Really Getting to Know Your Customers: Targeting Your Best Customers to Attract Your Best Prospects!

Selling Happiness is Easy
When You Know All The Things
 That Make Your Customers Happy

The oldest idea in advertising is: When your trying to sell something, you aren't selling that product, you are selling the happiness that product engenders. 


For decades, marketers have used the RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) analysis as the standard to determine their most valuable customers. However, many marketers fail to consider RFM in their prospecting campaigns. Sure, you don't have exact figures on specific people, but you do have information on your current clients. The best of which, are undoubtedly similar to the ones you want to attract. What makes the RFM data unique is the lack of speculation - there are no survey opinions or general sales ideologies. RFM data is based on actual transactions. Proof of who buys what, when, and how often. So if you know who your best customers are, find out who they REALLY are!

Go out of your way to learn how your best customers operate
in their daily lives, then you'll understand
how the customers you want to attract live as well

RFM is a great predictor of your customer retention and sales, but it doesn't tell you the key ingredient for bringing in new customers; the reason why these particular people are buying your product. Not YOUR reason for why, but THEIR reason. Even in modern times many marketers still forget to consider consumer psychology in their prospect marketing strategy. This is most surprising since we are ALL consumers everyday. Even if your job is to design advertisements, companies are still advertising to you!

We are all different and unique in subtle ways,
but overall, many of us are pretty similar!

Everyone makes purchases for different reasons. Figure out who your best customers are and why they buy your product. Once you determine who these current customers are, I'd bet you there are more people like them out there and they are either unaware of your product, or simply have not tried it yet. Expand your customer base within a demographic with which you are already having success and your R.O.I will jump with an influx of consistent, high density purchasers. 

Why would you pay $300,000 for this Aston Martin Virage
when many $40,000 cars have almost the same features?
Because driving a Virage isn't about function,
it's about lifestyle!

You know who your best customers are and what they buy. And if you don't, then you are in trouble! To maximize your marketing strategy you need the whole picture. Who are your best customers and what do they do, independent of whatever capacity they use your product or service? The value your customer receives from your product or service is the image you want to create. You must paint your product's valuable contribution to your customer's happiness on the canvass that is their lives. Then, sell your product's role in your current customer's lives to people with similar lifestyles. The more complete your understanding of your best customers, the more likely you are to attract people like them and increase the R.O.I for your advertising campaign.

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By: Will Pearlman

Buying the Right Prospecting Data

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The right data list makes all the difference in prospect marketing. In order to build your client base you need to figure out which clients are the best prospects for your business. So here are a few tips to make sure when you buy consumer data you get the most bang for your buck!

First, Know Your Prospect

Before purchasing any list, make sure you know what you want and why you want it. At Synergy, we can help you determine which potential clients are ideal for your business and budget. Nowadays, data lists can be sorted by countless qualifiers, so understanding to whom you are marketing is critical before you start contacting data companies. You have to know what your looking for since some companies specialize their services for specific industries.


Before you start looking, you need to know who you are looking for!

Consider your potential client's perspective, I.E. What makes your business a perfect fit for their needs - from the prospect's perspective? According to the Aberdeen study on the science of sales intelligence, 42% of companies have insufficient knowledge of the business needs of their prospects. So do the preparatory work before you start looking at data, it'll save you time and money in the long run.

Not All Data Lists Are Equal

Make sure you check out different companies and ask about different options. Find out how the data company generates their list so that you know its the right prospects for your business. Take advantage of the services data companies offer such as sorting and cleaning.

Remember, your not buying a list for one-time use, it's an investment in your company!

Use Multiple Sources

When buying a prospecting list, it should come from multiple data sources. Check with the data company to see where they get their information. Data lists complied from multiple sources tend to be:

• More accurate
• More detailed
• Unique (So your competition can't mail to the same list!)

Keep It Clean

Data lists are like gardens, if you don't tend to them, they will die. Buy a prospect list from a company that automatically updates the list for you on a regular basis. If that is not an option, we can manage your list for you!

According to the United States Postal Service, the quality of a data lists deteriorates by approximately 2% a month, so make regularly updating your list a habit so that you won't waste time and money advertising to a dead end. 

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By: Will Pearlman

Who's the Brain of Your Company? No, Of Course It's Not Your CEO, It's Your Database!

Sorry CEOs, data is the brains, not you!
We know that breaks your heart!

As much as we would like to think the brain of a company is its employees or the CEO (or at least the CEO would like to think that), they're not. Employees are definitely the heart and soul, but the brains of any operation is the database. From your current clients to your prospecting lists, the better organized and thorough the information in your database, the more effective and efficient your company will operate.  

Many executives underestimate the importance of understanding and maintaining an in-house database. But, how can you project your company's potential sales growth and new avenues for expansion without detailed, accurate, and current information on your clients and prospects? You can't. Moreover, if your just buying lists from data companies, don't you think similar businesses might have the same lists? . . no matter what the data company might claim. You want to keep your data in-house so that your list is unique.  So here are some tips for organizing and managing your database:

Educate All Your Employees

Education is always the key!

