Part One

Last week I wrote to you about selling benefits (or emotion selling) rather than features. I want to add to that concept. You see, in order to sell to your prospect's emotions you should know something about them. So I put together a list of 7 things you absolutely MUST know about your prospects.

1. Age- Everything you say and write, including slang, allusions, word difficulty, and topics should be adjusted to meet age appropriateness.

2. Gender- Despite the dual roles men and women tend to fill, most individuals can be segmented (and sold to) based on gender-specific interests or needs.

3. Location- Values and culture tend to vary based on demographics. Having a clear understanding of regional difference will improve your targeted messages.

4. Education Level- Similar to age appropriateness, education levels should determine how you address your prospects and what benefits they will find in your product or service.

5. Income- The needs and wants from one social class to another should be a guide to the types of products and services you should be selling them.

6. Marital Status- The values, needs, and desires of married persons greatly differ from those that are single. Marketing family messages to single persons (and vice versa) can lose the deal for you.

7. What Keeps Them Up At Night- This is the most important one. You've got to know your prospect's fears, worries, concerns, excitements, hopes and dreams. When you know the conversation inside your prospect's head, you can enter it, speak to it, and build a relationship that leads to a customer.