Grab a fishing pole and have a seat on the dock. Today we are taking a virtual fishing trip—we are going fishing for results! As one of the 3R Selling trainers at The Center for Sales Strategy, a lot of marketing concepts and proposals cross my desk. As I analyze the ideas sellers plan to present to clients, I often push them to make their proposals stronger by asking, “What’s the hook?” — one of five fishing-related questions you can use to reel in results!
Questions to Ask When Developing Integrated Marketing Solutions
1. Are you fishing for trouble? We all love to sell those shiny new lures—the new technology-driven products, but remember the whole process starts with a quality client needs analysis. Ask the tough questions. Find their pain. Fish for trouble. Once you understand the true need—and not some surface-level need any high school marketing student could have guessed before the call—you are allowed to continue this fishing expedition.
2. What’s the hook? You’ve brainstormed, and you have a list of ideas. Now it’s time to turn the idea into something the advertiser and end consumer can get excited about. This hook, or campaign theme, is the creative concept upon which the entire campaign is built.
3. Where’s the bait? Give the consumer a reason to care about your message. Use a call to action to entice the consumer to take the next step.
4. How are you gonna reel ‘em in? This is where the digital and traditional capabilities come in. After looking at the client’s needs, incorporating the hook and considering the action you want the consumer to take, it’s time to look at the assets you have available and decide which ones will help move the consumer to the next stage in the buying cycle.
Are you trying to inform or teach? Capture leads? Convince people to try a new product? Secure appointments? Get new social media fans and followers? You have digital and traditional capabilities that can do all these things—once you understand the REASON for incorporating them into the campaign.
5. Are you ready for the fish fry? You’ve caught a fish and reeled it in! Now it’s time to prepare your “catch” (or lead) for the excitement that comes next. If you’ve incorporated lead generation tools into the process, you can help the client continue to nurture the relationship. Depending on the type of information you’ve collected, the campaign can continue with a one-to-one conversation, or a variety of less personal follow up communications (texting, eblasts, newsletters, social media interaction, etc.)
The seller who offers an integrated solution, takes the time to determine the kind of fish their client wants, baits the hook with an offer the fish will jump at, and takes the time to reel in the catch.
The seller who pitches digital capabilities throws a bunch of worms at the surface without a plan or a means of getting their hands on the fish.
Which kind of seller are you? I'd love to hear about your integrated campaigns in the comments below!
Kimberly Peek is a digital sales coach and online trainer at The Center for Sales Strategy
