Not long ago, Ardath Albee of the Marketing Interactions blog registered with a company's Web site so she could download a whitepaper that looked interesting. The next day she received an email from a "Sales Development Specialist" asking Albee to place herself in one of three "buckets" so he could accurately gauge her interest level:
- 1) Thank you for the follow-up and material; however, at this point I am only educating myself on [topic] best practices.
- 2) While I am educating myself on [topic], I am also interested in learning more about [company's] [topic] solutions.
- 3) Please call me as soon as possible. I am looking to evaluate [topic] programs and take a look at what [company] has to offer.
Albee's reaction to this email was decidedly mixed. "On the one hand," she says, "I like being able to hit reply and say, hey, I'm a #1. On the other hand, I resent the implication that I'm just like everyone else and can be so easily categorized."
The senders of this message undoubtedly believe it sets a tone of respectful helpfulness. But it also has the potential to create an uneasy sense that they're marketing on their own terms. "I downloaded a document—ONE document—and now I'm in their sales process," notes Albee. "And I'm either going to be known as a 1, 2 or 3 or a nobody."
The Po!nt: Asking people to "bucket" themselves might have less-than-desirable consequences. "We have … learned to pose open ended questions to … potential customers," says a commenter at Albee's post. "Nothing is more closed than a bucket."
Source: Marketing Interactions. Click here for the full post.
by Christina "CK" Kerley
Comments
by Cindy Erwin Tue Mar 3, 2009
Sometimes even a "bucket list" isn't enough to halt the sales process. I indicated on a whitepaper download form (offered through MarketingProfs) that I was interested only for educational purposes and (because of my agency's small, not-for-profit status) not looking to purchase any type of services; within two hours of the download, I received a call from a salesperson wanting to determine my interest in "establishing a relationship" with the company. I explained that while I'm sure they had valuable services to offer, I wasn't interested...and never would be based on their behavior!
by Kristie Wed Mar 4, 2009
I read this and was shocked....... Only from the standpoint that at least she was given a survey. Most of the time when I download a white page, I automatically get a call. There's no survey or email to determine my interest.
I also have a problem with companies that offer a white page that is helpful to me but really doesn't have anything to with the services they provide.
JUST BECAUSE I DOWNLOAD A PAPER, DOES NOT MEAN I'M A PROSPECT.
It makes a better impression on me when you provide helpful, user friendly information. When the time is right and your services appropriate, you will be remembered rather than deleted.