Marketing to Prospects is Like Swinging a Golf Club

Successfully marketing a business, product launch or new service is like moving a golf club slowly behind you and then – WHOOSH! – following through!

Marketing to a new contact is like the follow through.

The follow through completes the swing and helps power the golf ball but also directs it along the fairway. A poor follow-through results in a BLIP off the tee or a hook or shank in to the next fairway.

Let’s start with marketing terms. We use words like “prospect” and “contact.” They really should be “new friends.”

You attend a business networking event. You enjoy chatting with several people and you categorize the business cards you collected.

That’s like the back swing.

But do you have a follow-up (or follow-through) plan to stay in touch with those contacts?

Marketing consultant Dan Kennedy said it well, “Everybody shows up once! Hardly anyone shows up 8 times!”

Are you prepared to follow-up 8 times with a new friend?

Following through and following up was the topic of a seminar where Kennedy recently spoke with Infusion software.

He made a great point. “All wealth is created by systems” and he cited Ford auto which grew to dominate the automotive industry by establishing the assembly line. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of automakers at the time of Ford. But none of them had an efficient system.

How complex and sophisticated should a follow-up system be?

It should actually be relatively simple whether you work for a small company or a large corporation.

I sold roofs briefly for Home Depot, a wonderful corporation. While there was a corporate system for entering the names but the follow-up was still the responsibility of the individual salesperson.

Kennedy gave other reasons why follow-up is so important: there’s little brand loyalty in today’s world. Consumers have extensive choices. They receiving multiple messages and they need to know and be reminded your company exists.

Let’s take an introductory look at a follow-up system:

Collecting a name
Storing the name (data entry and database function)

Follow-up contact #1 – maybe a nice to see you letter / email and a chance to join your newsletter.

Follow-up contact #2 – let’s say you get a referral for your new friend. Call them with the referral.

Follow-up contact #3 – a postcard with a tip or update on an achievement of your business.

So the follow-up system can include a mix of email, phone call, letter, and more. It’s part of the marketing mix.

Follow-up of a new contact (er, new friend) is an area in which I’ll be doing my own research in the weeks ahead.