Misc. Ramblings: The Challenge of Relationship eMarketing – Part 2

This is bizarre, I never work backwards! Why write an article on selling before marketing? Probably because I am in the middle of a very intense marketing and sales campaign with the emphasis on sales. The keyboard responds to the brain so I am backing up and dealing with stage one in any new customer process but calling it Step 2 – go figure.

As I review Relationship based eMarketing, keep in mind this approach uses all the mediums including snail mail and telephone. The reality of most technology revolutions is it does not displace the old – it just adds more choices (TV did not kill Radio or Motion Pictures as feared).

The model we use for an online marketing & sales process is based on three stages:

o Build a list of willing potential and qualifiable customers

o Have them participate in solving their own problems

o And monetize the solutions with products and services

Building a list of willing potential and qualifiable customers.
The challenge is how to use an impersonal medium in a way that makes it personal? The things we take for granted in a 1:1 conversation must be designed into the process and site.

The following are our steps for building trust and credibility while minimizing their risk:

1. Give & Take. Be generous with your initial offer, give away as much as possible without damaging your offer or the business. A reasonable strategy is to give something away to visit your site and add an incentive to become a member.
2. Social Reality. Post current testimonials that demonstrate truth telling. These individuals must be similar to the people you are enticing; there cannot be a wide social distance.
3. Pedigree. At this point, your personal credentials become essential. People are willing to be influenced if it is their choice and the source is credible. You need to show case a “been there, done that” background and do it enthusiastically.
4. Scarcity. All the ingredients are now present to begin moving this self-selected, qualified list of potential into real customers. The rule of the few has an interesting impact on buying behavior; you want it more when you cannot have it! Whether you charge a nominal fee for this limited offer or do it free, use the danger of unavailability to draw them further into the relationship.
5. Liking. Our belief is the scarcity offer is the time you personally engage with them. Up to now, the web and its automation features have made handling large numbers of people at the mouth of the sales funnel simple. This group of potential customers has been filtered several times and is worth the investment of a 1:1 relationship. A free teleseminar is one excellent method of creating 1:1 with large numbers.
6. Dissonance. Big word, simple concept. Once we make a decision, there is a tendency to avoid conflicting information (similar offers) or emotions (buyer’s remorse) to reinforce the good choice. If the customer has been moved along a process where they receive things of value, promises are kept, and the people are credible – it becomes hard not to buy.

Next Step – How does Consultative eSelling happen online by participating in solving their own problems?