Guerrilla Marketing

by Jay Conrad Levinson

The whole idea of guerrilla marketing is to transform cold prospects into consenting partners. As with superb sex, marketers shouldn't be in a hurry,  shouldn't direct their energies to disinterested people and must realize that the consummation of a loving relationship won't take place without proper  wooing, without knowing exactly what turns on the prospect.

When small business owners think less of marketing as an impersonal communication and more as a sexual journey, they will be far more able to
market with success. In today's cluttered environment of marketing, instead of pondering numbers and demographics, explore instead the
concepts of romance and love.

That means realizing that falling in love with the right person and keeping the relationship delicious and satisfying is not so much a single major event as a step-by-step process. It begins by playing the field and determining just who you want to date in the first place. During this step, guerrilla marketers concentrate upon the compatibility factor. They keep their radar attuned to the proper chemistry that leads to mutual understanding and eventual consent. Unfazed by superficial allure, they seek soulmates more than customers. Their taste and discretion helps reduce their marketing costs because their targets reflect quality over quantity.

The guerilla marketers next step is gaining uncarnal knowledge. They seek information about prospects who have caught their fancy so they can satisfy their needs more than their wants -- because guerrillas realize people often want what they don't need, and providing it is hardly the basis of a long term relationship. They seek shared values in customers as they would in lovers, gaining information as they impart information, much in the manner of two people getting to know each other -- with romance on their mind. They treat all prospects differently, just as they want to be treated. They learn those ways with research and two-way communication.

It's at this point that guerrillas engage in flirting -- taking that first step towards gaining consent. Marketing with personalized messages, treating  advertising not as the way to make the sale but as the first step in gaining consent, they become attractive to those who have attracted them.

When the courtship begins, guerrillas pay very close attention and prove that they care. They enter into dialogues with those form whom they are lusting and know what to say for that lust to be returned. Any courtship is intensified with gifts of love, and it is no different in the guerrilla marketer's search for consenting partners. Gifts can be gift-wrapped or come in the form of prizes, memberships in loyalty groups, newsletters, booklets, regular  email updates. Each prospect knows that their individuality is recognized.

Next comes necking and petting, connecting even closer with prospects by becoming more intimate in marketing. By listening carefully to learn of likes and dislikes, specific problems, guerrillas learn to make promises they can keep. Their penchant for taking action broadens even more the consent for which they strive.

The step in marketing that most relates to foreplay is when marketers give to their partners the exact pleasure that they want. They capitalize upon the interactivity afforded by online communications to become a part of their prospect's identities. They customize their messages to each prospect, not only making them feel special but proving their devotion.

Guerrilla marketers and their prospects achieve consummation by closing the sale with mutual consent. Rather than having rushed, their timing is impeccable and their fulfillment implies a commitment. The marketer has consistently demonstrated empathy for the partner -- with the goal of providing joy and satisfaction. The earth may not tremble, but a lasting bond has been created.

During the afterglow, the connection is solidified. This is accomplished with assiduous follow-up -- proving in a way that the marketer still respects the prospect in the morning. Statements of warm appreciation are made, resulting in prospects who are so delighted they just cannot help but relate their joy to other people they know.

The entire process involves a lot more than a mere sexual dalliance but is the start of a long and happy marriage. The devotion of the small business owner is unmistakable because it builds upon details that have been learned, specific tastes of each customer and their shared experience of sale, purchase and use.

The more you view the marketing process as a mating ritual as opposed to an economic ritual, the longer you will find your list of consenting and delighted partners.