Happy Hunting!

Before you ever get on the telephone, send a marketing piece or set up an appointment with a potential customer, you must first identify whom that customer might be. To do that, you will need to create an "ideal customer profile"-a profile of who would be the best possible prospect for you and whatever you are selling.

Be very specific. You are creating the model to which you will match all prospects. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to find those prospects. Look at the entire demographics, location or target region, revenues, number of employees, specific industries and, especially, the title of the decision-maker. If you are in the consumer market, look at age, income level, marital status, interests... whatever might be relevant.

Once you have an ideal customer profile (and, by the way-you could have several different ideal customer profiles with a different approach for each), go to the library and tell the librarian exactly what you are looking for. She can probably tell you exactly where to find it-for free. At the library they have association directories, trade journals, business directories?

You can also join associations in related industries where you might find prospects. This will provide you with valuable networking opportunities, along with a membership directory. If you do not want to join an association, contact them anyway; sometimes associations sell their membership directories. You can do the same thing with trade publications in related industries. They sometimes sell their subscriber lists.

Your local chamber of commerce is also a good place to look for leads. And one of my favorite resources is the telephone book! Looking for prospects in a particular industry in your neighborhood? Open up the business yellow pages. There are online resources as well, such as http://www.hoovers.com, although there is generally a fee associated with these.

The last resource for finding leads is to rent a list. Find a broker with whom you are comfortable-someone who listens to your needs, is knowledgeable and helpful. And be specific about your parameters. The list broker acts as a liaison between you and the list owner. The broker works for you. You can also rent lists from list owners (i.e., companies or organizations that own their own in-house lists) or from list managers who are hired by list owners to manage and market their lists. Lists are generally rented on a one-time basis. If you rent a list and turn a prospect into a client, that client then becomes part of your in-house list or database (which, later, you can rent out!).

Because I almost never rent lists, I have asked Amanda Puppo, CEO of MarketReach, Inc., a New Jersey?based company focusing on appointment setting, list qualification and surveys, to give us her advice on renting a list. Amanda says:

1. Shop competitively on price, but remember that you want a source that will deliver what's promised and a broker that will be resourceful in helping you target your list.

2. You should (affordably) get the following "selects" on each "record": owner/president, address, phone number, fax number and often the staff size and sales volume, if you are going after businesses. If you are targeting individuals, you can get information like homeowner/renter status, marital status and income.

3. A good list company updates their lists at least once a quarter. The best ones do so once a month. People move. Companies go out of business. Situations change. A good list allows you to spend your time productively on qualified information. A company that only updates records once a year (especially in the personal/individual market) may not have the most recent information, which will limit your success.

4. The good news is that a targeted list of approximately 500 companies should cost no more than a few hundred dollars. The more records you purchase, the less the cost of each individual record. Each record will cost you between 15 and 90 cents, depending on how comprehensive the information.

You can reach Amanda by email at Amanda@marketreach.biz or by phone at (609) 448-6364.

Happy hunting!

Wendy Weiss, "The Queen of Cold Calling & Selling Success," is a sales trainer, author and sales coach. Her recently released program, Cold Calling College, and/or her book, Cold Calling for Women, can be ordered by visiting http://www.wendyweiss.com. Contact her at wendy@wendyweiss.com. Get Wendy's free e-zine at http://www.wendyweiss.com.

© 2004 Wendy Weiss

---

Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind

What's black and white and read all over? A newsletter... Read More

CD ROM Business Cards - Offline Marketing For Online Promotion

It's a great concept, - and it has a 'cool... Read More

Are You Losing Business?

As a small business owner, you are grateful for all... Read More

Rising Postal Rates? Don?t Cut Down the Direct Mail

The United States Post Office in the past had some... Read More

Creative Emulation

In business we have a number of ways or tools... Read More

Making the Intangible Real

How do you make the intangible real? How do you... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 1

In the following 'special report,' I will reveal some very... Read More

Online Mentorship Programs: Cash in on Your Expertise

Whether you're a former retail store owner known for your... Read More

Consider Consumer Psychology

In your marketing efforts, be they on or offline, it's... Read More

When Business Cards Arent Enough: Unusual, Unexpected, and Uncommon Networking Tips

There comes a time in every small businessperson's life when... Read More

4 Steps to Successful Offline Event Booths

A great way to gain more local sales is to... Read More

Did Jesus Get Killed for Practicing Interruption Marketing?

I'm reading Seth Godin's Permission Marketing and he brings up... Read More

10 Steps to a Great Newsletter

A newsletter can be a wonderful, economical way to communicate... Read More

Promotions for Mobile Detailers

Mobile businesses are quite unique in the way they must... Read More

The Power of because...

"Do it!", "Do it now!", or "Do it because..."Which of... Read More

Effective Use of Promotional Products and Ad Specialties

1. Determine the goals of your promotional products program. Do... Read More

Where to Look for New Donors for Your Fundraising Letter Appeals

Have you ever studied your best donors and wished you... Read More

What Can Star Wars Teach You About Creating a Buzz for Your Business?

Many people think marketing is some type of mystery that... Read More

How Nearly Going Broke Taught Me The Value Of Niche Marketing

If you want to learn how effective Niche Marketing can... Read More

How to Set Up & Organize Your Customer Mailing List For Optimum Results

Your list of customers who have previously bought from you... Read More

Wife?s Marketing Prowess Helped Edison See the Light

It is well known that Thomas Edison was an inventor,... Read More

Mortgage Marketing - How to Find Your Niche

Ann Landers, Dr. Phil and Roger Ebert take pleasure in... Read More

How to Give Your Biz a Boost with a Summer Marketing Makeover

Are you on track for hitting all your business goals... Read More

My Product is Obviously Better ? Why isn?t it Selling?

The movie, "Field of Dreams" opens with a farmer standing... Read More

The Easiest Marketing Plan Youll Ever Find

When it comes to marketing there's simply too many choices.... Read More

25 Ways To Make Your Next Direct Mail Campaign Work

This list contains 25 powerful strategies to improve your direct... Read More

Focus...a Marketing Strategy

The secret to increasing sales doesn't lie in choosing just... Read More

4 Easy Ways to Get Free Marketing Exposure

Are there really ways you can get valuable marketing exposure... Read More

Marketing Strategies: What Choices Do You Have?

Most business people want to see improvements in sales and... Read More

How To Go From Under Dog to Top Dog by Unleashing The Power Of a Postcard

The Tale of Two Dentists...Dr. Namel and Dr. Ivory are... Read More

What to be Successful? Marketing Makes the Difference

When you hear the word "marketing" what comes to mind?... Read More

Website Promotion Strategies For Targeted Web Site Traffic

If you're looking to drive more targeted traffic to your... Read More

Marketing Flat? Is It Your Plan or Your Vision?

60+ hour workweeks, cash flows that constantly keep you up... Read More