Marketing is really pretty simple.

Just find out what people want, and give it to them. Too simple, right? So simple, few do it… preferring to play blind target practice with their marketing dollars — the financial equivalent to handing a monkey a loaded gun!

Instead of interacting with their prospects to zero in on the sweet spot of desire, these companies hide from them. And end up blowing their brains out on failed marketing campaigns, victims of their own advertising shrapnel …

My prediction?

Those who insist on continuing this monkey marketing — simply aping their competitors without care or thought for the real wants and needs of their prospects — will crash and burn over the next 12 to 18 months… while savvy marketers who understand the importance of applied research leave them in the dust.

Why?

Because in today’s brave new world of copious information supply – far outstripping demand – consumers are naturally gravitating toward businesses who display unusual empathy… who listen to them… and react.

So to set a positive example, I’m doing something highly unusual today.

I’m taking you behind the scenes… dissecting my recent database survey where I asked, “what do you want?” I’m even sharing a little bit of my proprietary data with you …

If you sell information of any kind, you should find this instructive.

Shall we begin?

I surveyed you because I want to add a continuity component to my business. There are clearly those among you willing to pay for priority access to my training on a regular and recurring basis, and this survey is designed to help me to create the most beneficial program possible.

So I asked “how do you learn best?” The responses surprised me. With all of the buzz about multi-media and interactivity I wouldn’t have expected the lowly ebook and printed manual to have scored so highly …

Here are the results:

Next, I wanted to know where on the continuum you are with respect to implementation. No matter what kind of information you happen to be selling, this is an important question.

It gives you clues as to how deep the content you deliver to your subscribers should be. I felt the best way to get to the root of this question was to ask about business revenues. Here are the results:

As you can see there are a lot of new market entrants. This is a very healthy sign. It means the market is growing… and quickly.

Next, I asked, “If you were to subscribe to a paid program of ongoing training and advice, which of the following types of content would you find most valuable?” If you sell information of any kind, again, I think you’ll find these results interesting …

So far, my little survey has given me a feeling for the kind of media you find most useful, and a general sense of the kind of content you want.

Now here’s where I was mining for gold. The next question went free form and asked you to “please describe the training (both the content and the format) that you feel you need most to quickly take your business to the next level in 2008.”

The answers I got to this question (too numerous to show here) go way beyond simply telling me what you want. They hold clues about the way you think about your business, and how you need to be communicated with. Embedded within your comments are words and phrases that will end up in my sales copy.

The next question was “how much would you expect to pay for training such as you just described?” Naturally I’m taking your answers with a grain of salt. I’m not so much trying to fish for a price point, but rather an idea of the relative value you place on different kinds of content and training.

I also wanted to see where else you’d be spending your money in 2008, so I asked, “in which of the following areas will you be investing in 2008?” Out of a long list, more of you said copywriting courses than anything else. Smart!

And I was dying to find out how old you are. Knowing the demographics of the market you’re communicating with matters BIG TIME. Each generation wants different things, has different needs, and thinks differently.

The generation you belong to has shared imprints that color your view of the world. These experiences impact your beliefs and your attitudes.

Based on the below survey results, it’s a safe bet you grew up during the cold war, listening to The Beatles, and watching the original Star Trek on TV.

Some of the emotionally charged events that are seared into your memory are the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968… the Apollo 11 moonwalk in ‘69… the assassination of John Lennon in ‘80… and of course 9/11 in 2001.

And because you experienced those events at a particular stage of life, they impacted your thinking in very specific ways.

That’s why knowing the demographic make up of your database is so important. It allows you to write sales copy that keys in on the specific mindsets that age and experience create.

Finally, I asked you to rate me against other sources of similar information. I asked this question for two reasons. 1) I was fishing for potential testimonials. I got a ton. And 2), I thought there would be a lot of emotionally charged content here that I could use in my promotions. And I was right.

Many of you took this opportunity to rant about our industry’s habit of selling you things while pretending to teach you things.

Actually I have mixed thoughts on this. On the one hand I think it’s silly for someone who wants to learn about marketing to be offended by genuine teaching that doubles as selling. Personally I love to watch or listen to a masterful pitch.

On the other hand, it’s true that far too many internet marketer’s “lessons” are pretty hollow – some all pitch and no teaching – pure fluff. To my thinking, that makes for a lousy pitch. The biggest grand slam home runs teach and sell at the same time, don’t you agree? If you’d like to discuss, post a comment in the form below.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed getting a wee peak under the kimono today. I am a huge believer in market research. In my opinion it is the absolute bedrock of productive copy. The insight you can mine from open ended questions when you take the time to classify and quantify them is truly amazing.

I’m far from an expert. In fact, before preparing my little survey I poured through Glenn Livingston’s market research course, and actually interviewed him. You can listen to the interview for free. Just click here and sign up for it. As soon as you do, you’ll be directed to a page where you’ll be able to download my interview with Glenn for FREE!

And as a special bonus, Glenn will send you other valuable materials on this important subject that he compiled in interviews with Perry Marshall, Jonathan Mizel, David Bullock, and Fred Gleeck. Awesome stuff!

Glenn’s work is utterly incredible.

Not only does he show you step-by-step how to mine insights from an existing database, he shows you how to systematically research new niches to determine how profitable they’ll be… exactly what kinds of products prospects within those niches will go crazy for… and precisely how to communicate with them to get them to buy.

Click on this link, download all of the great market research related content Glenn has prepared for you, listen to my interview, and post any questions you have in the form below. If there are some good ones, I’ll invite Glenn to stop by and join the discussion.

Until next time, Good Selling!