Why 3 is the Magic Marketing Number

If you are marketing to the affluent then get to know the magic marketing number. Effective lead generation involves strategy that works. Some marketers seek a solution that takes prospect directly from A to B in one communication. Beware one-hit wonder strategies. One is your enemy when it comes to marketing strategies. One leaflet, one email, one sales call or one letter. What should you do instead?

It’s not your best strategy to hope high net worth individuals or investors will buy straight off the bat. A one hit wonder mailing is going to have to an amazing offer to get immediate buy-in. You are really close to your offer and have lived with it for a while. Your target hasn't. 

Here’s a way to think about it.

Imagine somebody is serving teas and coffees at a charity cake sale, a church or school, or even doing the morning tea rounds at the office. The mugs are all higgledy-piggledy and they’re difficult to pick up…especially when there’s a hot beverage inside!

Either the person serving has to hand you a drink, or you don’t take one. Strategy is having all the mug handles pointing toward the recipient of the drinks. Why? So that they’re in control. They take the drink because it is an invitation that is easy and convenient to accept.

This is what a solid marketing strategy can do for lead generation. Your optimum strategy should put up clear and compelling sign posts up so that high net worth individuals can draw a conclusion that your offer is worth their time and interest. How many sign posts? Three at least.

So, why is 3 the magic marketing number?

All the best things come in threes. Repeating or grouping ideas, words and images (or anything else for that matter) in threes creates a cluster that is easier to remember. That's why we find it easy to remember phrases such as 'blood, sweat and tears' and 'liberte, egalite, fraternite'; it's also why children's stories have threes in them (think Goldilocks and the Three Bears or The Three Little Pigs).

Therefore, implementing three stages to your lead generation strategy will make the brand and the offer more memorable as your message returns in three forms. It is the smallest pattern there is and an effective one if you want to pack a punch with your marketing strategy.

OAs well as being memorable, by relying on three mailings rather than one there's time to generate interest over a more extended amount of time. The information and the offer can be spread out across the mailings to build a picture. In contrast, one mailing has to cram all the information in, as well as the why’s and wherefores. That amount of information can be overwhelming and it doesn’t allow room for the a high net worth individual to mull over the offer. Sequenced mailings allow a build up of information that encourages intrigue so that, by the third mailing, prospects are hungry for more details. Essentially, you recognise their level of interest and encourage them to discover more about that interest.

Example: magic marketing number 3-stage campaign

Stage One: be simple and punchy.

Simplify your compelling offer on a postcard. You’re planting the thought of the offer and the concept behind it in their minds. As a result, when the second mailing hits their doormats they are familiar with you and what you’re offering and are more likely to be receptive.

From Robert Cialdini's Pre-Suasion. He cited an example of a marketing survey, where only 29% of people responded initially.

However, when a mailing went out preceding this marketing survey, asking ‘are you a helpful person?’ almost all those targeted responded when asked if they could help with a marketing survey. By shifting people to a particular concept or idea, you shift your targeted market’s personality in that moment of picking up a pre-suasion mailer.

They are not potential investors or clients with money to spend; they are helpful or adventurous or a quality-orientated buyer. If you lead with pre-suasion, you are preparing your prospects for the message (turning the mug handle towards them).

Stage Two: Establish Authority

The second mailing, then, is a letter filling out what you alluded to in the pre-suasion mailing. The copy on the postcard should create questions that you can then answer in the letter, establishing you as a personable authority.

It is important to engage with the conversation your high net worth investors or affluent individuals are already having in their minds. However, you should not force a decision as you are merely wanting them to be as informed as possible. Establish a strong call to action and rest on the power of clarity over persuasion.

Remember, you want to turn the mug handle towards them rather than give them the mug. There’s no persuasion in pressure.

Stage Three: Wow Your Prospect

Now, the third mailing has the most flexibility. It can be sent to leads who have converted, or those who responded to your call to action. The idea is that this mailing gives a true ‘wow’ factor. If you go the extra mile for your prospect, they’re more likely to go the extra mile for you (i.e. convert and spend more doing so).

This is where Shock & Packages come in. Shock & Awe Packages are parcels delivered to your prospect clients or high net worth investors, containing your offer in a detailed form (think brochures with ROI breakdowns, time scales, risk, etc) along with some sort of gift/s relating to your offer. It suggests exclusivity and shows you value them as people, not an opportunity for a sale.

This mode of mailing isn’t often used by marketers. It can be seen as an expensive extra. However, it positions your leads in a much better way, to help them make a decision to convert.

To go back to my mug analogy, giving a gesture of good will positions the mug handle towards your prospect to freely take. And quite frankly, if you’re sending surprise gifts to their door, who wouldn’t take it?

We find that those who have received Shock & Awe boxes from our clients have been blown away by the surprise. And, as a result, the leads have been more receptive to the investment or purchase information that has been sent with the gifts. It’s a great opportunity to exercise creativity in a new marketing channel. It’s certainly exciting to see the results of creating surprise packages for leads.

Making 3 your magic marketing number

Ultimately, 3 is the magic marketing number because it offers time to stagger your offer and use that time to present your investment or purchase offer as a much more reasonable and natural an action.

Moreover, familiarity is so important when wanting to successfully generate leads. If someone doesn’t know you or your brand, how do you expect them to accept what you’re asking of them in a one and done communication?

The key is communication and consistency, partnered with choosing the right clients. It is important to note that a 3 stage campaign will only get the leads you want, if you have effectively targeted your ideal market. The UK High Net Worth Database gets campaigns directly in front of the most appropriate affluent and high net worth individuals so that a 3 stage campaign can work with optimum effect.

And of course, with a successful three-stage strategy like this, you have a process you can easily role out again and again for different products or different markets. Don’t rely on the ad-hoc lead generation a one hit wonder campaign can produce. Be systematic and implement the power of the magic marketing number for your business.