Fishing For Prospects: What Is Your Lure, Bait and Gear?

An exercise for defining what prospects you are attracting.








Fly fishing -- it doesn't work, does it? When I first


watched someone fly-fishing, I saw them release the line


that went out far in the water. No sooner had the fly hit


the water it was being jerked back and reeled in. Even


today, I still don't understand how this method catches any


fish. Yet it does, so I am told. See, I have never been


fly-fishing.





It looks like so much more work too. I'm used to the worm,


bobber, sitting on a short foldable chair, having some great


conversation ever once in a while, sipping on a beer (okay


root beer so we don't X factor this article), relaxing and


waiting for the nibble. Or, is it praying for that nibble.


Okay, either one.





If you talk to a fly-fisherman, he says his method is the


best. And the same is uttered from a by-the-seat-of-the-


pants fisherman as well (cute description huh, I thought so


too).





What makes the difference than? Is it technique? Is it the


water type -- salt or fresh? Is it the type of fish you are


going after? Is it the equipment or supplies? Is it the


bait offered?





Okay, back to the first question -- what is the difference?


The right answer is "all of the above." You can also throw


in the temperature, weather and time of day you are fishing


as well. The right answer still is, "all of the above."


And it all depends on the right combination of all these


items performed in a step-by-order method too. You don't


want to toss out the fly without the line. Well, I guess


you can but the chances of seeing that fly again is next to


nil for sure.





Marketing is not any different from fishing. If you are


tossing out the wrong hook to the right fish, they are not


going to bite. If you have the right fish and hook, and the


wrong technique -- fly-fishing instead of butt, wait and


pray fishing. This too will not get many results.





This is why so much emphasis is placed on your needing to


know your target market. Because if you don't you are


forever going to be trying what different lures, hooks and


techniques that wear you down as well as your resources


trying to figure out what is the right combination. You


can't catch flounder in a fresh water or blue gill in salt


water.





Many times, and without knowing it because you are just glad


for the business, the fish pick you. So, what are you


attracting? Let's take 15 minutes today and begin an


exercise that answers that question.





Okay, where were we. Getting late in the day. Oh, yes,


what are you attracting? Since I write mostly for service


professionals, let me present the "how-tos" for you. If you


own a retail store or have a much larger client base, you


can do the same by calculating just the top "A" list by


revenue generated.





I recommend starting this process by hand to get the "feel"


of it and then you can move it over to Excel or a similar


software as it grows. Yes, you have my permission to allow


this fish to get bigger in this "fish tale."





On a new sheet of paper, turned sideways or landscaped, in


the far left hand side create the first column. Now write


down the first name of you client (or last name or both).


If you don't remember their name and you had given them a


nickname, use that. It doesn't matter as long as you know


who they are.





In the second column, title it "M/F." You guessed it, "male


or female." I knew I didn't have a "dah" market reading


this. Now, go down the column and write in the answers next


to each name.





Next column, title "M/S/D/U" = married, single, divorced,


unknown. Go down the column and complete again.





Remember, before you move onto a new column you want to


complete the previous column as much as possible -- there is


a subconscious reason for this I don't want to go off topic


to explain, so I'm asking you just trust me on this.


Please.





Here is a list of other demographic type of information you


want to continue in this same format: Age, time zone,


number of children (if any), how long a client, marketing


resource (how did they find you or you them), fee, and


service type.





As you continue to go through and complete each column you


will begin to see some patterns on the type of client you


are attraction as well as how they became your client (the


source).





Continue with this project by adding more distinctions over


the next week. As you complete each column, another


important fact will emerge for you that you will want to


review. If you are missing some information, you might want


to pick up the phone and call that past client and ask – a


great reason to get back in touch with them and renew your


name in their mind.





When you begin seeing the patterns emerge, like you work


mainly with 90% males, or everyone lives in a certain area,


or all are divorced, etc. Some of these patterns are going


to be obvious and some aren't. This is why this exercise is


good to complete at least once a year. I do this even


though I now have software that does it for me. There is


nothing like ink and paper to open my outside-the-box


thinking that doesn't emerge when reviewing a printed


report.





When you get to a slowing down place, pull out the


description again of your ideal client. Now, see the


averages for this measurement chart in comparison to your


ideal client. How is it different? Were there any ideal


clients on the list -- put a star next to them or highlight


them?





Is there a gap between the two? Can you see what the gap


is? Is it obvious? Do you need to build a bridge of things


to evolve with that moves from the island to the mainland?


If yes, what is it?





Okay, you've got your work cut out for yourself. I agree.


Then again, this exercise is the top one I recommend to all


my clients, workshop participants, and teleclass attendees.


I have even had seasoned professionals resist completing the


exercise because they felt they knew everything there was to


know on this already. If you feel this same way, it's okay.


Let it evolve and see if something grows.





Much to their surprise after they completed the exercise.


In fact, Jim, an insurance agent from Arizona wrote me an e-


mail after a recent teleclass that did the assignment, yes,


with that same reluctance, saying,





"Damn, Catherine, you're good. The exercise eat at me until


this morning when I gave in and did the exercise even though


last night I convinced myself that I already knew all the


answers. I discovered way too many holes in our marketing.


My whole staff is excited. After I introduced it to them in


this morning's staff meeting, we had to cut the meeting


short because everyone couldn't wait to get back to their


office and do the exercise."











About The Author:





Catherine Franz, veteran entrepreneur and CEO of Eagle


Communications, is a syndicated marketing columnist,


radio host, International speaker, and master life and


business coach. http://www.abundancecenter.com