Your number one priority should be to train and educate ALL your employees how to access and manipulate data as well as ensuring they consistently and accurately keep up with all their records. Make some knowledge of databases a requirement for most positions; especially sales, marketing, and administration. If you train your sales staff to maintain their own records, then your information will be more accurate and more consistently updated. When 20 sales people take the extra few minutes to update their records daily, your data will always be more accurate, more up to date, and less time consuming than just having one "data guy" update everything once a week or month. 

Know What You Want to Know 

Before Searching

Find Your Criteria, Then Check Them Off Your List
As You Add Data!

Before beginning to gather information, you need to determine what information you want. What does your business need to know about your prospects in order to effectively market to them? Even if you are updating an old list that has been neglected, ask yourself what information is valuable on that list as is, what is worthless information, and what would be useful new information to add as you update the list? Additionally, what new prospects are in need of your product or service and where can you find them? There are endless criteria and information out there so this part really comes down to your business and market, but as logic will tell you; always establish what you are looking for before you start looking!

Be Too Specific

The Beauty is in the Specific Details!

When building a database, the more specific your qualifiers the better. Modern database software has so many variables for searching and sorting lists, so break down your qualifiers as best as you can, be specific. Don't just describe a business as "hotel." Is it a resort spa? A casino? A motel? Bed and breakfast? Do they have special services or themes? Are they year-round or seasonal? How many suites do they have? What is their annual sales volume? How many employees do they have? Think of any categories that might help your business market more effectively.

Standardize All Your Lists

Between multiple lists, try to maintain titles that can be applied to all the people or businesses to which you want to market, regardless of industry. Have a master list of current clients and clients you would like to gain. Then create smaller, specific lists for various campaigns. When making data lists use broad titles and then describe each individual entry using specific qualifiers. 

Ok, so we don't like it when people are all the same,
but the more similar data sets are,
the easier they are to analyze!

Sometimes, all you need in a title is "description."  Then, use more precise qualifiers; windows and blinds, restaurants - bar/late night, resort - ski and spa, etc . . . You want most titles to fit for any business your company might market too. Although for some specific lists this won't always work out, cogent headers are extremely helpful in organizing data. Additionally, while you want your qualifiers to be specific, they should be standardized. Most database programs sort lists based on keywords and won't always pick up on related words. For example, if your making a list of hotels, use one category for casinos. Don't list some as "casino" and others as "gambling resort."

Establish and Maintain Format

Keep You Data List Polished and Professional,
It Should Look Like Your Office,
Not Your Teenage Son's Room!

Make sure everything in each list is entered in the same format. It is critical, especially with very large lists, to keep everything uniform. I.e., don't put some phone numbers in using one format; (555) 555-5555, and others in as; 555-555-5555. Likewise, addresses are notorious for having this problem on data lists. Before building or reorganizing a database, figure out where you want things like suite numbers, phone extensions, or name prefixes. Proper format will increase efficiency while updating data and allow for easier access to information. 

Once You Make It Clean, Keep It Clean

If your list is already out of hand, it is definitely worth investing the time to clean it up. The US Postal Service reports that approximately 2% of a typical data list deteriorates each month on average. That means in a year about 25% of your data is worthless if you don't maintain it. If you are marketing to this list, think of all the money you are wasting each month marketing to businesses or prospects that don't even exist anymore! 

Your Data is Just Like Your Laundry,
Keep it Clean!

Re-establish a baseline so that you can become more productive, rather than just let the mess continue to grow. You don't just let the laundry pile up endlessly do you? Of course not, you wash it (hopefully)! But, the longer you wait to do a wash, the longer doing laundry will take you. And, in the meantime, your running out of clean clothes! Just like the laundry, if your not constantly cleaning your data list, you'll eventually run out of worthwhile data. So try to avoid letting it get out of hand!

Just Like Your Bathroom,
Your Database Stinks When It Isn't Clean!

There are many companies out there who will maintain and clean your data lists for you, so if doing this in-house isn't in your budget, consider outsourcing this important job.

Customer databases are a time consuming and endless endeavor to build and maintain in-house. But, it is absolutely essential for any business to succeed.General lists purchased from data companies are never as good because they are rarely unique. A well-designed and maintained database is the foundation for strong customer retention and expanding your client base into new markets. 

Even if you need to shout it,
make sure it is known, DETAILS MATTER WITH DATA!

In short, database management comes down to one basic cliche rule: Attention to the details. A responsible, well-organized company understands the importance of details in establishing a culture where all employees understand and contribute to the database. If you can infuse this culture in your business at the database level, it will expand into all aspects of your business, and you definitely be pleased with the results!

