Finding Good Lists

by Tom Hopkins

Where do you good lists of people to prospect with? Let me list a few of the sources:

1.Reverse Directories.
Also called the by street or criss-cross directory, this publication lists telephones by street and house number, and then gives you the name and phone number. This allows you to direct your prospecting efforts into the specific neighborhoods you believe will be most productive for you. An obvious use of the reverse directory is to pinpoint people in the right economic bracket for your offering. There are other uses. More and more, we are congregating by age and interest group rather than by ethnic background.

2.Club and company rosters.
Some of the best will be the hardest to get. But copying machines are everywhere. With a little persistence and ingenuity—and perhaps a launch or box of candy in the right place—you can be the proud possessor of the list you want.

3.Libraries.
There are an astonishing number of directories published on this continent today. They cover every important industry and activity. Find a public library that has an outstanding business section. People with unlisted numbers in the local telephone book are often listed in the national directory that covers their specialty. Since most of these directories are organized by state and city, you can go through quite a few of them in a single evening at your library.

4.Mailing List Houses. Hundreds of companies are involved in selling mailing lists. If you can't find the list you want in a published directory, research the direct mail industry at your library. Some mail houses will develop special lists for you, but use this approach as the last resort because you'll probably have to look up the telephone numbers yourself.

Adapted from How to Master the Art of Selling
© 1982 by Tom Hopkins International, Inc.