Page 294 - Duct Tape Marketing

278 Part V: Winning and Keeping Customers

Of those 500 qualified prospects, some will miss the ad, some won’t be inter-
ested, some will already have a different solution, and some will convert into
customers, as shown in Table 17-1.

Table 17-1 Where Do All the Prospects Go?

Where Prospects Disappear Why Prospects Disappear

The majority of prospects won’t get If the ad reaches 500 qualified prospects,
“caught” by the ad. it might gain the awareness of a few
hundred. The others, though they fit the
prospect profile, aren’t tuned in to receive
the message, or it doesn’t grab them, or
they’re too busy to notice the offer.

Many who become aware won’t If 200 prospects notice the ad, only a
have interest. portion will have interest. The others may
be committed to a competitor, they may
not be in the market for the offering, or
the message may not motivate them.

Of those with interest, only some If 100 prospects are interested, a portion
will look further into the offer. of that number will take action by starting
the buying process. The others may
decide, based on the specifics of the
product, price, offer, or presentation, not
to part with their time or money at that
moment.

Of those with desire, a rare few will In other words, a handful of the 1,000
decide to buy. prospects reached by the ad will become
customers. That’s why marketers need to
communicate frequently using multiple
forms of communication to keep the
pump primed for success.

Increase your prospect-to-customer conversion odds by following these steps:

1. Establish market awareness and a good reputation among prospects and
those who influence their decisions.

2. Create a pool of qualified prospects by projecting marketing messages
frequently and on an ongoing basis.

3. Convert prospects to customers via a sales program that makes the
buying decision easy and the purchase transaction efficient and pleasant.