THE IDEAL CLIENT: ME

My experience as a customer made me think about how nutraceutical salesmen seem to ignore me.

I’m in a segment of the market better labeled “grumpy old men” (GOM).

Not seriously.

I know I’m in it because my wife keeps telling me. Old. Irritable. curmudgeon

And I feel ignored by the supplement companies.

How is that?

For one, I have subscribed to numerous alternative health newsletters online. What I have received is invariably so widespread that I get the impression that the companies that send it don’t even know I exist.

This is surprising, since I show two of the main criteria of an ideal client.

First, I have disposable income that I spend on supplements.

Second, I am very, very concerned about how to reduce age-related health problems.

That’s just a start.

If you’re doing some good research, you’ll learn some additional useful tidbits for marketing to me and my fellow GOMs.

Like everyone else, we have certain typical needs. We want to feel significant. We want you to get to know us and recognize our biggest health concerns.

Talking to me and my fellow GOMs will also tell you that we don’t consider ourselves “old”. We despise feeling outdated or alienated from the mainstream youth culture.

We are increasingly concerned with longevity.

We are readers and information seekers. This feature alone makes us sensitive to advertising.

Okay, so there are a few main features you can use to persuade me to know you, like you, trust you… and buy from you.

GOMs represent more than 10% of the US population. Adding our female age group to the equation more than doubles the size of the market.

I am more than a customer who feels ignored.

I am also a marketer who has figured out how to hit the market for my segment. And the strategy I discovered works for all other market segments as well.

My experience marketing a paid subscription newsletter illustrates what I found.

The conversion rate is around 30%, with subscription renewals around 75%.

That’s a pretty good conversion and a very low abandon rate.

What I did was first survey my free subscription list to find just one demographic: seniors with the same health issues as me.

I then sent that group to a landing page designed specifically to address their needs.

That’s all.

THE EASIEST WAY TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL

What I have described is widely known among marketers who use email marketing.

This practice is known as list segmentation.

In other words, sculpt a particular segment of a larger subscriber list, and then address the particular needs of that segment.

Conceptually it is nothing new. Just tap into the old marketing adage about finding out what people want and then giving it to them.

What I did has three key components that apply to all markets.

1) Define and select a target segment from a larger list.

This is pretty simple, as email hosting services have already set up the technical steps for list segmentation.

2) Create persuasive marketing copy that hits all the hot buttons for that segment. This is crucial to getting people in your target segment to take the action you want them to take, i.e. buy your products.

In a nutshell, this step is all about communication. If Anthony Robbins’ definition is correct (and it is), communication is the results you get.

If people aren’t buying, you’re not communicating.

3) Rinse and repeat for each segment you want to hit.

There is no limit to the number of segments you can define in your list.

I have mentioned only a few. The number seems limitless.

My greatest writing mentor, Joshua Boswell, once mentioned that he divided a client list into 72 segments. 72!

My experience is not unique. It’s a common story that applies to all segments of marketing in all industries.

Wait, there’s more!

ADDITIONAL BENEFIT TO YOUR ROI

Discovering high-value customers through list segmentation also has a beneficial flip side. Allows you to remove ‘lazy’ subscribers.

I don’t want to be cynical here. The truth is, he probably built his list based on a piece of bait, a free offer of some sort. That is a good start. People love free stuff.

However, the vast majority of people who get free information will not buy from you. Most likely they will even ignore your emails, without unsubscribing. They just stay on your list forever, without buying anything.

While that can be disconcerting and even annoying, it can also be expensive. Email hosting providers charge more as your list grows. Removing “everlasting non-buyers” allows you to narrow your list down to actual and potential buyers.

Therefore, the cost savings can be substantial. And spending time and money on just who’s left can skyrocket your ROI.

NEXT STEPS

So far, I’ve just outlined the concept of list segmentation and what you can expect from it. It is clearly a fundamental strategy behind successful email marketing.

Of course, all the high-tech bells and whistles of list segmentation still depend on persuasive copy. Ultimately, that’s what drives every marketing strategy, no matter the platform.

That’s where I come in.