Ready, Aim, Fire...Oops...Wheres The Target?

Everywhere you go on the Internet you find the words, "target market." What do they mean? What does it have to do with you? Well it has everything to do with your success in sales.

Let me give you an example. A few weeks ago an online entrepreneur asked me to review a direct sales presentation for him. Let's call him "Joe". His product and service is excellent. Top quality and performance, excellent customer service and support. The product will produce desired results for any business advertising online.

In this particular case, Joe's potential customer is in the furniture manufacturing business. The company owns a small chain of outlet stores and advertises on the Internet. Basically, an excellent candidate for Joe's offer.

Well, Joe sent me his package. In the offline world, it would have required UPS to deliver it with a hand truck! Now, that is an overstatement, but it consisted of a three-page cover letter, with four separate attachments and a CD presentation that he was going to mail as a follow-up.

Here's my response to Joe:

"What a tremendous amount of work you have put into this presentation.

Having been on the receiving end of proposals such as this, I must tell you that it would be the recipient of the "delete" key. Why? Too much to wade through. Too much for me to absorb. Too much for me to do. Nothing to compel me to read on.

Having said that, let's pretend for a moment that I am Mr. Jones.

  • Where are the needs development questions?

  • What tells me that you have done your homework and know about my industry?

  • What are my problems and how will you solve them?

  • How much does the average household spend on furnishings annually? (In the US it's about $1,000)

  • How are you going to help me capture a share of those dollars?

  • How has the economy affected my business?

  • What qualities separate my business from my competition?

  • How extensive and how important are brand names to my customers?

  • What are my specialty areas?

  • What market do I target and why?

  • Why do my customers keep coming back to my stores?

  • What are some of the hot buttons or copy points that you might use to target Mr. Jones?

  • What is his business terminology?

    Joe, here are two sites that can help you develop a more "targeted" approach to Mr. Jones:

    http://www.furniture-info.com/1061.htm

    http://www.furniturestatistics.com/statist icalreviewsales.html

    I hope this helps, Joe. Decision makers are bombarded daily and we must be ever diligent that we are focusing in on "WIIFM" (What's In It For Me)".

    Now, what was the message to Joe? Do Your Homework. Mr. Jones doesn't give a rip about your product unless it can fulfill his needs, but first you have to know what those needs are.

    Joe's presentation, which probably took him hours if not days to prepare, was a classic case of overkill. The two sites referred to would have given Joe all the ammunition he needed to prepare an effective presentation and in just a few short minutes.

    By the way, the research tools that I use to study markets, trends, and individual sites are listed below. Both are free to download and are priceless.

    http://www.copernic.com

    http://www.alexa.com

    Ready, Aim ... Get Ready To Fire!

    About The Author

    Patty Baldwin is a former Better Business Bureau executive and the owner of several online businesses. A successful net marketer, she invites you to visit any one of her sites at:

    http://www.allbizservices.com

    http://www.4bstrading.com

    http://www.allbizwealth.com

    In The News:

    Google News
    Updated : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:25:40 GMT

    Microwave baby killer convicted - BBC News


    BBC News
    Microwave baby killer convicted
    BBC News - 3 hours ago
    A US court in Dayton, Ohio, has convicted a mother of murdering her one-month-old daughter by burning her to death in a microwave oven.
    Video: Prosecutor: Ohio Mom Killed Baby in Microwave AssociatedPress
    US jury convicts mom in microwaved-baby case International Herald Tribune
    ToTheCenter.com - WZTV - NBC6.net - Dayton Daily News
    all 689 news articles

    Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:30:22 GMT

    Aid agencies scramble to help flood victims - CNN


    CBC.ca
    Aid agencies scramble to help flood victims
    CNN - 39 minutes ago
    (CNN) -- The grinding misery triggered by the massive floods in a downtrodden part of northeastern India and across the border in Nepal persisted Friday, with government and aid agencies swinging into action to help the 2 million-plus people fleeing ...
    India: Up to 2000 feared dead in Bihar floods guardian.co.uk
    Millions displaced in Bihar floods PRESS TV
    Reuters India - CNN International - New York Times
    all 551 news articles

    Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:45:57 GMT

    Boeing union leaders recommend strike - MarketWatch


    Washington Post
    Boeing union leaders recommend strike
    MarketWatch - 1 hour ago
    By MarketWatch Leaders of the International Machinists and Aerospace Workers on Friday rejected Boeing's third and final contract proposal and recommended its workers vote to go on strike.
    Union Leaders Reject Boeing Contract Offer Wall Street Journal
    Boeing Union Urges Workers to Reject Offer, Setting Up Strike Bloomberg
    Bizjournals.com - guardian.co.uk - The Associated Press - TheStreet.com
    all 1,041 news articles

    Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:15:15 GMT

    Protests Rise in Thailand In Challenge to Regime - Wall Street Journal


    GulfNews
    Protests Rise in Thailand In Challenge to Regime
    Wall Street Journal - 1 hour ago
    By JAMES HOOKWAY and STEPHEN WRIGHT BANGKOK -- Waves of antigovernment protests spread beyond Thailand's capital Friday as clashes between police and demonstrators intensified, forcing the closure of several regional airports and disrupting rail ...
    Thai protest alliance not so happy with democracy The Associated Press
    US asks Thailand to end crisis through democratic means AFP
    New York Times - BBC News - guardian.co.uk - Reuters
    all 2,421 news articles

    Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:33:23 GMT

    Earwax: Too Much of a Good Thing? - WebMD


    eFluxMedia
    Earwax: Too Much of a Good Thing?
    WebMD - 5 hours ago
    By Kelley Colihan Aug. 29, 2008 -- The body is a miraculous mechanism. Consider the once-lowly earwax. People used to try to remove it.
    Leave That Ear Wax Alone Washington Post
    National Guideline Against Ear Poking eFluxMedia
    MSNBC - RedOrbit - MedPage Today - eMaxHealth.com
    all 36 news articles

    Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:32:14 GMT

    Obama’s Plane Palin Problem - FOXNews


    BBC News
    Obama’s Plane Palin Problem
    FOXNews - 2 hours ago
    by Major Garrett Reporters covering Barack Obama heard the news aboard Obama 1 (the campaign for the first time chartered a second plane for the swelling press corps), just before takeoff.
    Video: Raw Video: Schwarzenegger Praises Palin kcratv
    “Tougher in Alaska” host Geo Beach discusses Sarah Palin Christian Science Monitor
    CBS News - Chicago Tribune - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - Seattle Post Intelligencer
    all 5,468 news articles

    Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:07:29 GMT

    US Economy: Spending Slows, Inflation Accelerates (Update1) - Bloomberg


    Washington Post
    US Economy: Spending Slows, Inflation Accelerates (Update1)
    Bloomberg - 6 hours ago
    By Shobhana Chandra Aug. 29 (Bloomberg) -- US consumer spending grew at a slower pace in July as the impact of the tax rebates faded and a pickup in inflation eroded Americans' buying power.
    Bonds fall on mixed economic reports CNNMoney.com
    Consumer spending flags, but confidence rises Reuters
    Wall Street Journal - New York Times - MarketWatch - AHN
    all 520 news articles

    Publ.Date : Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:25:06 GMT

    Make Money With Blogs
    RSS For Web Pages


    • PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

    Adsense websites

    4 Dynamic Marketing Tactics

    Some of the simplest marketing tactics often produce the most... Read More

    Brochures that Generate Sales Leads (and How to Write Them)

    One rule in direct mail is that your letter sells... Read More

    6 Things I Know About Postcards That You Don?t

    In my plethora of experience tucked away between these ears,... Read More

    Small Business Bonzai Marketing

    Do you own a small business? Do you wish to... Read More

    Distinguish Your Business From The Competition

    You followed time-honored online marketing techniques to the letter: you... Read More

    Promotional Freebies

    What's a promotional freebie? A promotional freebie is something you... Read More

    Help! What Happened?

    Let's be honest, when you're writing sales material for a... Read More

    Do You Really Need a Brochure?

    The phone rings. Good news... it's a potential client. You... Read More

    Using Business Cards as Invitations

    Business card size works well for invitations to special events.What... Read More

    Why Surveying Matters

    What is the single most important thing you can do... Read More

    Mortgage Broker Marketing - Sell Problems, Not Solutions

    Are your marketing messages to Realtors guilty of these promises?-... Read More

    Five Joint Venture Marketing Skills A Small Business Owner Must Have

    Joint venture marketing is a lucrative way of leveraging the... Read More

    Have You Sold Your Internal Customers?

    You can make the sale. You know your core message.... Read More

    For Market Breakthroughs, Put Timing on Your Side

    In today' s marketplace, the pressure for immediate bottom-line results... Read More

    Deciphering Marketing Lingo: Whats the Difference between a USP, Single Message and a Tagline?

    Maybe you've heard these different marketing terms, maybe you haven't.... Read More

    Mortgage Marketing - How to Write a Mortgage Marketing Sales Letter That Gets Results!

    Have you ever sat down to write a sales letter... Read More

    Tracking Your Way to the Top!

    I often wonder how people without a plan know where... Read More

    Refresh Your Web Site

    So you have a Web site. And so does most... Read More

    Design Direct Mail Postcards Back-to-Front to Boost Response Rates

    Conventional wisdom says that the front of a direct mail... Read More

    What You Need in Your Marketing Calendar

    Marketing calendars are used by many businesses to help keep... Read More

    The Testimonial Writing Machine

    Almost every small business marketer knows that they should gather... Read More

    A Point in Every Direction is the Same As No Point At All

    Ever try to be something for everyone and find no... Read More

    Using Direct Mail

    The advantages of using direct mail to promote your home-based... Read More

    How to Run a Successful News Release Program

    Marketing public relations gives you cost effective ways to reach... Read More

    Down To The Wire

    When you want to win and woo new clients with... Read More