Marketing to your client base - set your expectations!

So you've decided to run a sales campaign, promote a new product, re-engage your client base with a new service offer, re-launch your business with a family advice offer to tap into the intergenerational opportunity or simply try and sell more products into your client base and increase the number of connections your clients have with you.

Let's suppose for arguments sake that faced with an opt-in regime and the need to clearly articulate your services you've designed a unique proposition for your clients. Perhaps you plan to engage your clients differently even positively with things like a lifestyle questionnaire or a wealth index.

How many people will adopt this new paradigm of service?

Turn to marketing 101 and understand the adoption of innovations and understand your client base.

Innovators - are who you should aim to target first. These people are typically adventurous, better educated, younger than the norm and financially stable. Who are these clients in your data base? They will be small in number perhaps 2.5% of your clients.

Hence don't expect huge numbers to beat down a path to your door in these initial days.

But don't give up, the next segment you need to target are the early adopters. These people like to be socially accepted and your marketing needs to speak to that need so tailor your communications accordingly. It's worth it as these 13.5% will reap significant rewards for your efforts.

Next who in your data base are the middle class, deliberate and cautious clients, with above average education and income but need something that is proven - tried and tested. This is when you change your marketing message to use social proof that is tell them stories that this has worked well with clients you have already worked with.

This retake on your marketing - version 3 as it stands is worth the effort as typically they make up the next 34%.

So the messages you need:

version 1 - it's cuttng edge, new and a different way of doing things.

version 2 - this is working and there are opportunities to be part of it.

version 3 - this really works and we have proven results for you to examine.

So be it a new holistic way of engaging your clients. A cutting edge product or service. Or a relaunch of your business - tailoring your message and carefully selecting your targets from your client base not only works but is crucial to your success. Knowing what to expect as above will help you keep motivation to keep pushing ahead with your innovation!