Hi Chestin:
In a previous thread, you spoke a bit about lists.
I am genuinely interested in this subject. Properly marketing a list is an art, I know.
I want to tap your knowledge on a few areas. When you're thinking about these questions, look at them from two points of view. The first being that of the local lawn care guy who's just trying to get 40 or 50 local customers. Then, think about them from the vantage point of someone like Tiger Time lawn care who might be trying to reach 10's of thousands of people in the hopes of attracting a few hundred franchisees.
1) Acquiring a list. Lawn Care companies are geocentric in their areas of coverage. So, it's pretty easy to find a list of numbers for a limited area of coverage. You can acquire a list of all the phone numbers for a given zip code or even a single road in your neighborhood. Do you have any favorite places on where to acquire these lists? Phone Book, Reverse Directory, Property Tax office, etc. are good examples of free lists. Do you have any other favorites?
2) How about selected lists? There's a proper term for this but I just can't remember it right now. These are lists that have been prescreened and show a tendency toward being receptive to telephone / direct mail marketing. Is the premium charged for these lists worthwhile? For example, would it be worth 50 cents per name to know that you are reaching motivated buyers?
3) Sample size: What would you consider an adequate sample size to get a viable response? If you call / mail 100 people and you get 3 customers, do you think that ratio will translate to larger sample groups. That is, would you get 30 from 1000? Is 100 enough to get a general feel for your expected response rate or do you need to start with a larger number?
4) Refining your pitch: You can make minor modifications to your pitch easily if you are voice cold calling. However, if you are direct mailing or using a demon dialer, how often should you refine your pitch?
5) Repeat contacts to declines: Should you call people back who have given negative responses? How long should you wait between contacts?
6) Repeat contacts to current acceptors: Should you make additional contact with people who have already accepted previous offers. Offering them more offers. I have a monthly calling strategy in mind for instance on the first of every month, you call current customer with this month's offer.
For example: ring ring "It's September, do you know leaves can clog gutters and lead to decay of roof decking around your gutters? This month we are offering 10% off gutter cleaning to all current clients of 'Keith's Lawn Care.'"
I have moderate experience using direct contact marketing and I want to refine my strategies.
Thx for your expertise. I think this could be a really interesting thread.
Keith
In a previous thread, you spoke a bit about lists.
I am genuinely interested in this subject. Properly marketing a list is an art, I know.
I want to tap your knowledge on a few areas. When you're thinking about these questions, look at them from two points of view. The first being that of the local lawn care guy who's just trying to get 40 or 50 local customers. Then, think about them from the vantage point of someone like Tiger Time lawn care who might be trying to reach 10's of thousands of people in the hopes of attracting a few hundred franchisees.
1) Acquiring a list. Lawn Care companies are geocentric in their areas of coverage. So, it's pretty easy to find a list of numbers for a limited area of coverage. You can acquire a list of all the phone numbers for a given zip code or even a single road in your neighborhood. Do you have any favorite places on where to acquire these lists? Phone Book, Reverse Directory, Property Tax office, etc. are good examples of free lists. Do you have any other favorites?
2) How about selected lists? There's a proper term for this but I just can't remember it right now. These are lists that have been prescreened and show a tendency toward being receptive to telephone / direct mail marketing. Is the premium charged for these lists worthwhile? For example, would it be worth 50 cents per name to know that you are reaching motivated buyers?
3) Sample size: What would you consider an adequate sample size to get a viable response? If you call / mail 100 people and you get 3 customers, do you think that ratio will translate to larger sample groups. That is, would you get 30 from 1000? Is 100 enough to get a general feel for your expected response rate or do you need to start with a larger number?
4) Refining your pitch: You can make minor modifications to your pitch easily if you are voice cold calling. However, if you are direct mailing or using a demon dialer, how often should you refine your pitch?
5) Repeat contacts to declines: Should you call people back who have given negative responses? How long should you wait between contacts?
6) Repeat contacts to current acceptors: Should you make additional contact with people who have already accepted previous offers. Offering them more offers. I have a monthly calling strategy in mind for instance on the first of every month, you call current customer with this month's offer.
For example: ring ring "It's September, do you know leaves can clog gutters and lead to decay of roof decking around your gutters? This month we are offering 10% off gutter cleaning to all current clients of 'Keith's Lawn Care.'"
I have moderate experience using direct contact marketing and I want to refine my strategies.
Thx for your expertise. I think this could be a really interesting thread.
Keith
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