Initial Questionnaire Feedback

[rdpatrick]

Hello all,

I would like to brainstorm with some of you about the initial questionnaire a business owner needs to fill out prior to the first appointment. I am toying with the idea of including the questionnaire with the initial snail mail letter. The letter will also have a fax number, web address to a "questionnaire squeeze page", and a voice mail number to leave all pertinent info.

I don't want to give away the farm with the long questionnaire before the first meeting. However, I need to know enough about the company so I have some ideas about what should be done to help grow the business. I also want them to qualify themselves as I have my prospects do in my college funding business.

Sample questions:

1) name of Company
2) how long in business
3) contact info for marketing decision makers
4) web address
5) average sale/profit per customer (may need to be asked during face to face meeting? thoughts?)
6) current customer retention system
7) current marketing/advertising efforts
8) How often customers return/buy?

What do you think?

Thanks for taking time to help me with this project.

[Don Alm]

Thanks Dexx....

[Dexx]

I prefer to fill it out WITH them as it is a key part of building that relationship with them...but to each their own...

I definitely wouldn't combine a survey with an INITIAL prospecting letter...since you'll prob get no results...but you can always test it out and find out...

~Dexx

[rdpatrick]

Wow! What a blowhard! Don.....Maybe you should have asked me instead of assuming. We all know what happens to those whom "assume" things. I have two other businesses that require prospects to raise their hands and jump through hoops to get an appointment with me. Marketing consulting (I say nothing about websites) is another arrow in my quiver that will allow me to increase my value to business owners. Who knows, I may even be in a position to buy a struggling business or become an equity partner one day through these efforts. I already help them increase their cash flow and cut costs significantly.

My questionnaire would be filled out AFTER they have raised their hand by responding to my ads, email, courier package and lumpy mail sent sequentially. Also, I know several people making six figures to well over $1million with direct mail alone. It still works if you know what you are doing.

@ Dexx. Thank you for the feedback. I get my questionnaires filled out prior to my first appointment in my other business. Some advisors fill out the form with the clients. I just thought it would be easier to get a preliminary questionnaire filled out ahead of time as AP says, especially since I am already doing it.

So, based on your experience it is easier fill out one long questionnaire as opposed to getting a small two pager filled out to ahead of time weed out the undesirables? Do you qualify them over the phone before you go see them? For instance what if their budget has gone from $30k per year to zero due to ineffective advertising?

[Dexx]

You can ask some questions ahead of time to know your time won't be wasted:

1) How long have they been in business? (Less than 3 years means they might not be around to pay you in the future...5 years+ is ideal)

2) Where is their office located and how many employees do they have? (No office and/or No physical employees = probably not much money in the bank for marketing fees...not always...but a general rule of thumb)

3) What are they currently doing for marketing? (No marketing budget and/or no marketing being done = an uphill battle to get money from them...you want to redirect their current spending...not make them have to come up with it...ideally)

I'd ask those Qs when I return phone calls to interested leads, and based off those Qs I will either be busy or available

Hope that helps,

~Dexx

[Don Alm]

Thanks Dexx....

[rdpatrick]

I apologize for being harsh. It just irritates me when people make assumptions about me without answering my initial question.

[phoenixmarketingdr]

I have to defend DOn I was also under the impression you were a newbie b/c most newbies are vague the think some one will steal thier idea or they are just thinking not actually upto doing.
There is also tremendous value in what Don said you may want to hire some one to make those calls to set up the appts in the process that Don say it is a goldmine and cheaper than direct mail I used to use a similar aproach and get about three in ten so the numbers are right and you can go on five app. a day so you have the phone rep pt and fill your sched. wks in advance
Thank