Revenue Journal®

There's a conflict between the information you want to get from your potential buyers - in order to market to them effectively - and the fact that asking for that information can prevent them from interacting with your website or making a purchase. Asking for too much information too soon is like the owner of a retail store "greeting" you at the entrance and forcing you to sign a guestbook before you can start shopping. Most people would decline and leave the store, which is exactly what is happening on your website - except you can't "see" them leaving without resorting to in-depth web stat log analysis.

How do you find out what you need to know without placing barriers in their way?

1. Ask only what you need to know at that stage. Don't ask for information you don't need. Let's say you're selling a business-to-business product, and you offer a white paper to any customer who will register. When they get to the download screen, just ask for their name, email, company, and title, and let them download the whitepaper. That's enough for you to send them emails (with permission, of course), and target those emails to their interest. Decide what you absolutely need to know to help support the next step of their buying process, and don't ask for anything more at that stage.

2. Ask additional questions later. For example, after they've downloaded your white paper, you can send them an email asking how they felt about the white paper, and if there are any other subjects they wish you'd address. You will then learn which problems they're hoping you'll solve. You'll be able to target your future white papers and mailings to address those issues.

3. If there is another way to get the information you need, use it.

- Get on the phone and interview several customers of a similar type to understand what they are concerned about and what they'd like you to provide.

- Have your salespeople ask each new customer one question during this month, and a different one each month thereafter. Over time you will gain valuable knowledge that can help you in your selling efforts.

- Use other sources to fill in additional data, such as a person's mailing address, using resources such as the Access Hoover's Salesforce.com solution.

If you ask for too much, too soon, your buyers will decide that you don't have their best interests at heart, and that you are more interested in smothering them with solicitations. They will simply click away, and look for a vendor who makes it easy for them to get what they want.

What you really need to know is what their needs are, what they'd like to buy from you, and how they'd like to buy from you. You can obtain this information, without alienating customers, if you are intelligent about what you ask for, and don't ask for everything at once.