How to Automatically Know what New Prospects Want

There are only two ways to know what your prospects want - you can guess or you can ask. When people join your email list for the first time, it’s a good idea to find out exactly what they want so that you can send promotions that emphasize their preferences.

Here’s a 3-step way to use the new free auto-responder feature and the survey feature in Constant Contact to find out what your new prospects want before you send them your first promotion.

Step 1: Set up an ongoing live survey. Use the survey to ask just a few questions about which products or services your new prospects are most interested in, which products or services they have purchased from competitors, and which products and services they already own.

Step 2: Set up an auto-responder and make your first email into a survey invitation. Use a headline such as, “Please Help Us Serve You by Answering 3 Quick Questions.” Insert your survey link and schedule the auto-responder email to go out one or two days after a prospect or customer joins your email list.

Step 3: Use your survey feedback to group people into different lists based on product lines, preferences, and other interests you uncover in the survey. Then, send promotions specific to each list. Make sure you leave some time between each email. A week between your survey email and your first promotion should be enough.

If too few of your new prospects are answering the surveys, try offering an incentive such as extra discounts or special privileges. Gaining the ability to understand exactly what your prospects and customers want is worth spending a few extra dollars and a little extra time during the initial stages of a new relationship.

Also, remember that you can use small amounts of data to help you recognize trends. Even if you only get responses from 10% of your audience, you can make assumptions about the other 90% based on the most common feedback you receive. That way, you can fine-tune your general promotions and speak to more of the majority when you aren’t able to directly target specific interests.