expert Public Speaker
Mortgage Fraud Consultant Public Speaker
Jerome has developed a talk on ethics that evokes thought and discussion. He explores the
definition of ethics as described on www.dictionary.com, the differences between general business
ethics and the set of principals of right conduct, or ethics, as set forth by an employer or a trade
association. His talk on ethics was designed for presentation to the MBA program at Hamline
University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Jerome Mayne is a Public Speaker for Fraud Conferences and Fraud Conventions, including
Mortgage Fraud Conferences and Mortgage Fraud Conventions. In addition to being a Fraud,
Mortgage Fraud and White Collar Crime and White Collar Mortgage Fraud Public Speaking
Expert, he also consults for Public Speakers who speak in the areas of Fraud, Mortgage Fraud,
White Collar Crime and White Collar Mortgage Fraud Public Speaking.
A customized public speaking engagement can include fraud statistics, federal fraud statistics,
mortgage fraud statistics and the effects of fraud on a company.
Has been an Expert and a Keynote Fraud Public Speaker at Fraud, Mortgage Fraud, White Collar
Crime and White Collar Mortgage Fraud Public Speaking events, including conferences and
conventions. For specific engagements, see client list.
Primary Areas of Expertise:
Mortgage Fraud Public Speaker
White Collar Crime Public Speaker
Fraud Public Speaker Trainer
Fraud Public Speaker Consultant
Fraud Convention Public Speaker
Fraud Conference Public Speaker
Fraud Expert Public Speaker
Mortgage Fraud Expert Public Speaker
Mortgage Fraud Consultant Public Speaker
Jerome has developed a talk on ethics that evokes thought and discussion. He explores the
definition of ethics as described on www.dictionary.com, the differences between general business
ethics and the set of principals of right conduct, or ethics, as set forth by an employer or a trade
association. His talk on ethics was designed for presentation to the MBA program at Hamline
University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Contact:
612-919-3007
E-mail
612-919-3007
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