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By: Will Pearlman

Check yo' self: The Data Double-check list

• Is the list targeted to the right audience?
• Is the list current? 
• Check against the National Change Of Address Registry 
• Should it be passed through the DMA's 'do not mail file'? 
• Have duplicates been removed? 
• Should it be purged of deceased persons? 
• If the name is incorrect, would adding "Or Current Resident" make sense? 

Posts We Love

Here are few articles that have been buzzing around the office, we thought we would share with you.

Database: Address Quality Gatekeeper

Target Marketing Magazine. 

Collecting and maintaining accurate address information is an issue for companies of all sizes. The ramifications of poor address quality can be far-reaching and expensive. What you need is a gatekeeper.

In the past, organizations often didn't take steps to tackle issues with inaccurate customer information because it resided in multiple, unconnected databases. Individual business units kept their own records, so departments like sales, service, marketing and billing may have had data on the same customer in different formats on different servers with no standardization. Even with integrated CRM systems, this issue ....

Read More

How Three Companies took Content Marketing to the Next Level

By Shane Snow

It goes by many names: branded content, custom publishing, content marketing. Cheap and ubiquitous web technology has become fuel for a rising trend of businesses becoming publishers and brands becoming media companies. Through content creation, brands can engage directly with an audience rather than relying on intermediary media channels. If you publish and spread great content, customers will come to you.

Read More

Read!

We love bloggers around here, and we couldn't resist sharing these juicy blogs.

Finding Your Way Through the Analytics Mire

By: Dominique Ellis

QR codes, PURLs, direct mail, print ads, PPC ads, banner ads, Facebook shares, tweets; the ever-growing list of innovative ways to reach new customers is enough to make any marketer scream.

Cross-channel marketing is quickly becoming the norm in the industry. It’s no longer enough to send out an email blast and expect results. Brands and businesses are doubling and tripling up on marketing mediums used in a single campaign. While it’s important to touch customers on multiple fronts, let’s not forget the most important part of any cross-channel marketing campaign — the analytics. Read More...

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How To Use Mobile QR Codes to Drive Engagement

by Matt Krautstrunk on May 6, 2011 · 7 comments

in Marketing

QR codes are one of the hottest topics in mobile. They are becoming more popular with marketers, and in turn, consumers are catching on. According to a survey from MGH, mobile consumers are responding to the influx of popularity with QR codes, “32% of smartphone users say they have used a QR code and 70% say they would be interested to do so, either for the first time or again.”  Currently marketers are using QR Codes to offer promotional discounts (53%) and enter sweepstakes (33%), however QR codes have a place in social to drive engagement. Read More...

Are YOU sending Direct mail into the Black Abyss?

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It is time for Tracking!

With all the excitement of creating and deploying a direct marketing campaign, back end analysis too often falls by the wayside and is forgotten about. And while the incoming business and respondents to the initial campaign are valuable, tracking and analyzing the response to a direct marketing campaign provides priceless feedback and insight for that the marketer can use to optimize not only the current promotion, but also future campaigns and marketing efforts. 

3 Simple steps to Campaign Optimization

There is a basic "formula" to successfully testing and evaluating a campaign:

1. Establish elements to be tested, and prioritize the how they will be tested, as well as how the result will be measured. Consider what constitutes success and failure of each element.
2. Construct appropriate methods of tracking and measuring the results.
3. Continually evaluate the findings, and implement new strategies for future marketing efforts based on the results of previous campaigns.

About Synergy Vx Software

"You're on the List!" The power of listing

Anyone who has waited in line at a club (Or even seen a movie with someone waiting in line at a club) will tell you, about the importance of being "On the List." For some reason, being recognized amongst the masses as someone who must be included among the elite allowed to participate in whatever event merits such a line out the door. While including your clients and prospects on an VIP event list is probably not the most applicable concept to modern marketing strategy, listing on twitter is a super simple way to get noticed, with out being pushy or asking for anything of your prospects.

Similar to the groups feature on facebook, twitter lists allows you to categorize those you are following (family members, or personal friends, for example). The genius of the list feature however, is that it is not a static collection of usernames, but it constantly updates tweets and activity from listed users. Therefore, a list is a valuable tool not only compiling noteworthy "tweeters" but it also is a place to get a snapshot of what those users are saying by viewing said list.

So how is this applicable to getting YOU and your message noticed on twitter? All it takes is a little strategy. Going back to the metaphor of the VIP list, you want your lists to flatter those included. For example, a chef or restaurant looking to network on twitter could make a list "30 best restaurants in the County."  Now all of the restaurants included have been notified, and have seen seen the page of the user that listed them... make sense? Start simple at first. Make a list of Clients (give it a more appealing title, using the chef example, favorite taster's, you get the idea ), Co-workers, and those you want to know (title this group something flattering- favorite places, top chefs, elite in the field, etc)  and see how quickly you catch on!

Now... to the back of the line. I don't see your name here.