You are hot to make some calls. Before you pick up the receiver, you know it's necessary to conduct due diligence on the prospect. But where do you go? The database is useless. Their website in a word, "sucks", and you need to get creative. And fast. 

Never fear, there are at least a dozen places you can gain intelligence on this prospect, most of them without leaving your comfortable office chair. With the assistance of a variety of my clients, we have identified over 25 places to get dirt, uh, I mean information, in order to make some intelligent sales calls. So read on, try the ones you haven't used, and let's watch your sales increase incrementally!

 

1.  Internet Sources: Hoover's Online, Yahoo Finance, Thomas Directory, Alumni pages (once you find out where the key decision makers went to school), The Media Page on their website, Annual Reports, News Websites, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal Online archives, (all  newspapers have an online archive database available).

 

2. Internal Resources at Your Company: Customer Service, Tech Support, Sales Support, Management, Internal Database, Order Entry System, Warehouse Personnel, Printed Records, Sales Reports, Predecessors (in the field and out), Senior Executives, Suppliers, Vendors, Business Partners, Affiliates, sometimes even competitors (if they're stupid).

 

3. Trade Shows, Trade Magazines (online and printed).

 

4. Your Local Research Librarian. Don't overlook these knowledgeable resources. Most librarians are highly trained, highly skilled, very lonely people! The reason they are lonely is that most of us use the Web, and never leave our homes and offices to utilize their skills. Not only are they whizzes at getting information, and fast, their services are free, AND, they have access to databases you would normally have to pay quite a bit to use. In addition, you can even use the library when you are traveling. There you are, finishing up your last call of the day at 3:30, and you have a few hours to plan for the rest of your week/month/year. Go to the library, armed with a list of questions, and your librarian will be happy to help you!

 

Now that you have at least 25 new ideas to get to where you need to go, email me and let me know what resources have worked for you. My email address is: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Happy Selling!