Understanding The Road To TheUnderstanding The Road To The ClientClientCommunications 101Communications 101

Rob Robinson | wrrobinson@gmail.com

Understanding The Road To TheUnderstanding The Road To The ClientClient

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Communication 101 ConsiderationsCommunication 101 Considerations::

• How does one change/maintain behavior?• How many contacts are typically required to “close a deal”?• How do clients best receive information?• How do clients best retain information?• How do our minds work?• How does order of entry effect market share?• Where are clients on the innovation adoption curve?

In describing today's accelerating changes, the media fireblips of unrelated information at us. Experts bury us undermountains of narrowly specialized monographs. Popularforecasters present lists of unrelated trends, withoutany model to show us their interconnections or theforces likely to reverse them. As a result, changeitself comes to be seen as anarchic, evenlunatic. Alvin Toffler

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How does one change and maintainHow does one change and maintainchange in clientchange in client behavior ?*behavior ?*

* Dr. Ashtook Jain and W.R. Robinson, Houston, TX, 1995.

Change And Maintain Behavior Curve

Emotions

Logic

Change Maintain

Emotional ImpetusStimulates Consideration

Of Behavior Change

Logic Translates EmotionalStimulus Into Actual Decision

For Change In Behavior

Logic Continues To ProvideBasis For ContinuedChange In Behavior

Additional Emotional Stimulus CanPrevent Change In Behavior If

Logic No Longer Sufficient

Decision To Change Made(Example: Make A Purchase)

Mot

ivat

ion

To C

hang

e

Low

High

Behavior Over TimeEarly Late

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How many contacts are required to close a deal?*How many contacts are required to close a deal?*

Calls To Close Sales

2%

1st Call

3%

2nd Call

4%

3rd Call

10%

4th Call

81%

5th CallOr Later

* Levinson, Jay Conrad. Guerilla Marketing. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1989.

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How doHow do clientsclients best receive information?*best receive information?*

Reception Of Information – Total Reception By Sense (In Percent)

82%

Eyes

12%

Ears

6%

Other(Tactile)

* Phase I Learning Systems – Selling Skills, New York, NY: Pfizer, Inc. 1993.

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How doHow do clients bestclients best retain information?*retain information?*

Retention Of Information Over Time(% Information Retained)

* Phase I Learning Systems – Selling Skills, New York, NY: Pfizer, Inc. 1993.

70%72%

HearOnly

85%

SeeOnly

HearAnd See

After 3 Hours

65%

10%

20%

HearOnly

SeeOnly

HearAnd See

After 3 Days

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How do our minds work?*How do our minds work?*

Mental Activity Overview (% Of Mental Activity)

10%

Conscious

90%

Subconscious

* Murphy, Joseph; The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind, 1963; Prentice Hall, Inc.; Englewood, NJ.

* Adrian Slywotsky, Value Migration; Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA; 1996.

Market Share Percentage By Order Of Entry

37%

17%

#1 #2

14%

6%

#3 #4

2%4%

#5 #6

How does order of entry effect market share?*How does order of entry effect market share?*

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Rogers Adoption / Innovation Curve

2.5%

Innovators

13.5%

EarlyAdopters

34%

EarlyMajority

34%

LateMajority

16%

Laggards

* Rogers Adoption/Innovation Curve, Everett Rogers, 1995.

Where are potentialWhere are potential clientsclients ononthe innovation adoption curve?*the innovation adoption curve?*

Applying Understanding: Building The RoadApplying Understanding: Building The Road

1. Identify client “Pain” points and ask if your solution is truly worthy of consideration to solve the “Pain” problem.

2. Determine the client’s emotional and logical manifestation of having the “Pain” as well as the emotional and logicalreasons why your solution is worthy of consideration. (Slide #3)

3. Understand that you will need to work to get at least five contacts sharing emotional/logical benefits of solution withclients as soon as possible without being intrusive – using all available tools/tactics (print/digital, live/recorded). (Slide#4)

4. Develop messaging, tools, and tactics that address client information reception and retention characteristics. (Slides#5-6)

5. Realize that if message sequencing (five contacts over time) and messaging delivery (tools) are optimized, influencingthe conscious and subconscious thought/decision making process of the client will be optimized. (Slide #7)

6. Understand where your solution is in relation to market entry and set revenue expectations accordingly. (Slide #8)

7. Understand where your client is in innovation adoption and use that information to set initial time to revenueexpectations. (Slide #9)

8. Continue to consistently cycle through these steps to help “maintain the road” you have built to the client.10

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