Murderer, pedophile, necrophile , outright sicko, and adept student of persuasion and influential marketing.
Ted Bundy (and other killers mentioned here) applied the same strategies to lure his victims that marketers use to sell their products. herein described are simply a few “tools of the trade” that anyone, in any niche, can use to effectively profit.
Most things can be used for good
A successful business owner needs to do (at minimum) these four things.
1. write a detailed avatar (know your target customer)
2. design a clear message that is a good match to your market
3. ask for the sale.
4. split test the results to get a better ROI
Killer Marketing Methods
As a marketer you need to know how far along you are in the sales process. Do you have a product and are seeking a market? Or do you already have a market and need a product?
I didn’t know what made things tick. I didn’t know what made people want to be friends. I didn’t know what made people attractive to one another. I didn’t know what underlay social interactions.
~ Ted Bundy referring his teen years
Both require research and acquired knowledge of your “target” aka Avatar. You may think you know your audience but the wisest of marketers will tell you “you are not your customer!” Research and study of your customer is required so you can influence your target to take the action steps you want them to.
The Avatar
If you have an electrical business, you need to know – who is your avatar? Is your prospective customer a homeowner or a builder? Do they need a full renovation and wiring upgrade or just a room addition? Are they wealthy or middle income?
Ted Bundy target: young women that would be disarmed by his looks and charm that he could overpower.
Message to Market
Not everyone wants what you are selling. You need to craft your message to your preferred target market. For example; if you are an electrician you need to determine what you are willing to offer your customer. Do you desire new construction or renovations? Are you willing to do small jobs or only want big jobs?
Ted Bundy message to market: He presented himself to a targeted young woman as a likeable, harmless, cute guy, who just needed a helping hand.
You will see later in this post how his “message to market” evolved to be more effective.
Finding Your Target
If your target is a middle class homeowner needing residential electrical upgrade, you know they are expecting to spend money and probably already know the job will require city permits. To target these folks you simply need to find the neighbourhoods with the age of home commonly in need of these types of repairs and upgrades. Next, blanket the area in flyers. In the flyer you should address their fears and provide assurances about you and your services. For example; “Before you upgrade your electrical panel there are 7 important things you must know – get your free report at
It is important to be likeable and non-threatening.
A clown can get away with murder
~ John Wayne Gacy
Ted Bundy knew his target was found in the university area. He would hone in on his target and act passive and friendly. This made it possible to convince her it was safe to follow him into a secluded area where he would then abduct, torture, and kill.
After he was jailed he used similar persuasive tactics to make his captors complacent enough to be able to escape right out from under their noses. Not just once, but TWICE he managed to escape from jail.
Ask for the Sale
Micro-Commitments: All successful transactions require you ask for something from your prospect. The AdWord ad asks for a click. The landing page asks for an optin. The sales page or in-home presentation, asks for the sale. Each time your prospect takes a step in the direction you want them to, they are making a small psychological commitment to you and the sales process. Each micro-commitment leads them closer to giving you permission to ask for the sale.
In the earlier murders Ted Bundy approached the women, later he positioned himself to be approached by them (attraction marketing). Earlier he was just a guy who needed some help boosting his car. Later he evolved and would limp with a crutch and had his arm in a sling. He would awkwardly carry a brief case while he hobbled along on his crutch. When he caught his targets empathetic attention, he then asked if she would carry the briefcase to his car for him. He looked like a nice guy, looked like he belonged. He asked for the sale!
Most people aren’t comfortable with asking for money. As a small business owner you have to learn how to do this or starve. A simple way to ease into asking for the sale is to to present 3 buying choices to your prospect. For example:
Example Option A: A homeowner who wants an electrical upgrade can choose to split the work into financially manageable parts.
Part A: rewire the house to current code standards (wired smoke detectors, bathroom and kitchen GFI plugs etc.) without upgrading the panel. This would be $1750 and would not need a permit.
Part B: At a later date when they can afford it, you come back, pull the needed permits and upgrade the panel. Since the house was already wired for new code and inspection, it will be a quicker process and an additional $1200.
Example Option B: Present both A & B for savings of $350 – total price $2600.
Example Option C: This is an “upsell” of option B to include an awesome kitchen electrical reno installing new potlights and under-counter lights. Total $3750.
Offering three options is a great way to get a sale without feeling pushy.
Split Tests
If you want to generate leads for your electrical business you might advertise to test out different headlines. Take note of the responses you get to make sure your message is attracting your target customer.
“Total Reno? Call the Electrician with 30 years Residential Electrical Experience” vs “Need a new Light Fixture? No Electrical Job too Small”
Be aware that before you get to present any sales pitch, people will already be forming an opinion of you because they have already seen your PPC ad, a billboard, or your work truck. This is all the information they need to start to size you up.
TEST EVERYTHING: For example; if you are a new-to-the-area electrician starting out and advertising that you will take any job, but show up in a big expensive truck – your customer may hesitate because you look like someone who might screw them on the final bill.
Split testing is a procedure of trial and error where you adopt the successful and stop doing what isn’t working well.
Ted Bundy used his own version of split testing. Early on he would rely on his “boyish charm” as a non-threatening tool to approach young women. He would tell them his car had a dead battery and needed their help to jump-start his car. He expressed he would supply the cables to minimize the level of commitment required.
His boyish looks weren’t enough to always win the sale and people were beginning to report his trolling to the police as suspicious so he changed his approach. He evolved his message and started to use both a crutch AND an arm sling. This new message said “hey, I’m vulnerable too.”
Successful Marketing Strategies for Non-Serial Killers
Ted Bundy only used a few marketing methods available to the entrepreneur. As a small business owner you need to focus on many things that can build your business. Lead generation, followup, and repeat customers, are all important for the longevity of a business.
1. Stand apart from your competition
When I was a little kid, I was like everybody else.
~ Jeffery Dahmer
You may be just another electrical company but you need to step outside the box and be different. It could be something as simple as being orange. Orange shirts, truck, cell phones, business cards, etc. Or fast turn-around. Promise to have a job done in 48 hours instead of two weeks.
2. Make buying from you easy
Make it simple to buy. Whether they purchase through the website, over the phone, or in person. Make it easy to get in touch with you.
3. Give a strong guarantee
Give a 100% satisfaction for your work and parts. Most companies do this but not everyone will use it in their marketing.
For more marketing strategies for your business, pick up a free copy of Top 5 Small Business Marketing Strategies!
