3 rules of engagement

Ah,  the rule of 3.  As marketers, we research numerous analytics on how to contact our prospects that we end up in analysis paralysis.  At Symbiont group we've been guilty of this act. At some point, it's something all businesses have done and it's time to put an end to it!  Applying the rule of 3 principle to all facets of prospect communicating can garner positive results in both business and personal.

According to copyblogger, the rule of 3 is a writing principle that suggests things that come in 3 are more effective and memorable than other number combinations.  When writing to prospects, we don't want to spam them with useless information-We want to give them valuable bite sized pieces of knowing who we are and why we contact them.  Each level of communication we send gives us a sense of where the customer is in their buying journey.  Here's how we communicate with prospects utilizing the rule of 3.

Level 1- Quick Introduction

If your prospect doesn't know who you are, we want to give them a bite sized introduction stating who we are and what we do.  The introductory email is simply used as a "feeler" to track the initial level of interest the prospect has in our proposed product/service.  They most likely do not know who we are, so we want to be clear and concise.  Level 1 is a great way for us to recognize prospects that are immediately looking for what we offer.   Sales and marketing can then work together to provide requested information for the prospect.

Level 2- Let's Get Personal

We've now entered the "personal zone."  The chances they did not respond to our previous communication was due to lack of awareness to our brand or weak positioning.  Now we have to differentiate and also reinforce why they should be speaking with us.  At Level 2, being a researcher counts much more than being a salesperson.  According to Appboy.com, personalized messages increase related conversion by more than 27% compared to other messages.   Our personalized message should involve something about their business or industry and then a call to action.

Level 3- "Professionally Persistent"

Getting to Level 3 means we simply have to be creative and politely persistent.  There's a thin line between persistence and annoyance-We have to cross that line with extreme care.  The chances of them not responding to our communication over a period of time could mean big changes in their organization or lack of interest.  We make light of how busy prospects get and we send them one last communication in hopes they respond with or without interest.  Tactful humor and a strong call to action will help you collect prospects who may or may not be worth "the chase."  If there is no response after level 3, we move on and continue to find the right prospects that would be of value.

The rule of 3 can apply to so many aspects in marketing and sales.  You can utilize this principle in voice mails, emails, and field sales.  There's endless possibilities for using it in marketing campaigns as well.   The rule of 3 allows you to be persistent enough to pursue prospects but professional enough to notice if it's not worth your company's bandwidth or time. 

Happy Prospecting!