Why FBI Agents Would Make Great Marketersby Damon G. ZahariadesIt's a cat-n-mouse game. The bad guy tries to stay one step ahead of the FBI agent. For decades, the FBI have struggled to develop new ways of catching their quarries. They've upgraded their technology. They've increased their manpower. They've modified their routines. But, all of their efforts ultimately boil down to one crucial thing... (continued below...)
The agent must figure out what motivates his quarry to do the things he does. If the bad guy hurts people, why does he do it? If the bad guy is a traitor to his country, what drives him in his espionage? If the agent hopes to catch his prey, he must do two things well... 1. He must know the target he's pursuing 2. He must know how to anticipate his targets' moves Both skills will aid the FBI agent in capturing his prey. And both skills will aid the marketer in turning prospects into buyers. Let's look briefly at both... 1. The FBI Agent Knows The Target He's PursuingWhen a case develops, the agent doesn't charge in with both guns blazing. Doing so might get people hurt and he could lose his prey. Instead, a good agent is more methodical.He studies his target and tries to "profile" him. He watches his target's moves and tries to anticipate the next one. He compiles data and tries to identify trends and routines in his target's actions. As the agent pours the hours in and immerses himself in his work, he begins to truly KNOW his target. He starts to understand what motivates him to do things. A profile of his target emerges. And eventually, he'll use this information to corner and CATCH his target. 2. The FBI Agent Knows How To Catch HimAfter he's studied, watched and compiled information on his target, the agent develops a plan of action to catch him.It's not usually easy. Often, the target is smart and has eluded the agent several times. So, the agent has to rely upon all of the information that he compiled and the profile he constructed of his target to successfully capture him. It's rarely a matter of crashing down doors with both guns drawn and pulling the bewildered target from his bed. Rather, the agent creates a subtle trap. A virtual net. He uses the information he's gathered to entice his quarry into the center of the net. Before the target realizes his predicament, the trap is sprung, the net closes and the prey is captured. How To Apply This To Your MarketingOkay, enough about FBI agents. Let's get back to marketing strategies.How can you use the techniques of the FBI to identify, study, pursue and ultimately capture your target market? First, you need to begin gathering information. If you have a list, ask them what they want. If you have a site that attracts visitors, figure out what your visitors are looking for. Look in your logs to see how they found you at Google. Track which keywords in your PPC campaigns are your sweet spots. If you have a forum, you need to be watching the conversations. Your product research lab is held there. Second, you need to develop a profile of your target. What gender is your target? How old is he? What is his income level? What does he like to do when he's not on his computer? What else does he buy? What issues does he have? Get into the mind of your target. Third, you need to create the trap. Simply figure out what problem your target has and offer him a solution. There are lots of ways to do this profitably. Create a product. Create a Special Report. Interview somebody who resolved that same problem. Find someone else's product. We're just scraping the surface here. Bottom line, identify your target's problem and solve it for him. Last ThoughtsSmart folks, those FBI agents.The process they go through to capture their prey is slow and methodical. But, it yields results. This approach can yield results for you, too. You don't need to GUESS how to reach your market. You don't need to GUESS what products to sell your market. You just need to gather information about them. And believe it or not, a lot of this information is there for the asking. Ask your market what they want. Ask them what their problems are. They'll tell you. You just have to ask. That's it for now. See you next time! Damon G. Zahariades You have permission to use this article on your blog, website or newsletter. The only requirement is that you include the following Resource Box unchanged with live links as shown below...
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