Telemarketing

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•                   A. Verify company, address, etc.
•                   B. Organizational structure
•                   C. Best name
•                   D. Nickname and Secretary's name
•                   E. Request company information

                A good way to maximize the value of directly approaching a company is to get the best name in the organization.  The target you most want to talk with is one or two levels above where you want to enter the organization.  The exact level will depend on company size and how the company is organized.  You would prefer to avoid the most published names in favor of an infrequent target of mailings.  Thus often before you can ask for a title you must also know something about the organization size.  Another advantage of networking is that warm leads are more potent than digging up names cold.

                  Start with the receptionist who answers the phone and verify the company name, address, etc.  While doing that probe with more open ended questions about the organizational structure.  Who manages Purchasing?  Is it finance or do they have their own Vice President.  Is your sales department organized by region or by product line?  You can either ask to be transferred to a department or intentionally ask questions a receptionist can't answer in order to get to a knowledgeable person in the department.  You might be able to find the names elsewhere such as a company phone list, newsgroups, membership lists, PR, career promotion announcements, etc.  Or just dial some off-digit numbers to get a naïve helper. 

                  Develop the skill of using reasonable fact-based questions that secretaries are duty-bound to answer, as a launch pad for open ended requests for juicy information.  For example you can start by asking about which product lines are handled.  While many conversations end with the words: “job,” “career,” “interview,” you might have success explaining your rational for wanting to "just talk" with a product manager about your career development, then asking who would be the most receptive to this kind of request.

                  Developing a friendly rapport helps tremendously; the more you sound like a corporate bureaucratic official the more mundane and limited the information you will obtain.  Break out of business-like stance and into personal contact with the women (usually) who answer the phone.  You might try making intentional errors in order to get corrections.  Female researchers have an advantage over men in getting information from secretaries.  Thus if you want to delegate this task, consider a woman for it.

                  There is no need in an information gathering call to use your name but if asked feel free to use a pseudonym.  However sometimes when you merely asked for a department or secretary the target may actually answer the phone.  Don't waste this opportunity.  Go directly and smoothly into your opening lines.  Sending letters for informational interviews is for many a transitional step.  Many clients graduate to just making calls without a letter.  Know what you want to do if given the chance.

                  About 90% of the time you should have no problem getting the name and title of person you want to write to.  However, if you get objections like, "Who are you," and "Why do you want to know all this," it may be time to bring out a ruse.  The truth will dump you into the wasteland of personnel.  Consider using one the following approaches on those few occasions when you are challenged about your right to get information.

Research firm -- "I'm with the National Information Research Group and we are updating our records…  You can represent yourself as a telephone researcher from Who's Who in IT.

Professional Society -- We are compiling a list of nominees for the Gary L. Ames Award for Excellence.  Several people in your EDP department have been mentioned ....

Student -- "I'm doing a project for my class on computers and I need to send a questionnaire directly to the ....

Customer -- I don't want Customer Service, darn it!  I want to write to the person in charge of ...

Dumb and Nice Secretary -- Play the  'Can you help me?' act to its fullest extent.  Develop rapport, whine, sound helpless and somewhat befuddled.  I've got to send this letter ... I can't read this writing ... then who is his boss?  Dumb like a fox.

Purchasing -- The most open-lipped of all departments.  There is not only easy access, but purchasing will tell you anything.

                  Whether you are talking to the receptionist, a worker, a department secretary or some top executive's secretary, maximize the call by getting even more information.  If you must call back to get more, then do so.  You want the target's nickname and his secretary's name.  This helps with rapport and lubricates the entry to the boss when you can say "Hi Natasha, this is Warren Pease, is Peter there?

                  You also want them to send you information such as product literature, company brochure, or an annual report.

                  Review all this information before your call and then you will have a good lead!

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