Continued from page 1
Chapter 2: Research
Target Market
Research can be as in depth as actually phoning some of people in target market and conducting surveys, or it is often as simple as talking to your client about his experiences with past customers. Start with easiest action and survey your client. Here are some good questions to ask:
1. What do your top five customers have in common?
By this I mean, what do your top five customers' orders have in common. Do they all purchase a certain add on? Is there a service that none of them take advantage of? This will help tell you what a "good customer" actually is to that client.
2. What is most-often-stated benefit of your service?
Is it product? Is it service? Is it price? Ask them, they know and you need to know for obvious reasons.
3. What do they think is most beneficial part of their service to their customer?
Many companies have already done research, or have been doing it long enough to just give you information out right.
It is not always obvious what is going to be benefit that is going to pull most response. Use your three assets (Reasoning, Experience and Research) to get as close as possible. As time goes on you will build up your experience, but in beginning you will need to rely more heavily on your Reasoning and Research. And easiest and fastest thing you can do is to “BE” target market.
Now back to targeted family that we want to refinance their home. Pretend you are a family man or woman with a household income of $75k with revolving debt of $15K and you’ve got two kids! Kids can be pretty expensive. So, why would you like to refinance?
Chapter 3: You Want Customer to do WHAT?
Since you've now figured out what customer needs to hear to be interested, next you need to figure out what it is you want from them. What are you trying to accomplish? Sometimes it is as simple as getting them to go to your website for more information. Other times you are looking for them to pick up phone and actually place an order. Whatever it is that you want them to do you need to state it clearly on promo piece.
For example, if you want them to call and talk to a representative, card should very clearly say "Call today and speak to one of our representatives for more details." This simple statement tells customer exactly what you want them to do. It even tells them when to call - "today". Believe it or not, people like to be told exactly what to do in advertising. You should make it easy as possible to make requested action. The more your prospects have to think, less likely they are to actually act.
Another key part of call to action is supplying proper accompanying information along with request. In this case, phone number should be prominent and be closest element to your call to action. Common sense would seem to tell you that as long as phone number is somewhere on promo they will find it and give you a call. The reality is that if number isn't right there for them to see, your response rate will drop considerably.
Make sure that call to action is bold and easy to understand. And keep any important contact information in close proximity to call to action.
These are three most important steps that a graphic designer needs to take to make a piece that will be aesthetic and pull at same time. Pull = a call, a walk-in, a buy, a response – all for more money in their door. Which, by way, gets you remunerated for your services and is actually your exchange for a job well done. Their customers buying means your customers are pleased and wanting more of your services. And it’s a happier, prospering world.
Joy Gendusa founded PostcardMania in 1998; her only assets a computer and a phone. In 2004 the company did close to $9 million in sales and employs over 60 persons. She attributes her explosive growth to her ability to choose incredible staff and her innate marketing savvy. Now she’s sharing her marketing secrets with others. For more free marketing advice, visit her website at www.postcardmania.com.
