BENEFITS OF A NATURAL MARKET

Potential customers are more receptive when they share a common background or a special interest with you. It's human nature to feel secure when doing business with someone we believe is just like us. This is especially helpful for promoting business on Internet because prospects can't see or hear you 'live'.

HOW TO FIND YOUR BEST NATURAL MARKET

Start by making a list of different things you've done in your life. For example:

* What professions or occupations are you engaged in (now or previously)? * What hobbies or crafts do you actively participate in? * What special interest clubs or associations are you actively involved with? * Do you have a unique national origin or speak a foreign language (like my friend, Tony)? * What unique special background or special experiences do you have?

Each item on your list may represent a natural market you can use. However, some will have more impact than others. The greater uniqueness of common characteristic, more leverage it provides. Select one with most unique characteristic to use first.

Your natural market is a more focused definition of your primary target market. Once you identify a natural market, start using it in your advertising. Revise your present sales material to create special sales material specifically appealing to your natural market. Use same marketing tactics you've been using but expand them to include this new segment of your target market. You'll unlock a completely new layer of business hidden in your existing target market.

I discovered an effective alternative to use when I don't have a person's real name. It's hidden in every email address. It's part of email address to left of "@" symbol. For an email address of "AB6@yz.com", it's "AB6" portion. I insert this part of email address where I would normally put person's first name. It's not as personal as real first name but it attracts more attention and produces a higher response than no personalization.

Make a habit of collecting and storing real name of each prospect in addition to their email address so you can use it to personalize your messages to them. Look for it in header of email message when sender doesn't "sign" message.

TIP: You'll automatically get more real names in email messages by revealing your real name first. I do this by using my real name as my email address. Over 75 percent of email messages I receive include sender's real first name.

DON'T OVERDO IT!

Use a person's name no more than 2 or 3 times in a communication. Inserting it too many times annoys reader and broadcasts that message is part of an automated mass mailing.

Sometimes you don't need much more than a prospect's name to get results. For example, I send a lot of prospecting postcards by postal mail to targeted lists. The only message on postcard is recipient's name followed by a benefit statement plus a phone number, email address or web site address where prospect can get more information. I always get a high response because each recipient is attracted by their name and can't resist reading rest of my brief message. None of these postcards get tossed without being read.

Start personalizing your communications to prospects and customers. It will substantially increase response you get -- without increasing your costs.