February 2016 Foreword: Dating Prospects

Peter Crosa, an independent insurance adjuster, a good friend of mine and one of the instructors at the Restoration Strategies workshops, said something to me recently that intrigued me.

He said that marketing and getting customers “is not unlike dating.” He was not suggesting any romantic involvement with your customers but, instead, that your marketing attempts might imitate many aspects of getting a date.

The first rule of dating, some say, is to do your research. Know the type of person you want to date, their customs, habits, likes and dislikes. For marketing, the same applies. Know the demographics of your prime customer. Their customs, habits, likes and dislikes. Also their buying habits, the “triggers” that get them to purchase a specific service from a specific company. And then…

Be cool

So you are going on a date. You know you have to be cool, right? If you aren’t, then you won’t have a second date. Same applies with your marketing. Be cool about it. Don’t talk too much about yourself. Listen more than you talk. Don’t make crazy promises. Be real and honest.

Be calm

Don’t get too excited when your first marketing pitch doesn’t get you the amazing results you want. Your website isn’t producing the leads you expect? Don’t panic; get some advice. Just like you might get advice from friends and family when going on a date, get some advice from industry peers and consultants so your marketing is more effective.

Be collected

Have your entire marketing plan worked out before pulling the trigger on it. Just like going on a date, you want to have control of your faculties — a clear focus in mind. Same with marketing to your potential customers. Don’t show nervousness or frustration when things don’t go exactly as planned. So get to work on your marketing plan. We all know it’s always a work in progress, like dating. It’s never really complete or perfect. But you can always make it a little bit better each and every day.

Jeff Cross is the executive editor of Cleanfax and is an industry trainer and consultant. He can be reached via email at [email protected]