The question of where to find an initial list of new prospect names is an important part of prospecting. A major consideration in compiling a list is the question of where you intend to market. Do you need a local list that is based on the geographic region your business operates in? Or, do you need a list that encompasses a wider range of territory? You must first try to define the geographic parameters of your market in order to begin compiling a targeted list.
In a local market, there are likely to be many “primary sources” for prospect leads. A primary source is a basic, unfiltered source for leads. These sources include items such as:
- chamber of commerce directories
- local phone directories
- local courthouse records
- local club directories
- local business associations
- localized internet search
In wider ranging markets, it can be more difficult to search through compilations of local primary sources in order to create an initial prospecting list (although, it can be done in certain situations). Wider markets, based on a specialized industry or trade group, may have directories available that identify those specific groups. In such cases, finding a list may be easy. However, the easier the list is to find, the more likely it has already been saturated by other marketers. If you can be creative and carve out a list based on your experience and intuition, sometimes you can come up with a list that will give you an edge over your competitors.
Two sources for lists worth looking into in either situation are as follows;
- The first source is the Government and Business section of the largest public library in your city. Be sure to ask for help with compiling a prospect list when you get there. I have had library personnel in this department save me days and days of research because they knew right where to look. The number of primary sources for sales leads in terms of records and directories can be overwhelming. However, with the right direction, you have a good chance of finding what you need. Plan to spend several hours at the library.
- The second source is a list company – that does charge for their lists – called InfoUSA. [Sponsored Link - 100 Free Sales Leads! Find new customers & grow your sales with leads from infoUSA.com.
] According to company information, InfoUSA has over 600 full time list researchers that scour some 4000+ phone directories as well as other business resources and court records to compile and maintain their lists. Further, they have around 200 employees dedicated to call-verifying that their records are up to date. The company’s website has some useful search applications to help customers find which prospects may be relevant. Try the search called, “Clone Your Customer.” This search has you enter your “best” or your typical customer and looks for other companies with similar profiles.
Prospecting List Sources
The question of where to find an initial list of new prospect names is an important part of prospecting. A major consideration in compiling a list is the question of where you intend to market. Do you need a local list that is based on the geographic region your business operates in? Or, do you need a list that encompasses a wider range of territory? You must first try to define the geographic parameters of your market in order to begin compiling a targeted list.
In a local market, there are likely to be many “primary sources” for prospect leads. A primary source is a basic, unfiltered source for leads. These sources include items such as:
In wider ranging markets, it can be more difficult to search through compilations of local primary sources in order to create an initial prospecting list (although, it can be done in certain situations). Wider markets, based on a specialized industry or trade group, may have directories available that identify those specific groups. In such cases, finding a list may be easy. However, the easier the list is to find, the more likely it has already been saturated by other marketers. If you can be creative and carve out a list based on your experience and intuition, sometimes you can come up with a list that will give you an edge over your competitors.
Two sources for lists worth looking into in either situation are as follows;