Do prospects respond to the bucket approach?

I received this sales email the other day after downloading a white paper from a website that required registration.

The copy went like this:

Ardath,

Thanks for downloading the [document]. 

Generally, folks fall into one of three buckets.

1) Thank you for the follow-up and material; however, at this point I am only educating myself on [topic] best practices.

2) While I am educating myself on [topic], I am also interested in learning more about [company's] [topic] solutions.

3) Please call me as soon as possible. I am looking to evaluate [topic] programs and take a look at what [company] has too offer.

I’m a firm believer that any one of these answers could be right answer as long as it is what’s best for your business.

Your response will allow me to better gauge your interests without bothering you during this busy time. Thanks again for your consideration and I hope to talk with you soon.

Warm regards,
Name
Sales Development Specialist

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I like being able to hit reply and say, hey, I'm a #1. On the other hand, I resent the implication that I'm just like everyone else and can be so easily categorized. Seems a bit "cheeky," if you will.

Plus, this email is all about him finding out something that helps him. Although I guess if he honors the "don't bug me" part that I get a benefit too. But I think that's cheating.

I never asked him to communicate with me. I gave my information to get something I thought would be useful. First download ever from that company. The second is this email.

Why is it that company's still want to market on their terms? To toss a new prospect into the sales cycle at the drop of a pin? I mean, this email is at least asking me, but it's still on their terms. And for heaven's sake, I downloaded a document - ONE document - and now I'm in their sales process. And I'm either going to be known as a 1, 2 or 3 or a nobody.

I haven't responded. Wonder what happens to non-responders...

So, tell me - How would you feel about being bucketed? Is it just me or is this tactic off-putting to anyone else?

Comments

[Terry Lee]

To me sales is about building a relationship and getting enough information to find out whether your solution/product etc can truly fill the other person's needs. This comes with some modicum of trust and I don't see how an impersonal bucket approach does that. I would say you will only win in this tough environment if you are see as above the rest in relationship, service and product. You must shine because most things, even good things, will get cut back. My suggestion is to be much more personal and specific such as: "Thanks for your interest. I am sure your business is more complex than what we cover in the demo/white paper (if you know their business add something about that here). I would suggest that I take you through a brief online demo to get more into the detail of how we could help you specifically. Does that work for you? Do you have any other questions?" Or something like that. It will take more time but it should work better. My mentor when I was at Citibank said that a downturn is the best time to make a big impact on your business. Pick up the phone and make calls. Work hard because most everyone else is frozen and hiding under the table.

[Ardath Albee]

Thanks Terry! Good suggestions.

And I'll add that I think trying to take shortcuts during a downturn only diminishes any credibility you've earned in the past. In a complex sale, taking your time establishes a comfort level for your buyers.

[Peter Korchnak]

I got bucketed recently in a cold email from an email marketing provider. They had 3 buckets too, all of which appeared to suggest, in different words, that I'm either an idiot for not using their service or don't understand email as such. I did reply, saying I'm in none of the three buckets, but in a 4th, which thanks them for their offer and asks them not to contact me again (it was that kind of day).

Bucketing - don't do it.

[Ardath Albee]

Thanks for commenting, Peter!

Makes you wonder if they even think about the words they're using, doesn't it?

Words, tone, style and intention. Important combo, yet it's surprising how many marketers just throw stuff out there without thinking.

[David Crankshaw]

Ardath - Interesting post. I'm wondering where the line is here. I can see that the sales rep assumed that you were further along in the relationship than you were willing to be. But how would you feel if you received two or three emails following your download that asked whether you were able to successfully download the white paper and then built on the content of the white paper with additional relevant content? Of course, each email would have the option to "opt out" of further communication. Would that be too intrusive?

[Ardath Albee]

Hi David,

Thanks for commenting. I'd skip the could you download it email and send the ones with additional relevant content offers.

Assuming you're monitoring my responses, you'll get a much better idea how interested I am. And, like you said, I can always opt out.

Relevance for me trumps bucketing for you :-)

[FeetOnGround]

It seems that maybe they had another option which is to not require registration but have a check box that asks if you want follow up information and then further check boxes for the type of information you want. Do you think this approach is too passive?

I'm thinking that bucket 3 is pretty unlikely -- if I want to talk to someone, I'll probably call, not download a white paper. I might, however be interested in other material, and particularly if the product is complex, some category help in the form of check boxes might be appreciated.

[Ed]

The whole problem I have with "buckets" like this is that whoever's written the copy and come up with the bucket lists never seems to include one that actually fits me.

Normally I fall between two or three options, not quite all one, not quite all the other. None of them are a close fit.

[Ardath Albee]

@Ed - thanks for your comment. I agree. The bucket approach is using rigid assumptions that there are only 3 options. So, Ed, would you just delete the email or would you reply and tell them how your bucket is defined? How do you react when you don't "fit"? I tend to delete...

@FeetOnGround - your idea is solid. Not only ask people to opt in for informational topics they're interested in, ask them about frequency. Once a month, once a week, bi-weekly. It shows respect and that you're interested in being helpful. It's not "passive" it's an offer that both delivers you good information about them and promises them something they want in return. Just make sure you deliver on the expectations you allow them to set - both topic and timing.

[Joel "Cheaters Guide" Gutierrez]

I think it's just cycle in the process. I don't know how many things I've had to sign up with with an email address to get access to it. It's a marketers world out there and to the system we are all just $ signs if you know what I mean.

[LEADSExplorer]

These buckets are for statistics for defining a funnel. Not more or less.

Someone just wants to prove how well his website is running and how much potential is generated by his (or his team) work.

We have always learned to pose open ended questions to your potential customers. Nothing is more closed than a bucket.

[@ zenotek]

Do you know why companies still do this? Because they have idiot bosses and idiot sales managers. I work for one right now. They think leaving sale VMs means leaving a VM at least 45 seconds long. Why? I tune out after 10 seconds. My time is important, and more important that yours, the company marketing to me.

I think too many companies fail to remember that short'n sweet and timeliness is best. Be ready to deliver quickly, follow up quickly and consistently.

But sales and lead gen programs are often created without coordination between sales and marketing. So you end up getting a sales/lead gen response created by marketing that's intended to help marketing with metrics gathering, but ends up making sales look like a bunch of idiots.

I personally get cheeky with people who get stupid like that. I would've just clicked #1 and be done with it. Or else ignored and added them to my spam filter.

[Steve Parker]

As someone who does a lot of online research and downloads a lot of white papers, I totally relate. I have this problem in spades--I refer to the offenders as the white paper barracudas. Sometimes they even add insult to injury and act indignant that I only wanted the free information they were offering ... that I wasn't ready after reading their fabulous tome to shell out $100K right on the spot. What's worse is, if I was a good prospect but very early in my evaluation process, this kind of followup is still a huge turnoff. This is case where poor execution ruins a basically valid intent, which is to ask the prospect "where are you at and how can we help you?"

[Ardath Albee]

Thanks for commenting, Steve!

You wrote, "Sometimes they even add insult to injury and act indignant that I only wanted the free information they were offering"

This is why relationships are lost before they've begun. Think about how much money the company spent to generate each lead. Now think about how much they just lost with that kind of interaction. Very sad and wasteful.

I say - "conversational" or "dialogue" training is needed. These people simply don't know how to behave humanly during online interaction. They don't think about what the impression is for the person on the other end of their communication.

They're still focused on what they want, not what will actually get them closer to that outcome. Two different things.