People (like me!) bang on about market research all the time.
But honestly, market research is one of the major reasons that I’ve been able to be successful in sales across multiple industries and countries.
Over the last 3.5 years, I’ve surveyed my audience constantly… and I’ve been able to provide products and services that really meet the needs of people in my community.
But it’s not JUST about money making activities.
It’s also about BRAND BUILDING / PR opportunities too.
Think about it.
If you want to appear on a certain podcast/ in a certain magazine or publication… it helps to know what kind of content that they’re looking for.
Or what style they prefer.
Even just knowing a couple of recent articles and understanding why it matches the needs of the audience that it’s being sent to is worth a TON!
Because it means that you can tailor YOUR pitch – and make yourself as appealing as possible to the person that you’re pitching.
Take a couple of examples;
– Person A listens to my podcast regularly. At the end of each podcast, I always invite people to send me questions… They email me a question and I invite them onto the show a) to get their question answered and b) because I want to say thanks and help them promote their own business in the process. We pop all of their links in the show notes, promote it regularly to my list and social media channels and try to make it a super simple sales decision for any listeners who need the product/ service that person offers.
– Persons B+C (both pitches that I’ve had this week) on the other hand;
Person B gets their PR person to send THREE of the exact same blanket pitch emails. The email states that they’ve ‘listened to all of the episodes’ and that their client wants to appear as an expert on [INSERT INDUSTRY]. I respond politely and explain that the only guests who come on the podcast are ones who are willing to be live coached and bring a sales question… I then get 2 more blanket pitches from the PR person – and eventually email the PR AND their client to ask them to stop sending me messages.
(And yes. My email back was curt!)
Person C has their PR person reach out to me today. Again, with the caveat that they’ve listened to ‘most’ of my episodes. They pitch an entire show based on featuring and promoting their client… but don’t present any sales questions or a desire for their client to be live coached. They also send it from their PR email address and sign it off as the client.
Again, I politely declined… and (cynical person that I am) await their next 3/4 blanket pitches eagerly 
The point is not to slate PR people. Far from it.
The majority do a great job.
It’s also not to discourage people from appearing on my podcast… really, NOTHING brings me more joy than being able to help the people in my community.
But the point IS about DOING your research.
Whether it’s doing market research to make yourself money.
Or research into the right channels for your PR.
Not doing the research really hacks off the audience that you’re pitching to… if it doesn’t solve THEIR problem or meet THEIR needs, they’re not going to buy it OR feature it.
Who has top tips for doing the RIGHT kind of market research?
