Yes, it is easy if you are Brad Pitt. You stand in a place where there are gorgeous
women. They approach you. One adword click later, you are done.
But in most scenarios, it is much more complicated than
that.
For most of them, we need to play the game… the game of
Interest, Consideration, managing Aggregation, Nurturing and ending in
marriage, if you are lucky. It is a game one needs to play very cautiously,
taking from one step to the other progressively.
Marketing has evolved from ‘Shout marketing’ to ‘Tango Marketing’.
We need to play the tango with the customer. It is turning out to be a fine art
of dance and whisper and not a monologue.
Amazingly, the steps that are taken to woo a girl or a
customer are quite similar.
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Actions
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How to get the girl
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How to sell your product
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Comments
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Attract her
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Stand out from the sea of sameness. An unusual and impactful
intro.
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In bound marketing, stand out creative
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Getting the attention is a tough job, since there are a
lot of good looking men and features parity.
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Impress her
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Physical characteristics
Lifestyle
Values
Personality
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Product characteristics
Company values
Brand personality
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Values is the differentiator. Having a gleaming
Thunderbird or nifty packaging is one thing. The core should be deep enough.
Values stand out in this regard.
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Leverage the contemplation time or period of passive
interest
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Engage her during this period of no commitment. Keep in
touch. Form a whatsapp group, talk about random things that are of common
interest, movies, Ubuntu philosophy… anything.
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The customers are mostly not interested to buy now.
Keeping them warmed up or engaged is a tough thing to do, but it has to be
done. for eg. Newsletters about things that matter to them. If you are
selling t shirts, you can talk about the cool trends that are shaping the
fashion scene
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Aggregation is
the most critical response you can throw at the customer uncertainty.
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Show her the opportunity – what she gains with you, or
what she loses without you
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Freedom to be oneself is an opportunity for some. Getting
settled in the US for others. Understand her deep needs. And pitch for it.
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Get insights into the customers’ latent needs. Show her
how your product transforms her.
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The same as functional or emotional benefits. Say or even
better display it convincingly.
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Concerns are natural – address those
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Concerns are inevitable.. “Will he salute me even after I expire
my pilot’s license?”, “Will my parents approve this joker?”
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Is there a cash on delivery option? Easy exchange option?
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Everyone’s sub conscious mind is working overtime on the
hidden dangers that one might face. Need to tackle this one.
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Show clear call to action
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Clearly state the intent.
Ask her out for coffee
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Download the case study
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You have to do this however tough or make or break this
action may be. Rejection may happen, but this is the easy way to gauge the
direction in which the game is progressing.
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Critical is the context and timing
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When she has had a fight with her best friend or after a romantic
movie
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T shirt banner display alongside an article of ‘the role
of clothes in your sex appeal’
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Strike when the iron is hot. Contextual marketing gets a fillip
with the latest advancements in technology.
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How do I get close to her
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Make opportunities for something that you can do together
– a dirt bike ride or star gazing, for eg.
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Brand engagement. If you are t shirt you can conduct a
‘start up ideas’ day.
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Get personal, Get endearing.
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Credibility
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Her friends should tell her what a great person you are. A
word from someone she trusts goes a long way.
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Customer Testimonials
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What you say doesn’t matter. If a picture says 1000 words,
a testimonial says 10,000.
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Eliminating the competition
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Be available for Piku, why take a risk?
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Cover the touch points diligently.
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Don’t give her an opportunity to think about alternatives.
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Inviting her for a visit home
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Ringing the bell
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Website visit, landing page
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This is the first sign of serious interest in us. The hard
work starts now. Please be aware that she might visit another one or two
houses or websites as well
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Eliciting the genuine interest
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The first kiss
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Form-fill
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This is a genuine
lead now. She is solidly behind you, please be careful not to spoil it.
Some are easy to convert from this stage, but many still need hand holding to
reach the stage of purchase or marriage as the case may be.
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Hand-holding phase
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High time to find out her likes and dislikes and adapt
your behavior accordingly. Little gifts work. Big gifts work even better.
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Drip communication helps you decide the behavior pattern
and then customize your next move accordingly. Small gifts like free usage
for a fixed time period, sampling are the stuff that you can use
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This is the Lead
nurturing phase. This naturally must lead to the end point which is the
marriage or purchase. People might move out of the funnel even now.
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Wishing you many years of togetherness :)
