In many respects, marketing is like riding a 10 speed bike. You pedal quickly to get moving, shift gears trying to gain some momentum and then coast until you’ve built up some cadence— hopefully allowing a short breather until the next hill approaches and you begin again. If you ride the brakes or shift up when you should be downshifting you work harder and quickly use up your energy. Essentially marketing is a very similar process. Often we see companies working too hard and their marketing programs show lackluster return on the dollars invested. Using “push” marketing strategies alone in hopes of reaching prospects is risky, unless your brand is top-of-mind or a “household word.”

Companies send out thousands of mail packets, pay a call center or in-house staff to follow-up the mail drop only to realize a fraction of one percent response rate.

Today many marketers are rethinking their strategies; employing a “pull” approach to prospecting, getting them to engage in dialog and then “pushing” relevant information out to them. In essence you are seeking out a client or prospects feelings, drilling down for relevant information about what they really want, problems they are trying to solve. By “pulling in” this detailed information you can “push” out solutions, products and services that address expressed needs and real interests.

What can you do right now?
You can start by examining your web site, marketing materials, proposal documents, newsletters and general correspondence. Does your current marketing lead with common problems or life concerns? Can your clients and prospects “see themselves” or relate to solutions offered in your approach? Are you providing useful information designed to solve the issues that trouble these individuals? If not, it is likely time to rethink marketing strategy and creative approach.

Challenge yourself- Go beyond the “norm”
In recent years great strides have been made with PURL “Personal or Persistent Uniform Resource Locator” technology. This technology allows you to cost-effectively create personalized web site landing pages for clients and prospects.

How it works:

• Send a traditional mailing or an e-mail with a devoted landing page address that includes the recipient’s name.
• Consider asking them to take a brief survey-this engages or makes the person “available”, willing to interact.
• Ask the recipient to help you update your database—just the basics are invaluable
• Announce new products, offer consultations
• Send a thank you e-mail acknowledging their participation—obvious, yes, unfortunately often forgotten
• Identify individuals that are responsible for timely response to requests for product or service information. Think of these responders as qualified leads, people interested in what you have to offer.
• Evaluate your results, learn and build from success and also programs that came up short

As your prospects or clients have a need, they are most likely to turn to a firm that has invested in regular dialog, someone they feel is a known commodity, and someone they can trust. Typically that’s when people want details about your people, their credentials and possibly testimony from satisfied clients.

If you can “pull” information and better understand that individual you can “push” detail that is relevant and timely. Try it and you’ll be amazed at the momentum your business can attain.