Increase Your Success Rate through Data Mining, a Guerrilla Marketing Tool

By Ken Dettebach, Gateway Marketing LLC

Last month, my wife Pam and I went to Del Charro Saloon, a restaurant just off of Santa Fe’s famed Plaza, for a green chili cheeseburger. Sitting across from us were Jim and Gloria from Denver, Colorado. We introduced ourselves and exchanged cards.

This was their 5^th visit to Santa Fe in search of a place in which to retire. They asked how we liked Santa Fe. After extolling the pros and cons, I asked about them.

She was a dental hygienist educator and he had his own high end construction company which he recently sold. He was a Rotarian, belonged to three boards (which he described), is a member of the home builders association, likes fly fishing and hunting, and is an antique car buff.  Jim and Gloria both said that wherever they moved to, they would want to get involved in the community.

When we left, we had a profile of both Jim and Gloria that could be used to search their history. So, what is the point of this story?

Today we have the ability to define the minutest detail of our prospects (including even looking at their existing house), to qualify them, and to create a library of information to use in conversation.

The first step of all research is to write down what you already know. So, write down what you now know about your prospective customer. The next step is to write down what you don’t know. Determine what information is already available. Much of the information you seek is probably online.

How effective would it be, then, to put together a group of like-minded locals to meet Jim and Gloria in a casual setting to answer questions and describe how their interests would prosper in Santa Fe?

When I set up the telemarketing program in the initial stages of Las Campanas, Santa Fe’s well known golf and equestrian community, we brought prospects into Santa Fe for weekends of golf. The above method of Guerrilla Marketing was highly effective.

Stay tuned – Jim and Gloria are now in the hands of a realtor. We’ll see if they buy.

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