Prospects

(Previously named The Potential Prospect and Referred By, Additional Data)

We use the term “Prospect” to mean someone who has the ability to buy our products but has not yet bought from us (but you know that they could buy if they wanted). This person should be cultivated and made into a customer in the future. We may also add people to the list who may not become customers but may provide us with good PR or refer us to people who may become customers.

Prospects are not customers yet, and may never become customers, so we want to mark them as “Prospect” in the Contact Keys so that we market to them appropriately. We don’t want to send 12 catalogs a year for 5 years to someone who has never shown any interest in buying our merchandise.

Prospects are entered into Business Mind with Contact Key “Prospect” and the salesperson sends a catalog with a “nice to meet you” letter on BRM letterhead, describing how Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers can be of service to them. At the end of the letter, ask if they would like to continue to receive our catalogs.

Examples of people who would be marked “Prospect” in the Contact Keys:

• Radio executives and personalities
• Local people who are written up in magazine articles
• Sports figures
• Anyone you would like to have as a customer
• The Mayor
• Business owners
• Someone you meet who doesn’t express any direct interest in jewelry or watches but appears to be in our target demographic (affluent enough to have disposable income).
• Event attendees

Contacts that are marked “Prospect” are not counted as a New Name to Central Files (NNCF) until they write back, call us, or come in looking for something. When they contact us, change the Contact Key to Mailings 12. Then they are counted as a NNCF and followed up as usual.