Direct response marketing can be compared to dating. You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger in a restaurant and propose marriage. In fact there are a lot of things you wouldn’t say to a stranger in a restaurant that you might very well say to some one who knew you a little better.
Direct response marketing operates on the premise that you have to earn your prospects trust before they become your customers. As in dating, you demonstrate your trustworthiness and likeability by asking for small commitments with low downside risk.
Translate this to marketing and the first step in that game you make a promise of some sort while posing no risk. Your prospect may choose to respond or simply walk away with no hassle or hard feelings.
As your prospect gets to know you and trusts you, you increase the value you provide while asking for larger and larger commitments. Depending on your business your sales/dating process could consist surveys, reports, free samples, try before you buy promotions, tele-seminars, e-mails, live chat, or software downloads, and more.
When you ask for the sale you are, in fact proposing marriage – or a long term relationship, anyway.
+ Ravi Peal-Shankar
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