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One of the least understood secrets of successful marketing is
the ease with which new business may be won. As powerful as you
may be with that knowledge, your power increases when you comprehend
the importance of gaining that new business in the first place.
Although it now costs you six times more to sell something to a
new customer than to an existing customer -- which is why guerrillas
market so caringly and consistently to their customers -- there
is a constant need to increase your customer base. Therefore, you're
got to be willing to turn cartwheels in order to get a human being
converted into a real live paying customer. Break even or even lose
money in the quest for a new customer because your investment in
securing these precious souls will be returned manyfold.
Once your prospects become customers, they're a source of profits
for life -- because guerrillas know the crucial importance of non-stop
follow-up. The follow-up increases your profits while decreasing
your cost or marketing. Remember, it's only one-sixth the cost of
marketing to non-customers. But let's get back to those non-customers
and consider a potent guerrilla tactic to win their business and
transfer them from the twilight zone to your customer list, where
they belong.
The tactic begins with a phrase: A powerful guerrilla phrase to
emblazon amidst your memory cells is "pilot project."
It is often difficult to get a company or a person to agree to do
business with you. It is much simpler to get them to agree to a
mere pilot project. Even if companies or individuals are unhappy
with their current suppliers, they may be reluctant to sever the
relationship and sign up with you -- just in case you turn out to
be flaky. But you defuse that reluctance when you assure them that
you don't want to get married -- and get all their business. You
only want to become engaged --- and get a simple pilot project.
That's certainly not asking for much.
Pilot projects are very tempting to companies and to individuals
because they allow these good people to see if you're as good as
you say you are, without going too far out on a limb. Even if the
project is a bust, it was only a pilot project. No big deal. But
if the project is a success -- well then, that certainly indicates
that a larger project should be undertaken, then a larger one still,
and eventually, all the business. Moral? It's tough to get an okay
for all the new business. It is far less tough to get an okay for
a pilot project.
The concept of aiming for pilot projects may be applied as easily
to a service business as a product business. If you perform services,
offer to perform them for only part of the customer's needs, not
all of them. Offer to perform them for a test period only, something
like six weeks or so. Maybe even less if you feel that less time
will be enough for you to prove your worth and value. If you sell
products, ask the storeowner you're speaking to that during the
pilot project, they be given prominent display, proper signage,
and ample shelf space. But because it's only a pilot project, ask
for this only for a limited time, or with a limited order. Will
your product's produce profits? This simple pilot project will tell.
Guerrillas are wary of wooing new business by offering discounts
-- because they know darned well that customers who purchase by
price alone are the worst possible kind, disloyal, expensive to
maintain, and in the end, only one-ninth as profitable as loyal
customers who stick around because of value or service, quality
or selection. But these same guerrillas are very willing even to
lose money on customers -- for the first sale only -- if the customers
focus on things other than mere cost.
Pilot projects are rarely profit producers all by themselves. But
they open the door to a world where profits abound, a world where
relationships are lasting. That's why savvy companies and individuals
say "yes" to offers of pilot projects. These projects
are inexpensive learning and high potential earning opportunities.
Hey! Why not do a pilot project on pilot projects?
(C)2000 Jay Conrad Levinson
www.gmarketingcoach.com
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