Targeted Marketing: How To Do It

Here's a detailed description of how to carry out a low-cost targeted marketing campaign, using telephone selling and direct mail. The end result is to get sales appointments to gain new customers.

In Part 1 of this Targeted Marketing series of articles, I presented an overview of a highly successful way of getting new customers.In Part 2 I cover in practical detail how to carry out each stage of the process.

When can this targeted marketing approach be used?

This particular approach works when: nn* You are selling into one market sector or into a wide number of sectors (a 'market sector' is best defined here as a particular industry or type of business). nn* You are selling to businesses rather than to retail consumers. nn* You are prepared to experiment a little, trying different approaches. nn* Your expected average order size is at least GBP 200 (USD 300) nn* You don't mind using the telephone (or have got a volunteer to phone for you!) and you have got some way of sending out 20 - 50 letters per week (say, a simple mailmerge program on a word processor). nn* You need new customers!
If all of these apply to you, then read on...

The seven stages of targeted marketing

The 7 stages, involving a mixture of tele-research, direct mail and telesales, are listed below. Each stage is described in more detail on this web page:
http://www.marketing-magic.biz/targeted-marketing.htm

In the meantime, here's a summary of the steps you need to take:nn* Selection of key target market sectors: identifying what types of customers you want to do business with. nn* List research: compiling lists of potential customers. nn* Telephone research: to ensure that the information gained from the lists is accurate, and to get any supplementary information not included in the mailing lists. nn* Prospect selection: based on the lists and telephone research, to eliminate any inappropriate prospects and / or to produce a smaller, manageable sub-list for this particular mailing. nn* Mailshot: sending out a letter and appropriate sales literature to the selected prospects. nn* Telephone follow-up: this is where you really go for whatever it is you are wanting - a sales meeting, a trial order, the opportunity to quote... whatever is your objective. nn* Recording, measuring, monitoring: so that you know what has worked, what has not, what actions you need to take next.