Patient: Doc, our catalog works great for our core audience. We know this because we get tons of love letters from customers. So why can’t we improve response rates and grow faster?
Catalog Doctor: Just like building your body, building a strong core audience for your catalog is important. But if you only work on your core, you may be leaving the rest of yourself weak.
Patient: You mean, like strong abs aren’t enough? I also have to build up my arms and legs?
Catalog Doctor: Exactly. You must focus harder on selling to your marginal audience, not just your core. Make it easier for fence-sitters to buy from you. You’ll get higher response rates, higher growth and higher profits.
Patient: How’s my core audience different from my marginal audience?
Catalog Doctor: Let’s look at the Simplified Audience Pyramid.
SUPER CORE: Wild Enthusiasts, Wildly Loyal. They’ll work hard to buy from you, so your catalog doesn’t have to work hard to sell to them. It just has to put your products in front of them. We love Super Cores, but there aren’t enough of them to support a whole catalog business.
CORE: Moderate Enthusiasts. They like your catalog, they understand what you’re selling and they’re willing to make an effort to buy from you. Cores deliver quick growth out of the gate, but that growth levels off as you run out of universe.
MAYBE: Interested, but Lazy. They’ll buy, but not if they have to exert effort — like taking time to figure out something confusing. Maybes exist throughout your rented and catalog-request lists. But when they get your catalog, there’s too much standing in the way of buying. Maybes are even on your buyer list, but most never move beyond single-buyer status.
FORGET IT: Not at all Interested. Don’t bother with these folks; investing in them is costly and wasteful.
