Maybe you’ve had this happen to you: you’re in the shower and reach for the shampoo, only to pick it up and remember that you’re out of shampoo. Instead of getting out, dripping everywhere, and trying to find another bottle (including that travel-sized one you snagged on your last trip) you take the bottle top off, turn the bottle upside down, and slam it against the palm of your hand. Hard. It hurts a little, but you need to wash your hair, so you do it again. After several attempts and insignificant results, you add water to the bottle, shake it, and hope to catch some of the shampoo in your hand as you pour the contents back out.
Sounds like a lot of trouble for a little soap, right? It isn’t as if you care about washing your whole head. Or reaching the fullest extent of your market.
You may not realize it, but sometimes your market acts like that last bit of shampoo in the bottle. You know it’s there, but you just can’t reach it. You’ve been sending those folks your best campaigns, but you get nothing, no feedback, nada, in return. What do you do?
If the unresponsive segment is new to your company or organization--prospects--and you’re confident in the fit between their needs and your products or services, you might want to check your approach. Your usual marketing efforts might not work with this group. You may need to re-strategize your efforts. Or, maybe you need to water down your marketing. If you’re using specialized language or overwhelming your prospects with too much information, breaking it down a bit might give you the break-through you’ve been looking for.
But if the unresponsive segment includes names from your house list--previous buyers, donors, or members--do you keep trying, or do you cut your losses and move on? That one’s a little tricky. You know they’ve had interest before, and you know it’s more expensive and time-consuming to create relationships with new clients than to nurture and maintain old ones. So what do you do?
For starters, consider your offer. Are you sending the right offer to the right people? Second, consider how much time has passed since each account showed any activity. Third, test. Testing is a marketer’s best friend for a reason.
Everyone reaches the bottom of the (shampoo) bottle at some point. And whether you make the most of your contacts and resources or not, you know there’s a fresh, clean start ahead.