John Smith - Part 2

Yesterday we talked about your potential customer or John Smith. We said yesterday that John Smith will fall back upon what he knows, forcing every situation to be judged upon previous buying experiences. In addition, there will be a strong reliance upon whatever information John Smith does have.

If you can understand those two principles, you can see how if you got that alone, it would allow you to build an accurate picture as to why John Smith buys what John Smith buys. Because everything can be derived from those principles, everything else is just details. So you can go to any business in any country, in any industry, and get a clear picture of John Smith in a short period of time.

Just to finish the thought, here are two tactical executions of those principles; two ways you can DO this:

• Discover the best deal. Call around to know what the best deal is. See what other companies offer, see what choices there are. Shop the competition; know what decisions have to be made by John Smith.

• Know what information is getting to John Smith. Look at the advertising, see the various messages. Listen to different sales pitches, get an all around picture as to what John Smith has to work with.


Doing those two things will allow you to take advantage of the two foundational principles and will make you a better marketer. And it is easy and simple. As General Patton would say, “Success in war depends on speed, simplicity and boldness.” These tactics are just that – fast, easy, and bold. Do it!

More tomorrow.

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