When a tiny product research company called Metric Labs wanted the attention of their ideal client, a hardware heavyweight named Griffin Technologies, they had to resort to stalking.  Metric tried every warm contact they had but simply couldn’t reach the CEO. Finally in a last ditch attempt, they sent a LinkedIn connection request to the CEO and said “for whatever reason we’ve tried but can’t get through to you and we think we have something you need to see”.  The result? A licensing agreement that was a dream come true for Metric!
Peeping Tom and Voyeur Too
In life, being a little too curious about your fellow man (or woman) could get you in trouble with the law.  In business you need to talk, peep and follow your potential clients obsessively.  Such was the case with Metric.  They were so set on acquiring a licensing agreement with Griffin that they built several prototypes integrating their products into their technology.  Metric admits to having looked at every Griffin product, every employee and even every company philosophy in detail before approaching them.  It clearly paid off for them.
Stalking Tips
What about you? Who are you trying to woo as a client? Here are some more tips on how to effectively obsess about your small business audience:
1. Figure out Who to Stalk
Like any good pervert, you need to figure out a good target.  In business, this would be called your ideal client.  Make sure it’s someone who needs you, can afford to hire you and will value your expertise.
2. Find Their Pain
If your target client’s not in pain, then they don’t need you. Use your stalking to dig deeper into finding out what their pain is and how they talk about their pain.  Read their group blogs, talk to people who work with or who know them.  The more you understand your ideal target clients, the faster you can attract them.
3. Find Their Hang Outs
Once you’ve got a handle on who your ideal target clients are and what they need, the next step is to find out WHERE you can stalk them.  For work or for play, where do they frequent? What do they read or watch? What meetings or trade shows do they congregate in?
As the author of a book on Gentle Marketing, it might seem strange for me to be touting stalking as a marketing tool. When you think about it though, stalking is really the only way to get to know your ideal target market.
So learn from success stories like Metric and turn a term used to describe sick obsession into a profitable business strategy for you!
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Related articles

• Confessions of A Conference Stalker (moz.com)
• Small Businesses Need To Be Bold To Land Big Clients (businessinsider.com)
• Is someone watching you on the web? (express.co.uk)