Quite a lot of thought, actually. (This was my thinking for 2011, but I got sidetracked).
In particular, I've been thinking about focussing on particular services towards a single sector: Corporate Investigations.
That's where the money is at. It certainly doesn't seem to be with the usual deadbeat clients I seem to attract, that's for sure.
Now, what's the best way of getting the attention of some of these key decision-makers...?
I'm seriously (well, maybe not *too* seriously) contemplating a radical and direct campaign of intensive surveillance on the Prospective Clients and their families. Then, say after a week or two, send a mysterious package to the Prospective Client containing the choicest snaps: leaving home and kissing wife goodbye in morning, shagging secretary in carpark, kids leaving school... that sort of thing.
Nice 8"x10" glossy Black & White pics. Perhaps red cross-hairs drawn around the family's heads for dramatic effect.
And a card with a note. Something short and to the point and even reassuring:
"We know where you live. We'll be in touch".
I think this is an elegant and simple concept where the Prospective Client immediately can see the value of our services and will be suitably impressed!
Yeah, okay, so it might be prone to misinterpretation and could do with some refining, but the central concept is that perhaps to demonstrate the effectiveness of a service, you need to provide an example that the Prospective Client can understand.
And do this in such a manner that precludes being arrested and charged with Criminal Harassment.
Don't tell me that this, if done correctly, wouldn't be a powerful marketing tool?
Of course, the main obstacle is the cost in both time and resources. Mounting a blanket surveillance operation on more than one party for any length of time is going to be untenable. Be that as it may, there may be some clever work-arounds.
What say you, Dear Reader?
A good idea worth refining, or one destined for the rubbish-heap? Poll open on top right of page for next 6 days. You be the judge.
UPDATE Poll Results 05 Jan 2012
I'm no statistican but here's an endorsement, right there, if I ever saw one...
Brilliant in concept and execution
|
3
(30%)
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Awesome but needs refinement
|
4
(40%)
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Don't quit your day job.
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3
(30%)
|
For those that voted it needs 'refinement', feel free to provide examples...
ReplyDeleteWe stalked a thing rather than a person
ReplyDeleteWe had a potential client that we were courting for Open Source Intelligence work and who we found was a classic car fan as a result of some very basic classic car fair prior to meeting for the first time.
His main problem with us was that we were not a big ticket firm and didn’t charge $200 ph per person. His logic seemingly centred on the fact that we couldn’t be THAT good if we don’t charge THAT much.
We lunched, we visited, we sent brochures, we talked, gave references we did all we could and the bugger wouldn’t bite.
As a last ditch effort we did a life story of his most precious position for his Birthday, his E Type Jaguar. From it rolling out of the factory, its first owner, where it then lived, who it lived with, where it went, the names it used (registrations) how it got to South Africa and how it got to our target (where we are based).
It was all professionally bound, written in the first person by the car itself with a little humour. We also solicited some correspondence from a couple of previous owners talking about what they had done to the car, where they had gone and the memories they had of it.
The kicker was putting a picture of the car on the package cover of a smiling lady. She was one of ours and was the one that handed the pack over to the target. She had managed to convince him to let her sit in it at a classic car fair and be photographed by her “husband” a month or so earlier.
We were told the picture was a bit of a “creepy touch” but he loved the present and appreciated the fact that the classic car fair happened a long long way from our office
We were VERY luck in the detail that was available but we took a flyer on the task and it paid off. I guess that what you are talking about here. It could have freaked him out but didn’t
You made Facebook ;-)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/PIMarketing?sk=wall
TonyG,
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty impressive example. Seriously, how could you not be convinced if something like that was handed to you, perfectly packaged and presented?
And it obviously got you the client.
Good job!
Farnsworth,
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm infamous in small circles.
I think doing it of a person in the company you want to hire would strike them as somewhat on the creepy side, but as per the above, done with a thing is quite clever. Especially a car actually. I imagine there's a fair few banks that need this sort of work in the current economic climate, and this would be the thing that their collection, risk and fraud teams would be interested in.
ReplyDeleteEdit - Security word was Spyinast, must be a sign.