There are several ways to find out email addresses, if you have a name but
no business card.
Here are a few email methods that work:
1. Find an email address for anyone in the company, using their
website.
* Great place to find these: Press releases, contact us, webmaster
boards.
most common formats
2. Try sending an email to them, using BCC fields for the email
addresses
you are unsure of. I've done this frequently - sometimes one or two
come
back undeliverable - however, the right one gets through - you will have the
correct email when they respond to your first email.
Some people use middle initial to ward off unsolicited email. If
they do
this, be sensitive to them, make sure you have permission to market to them,
first.
3. Call the administration office or department admin number. Let
them
know you have a high priority document you must send to John Doe at Prospect
Company right away. "It is vital I email this attachment to
them - do you
have their email address?" This will only work about 30% of
the time, as
many admin people are told to screen/not give out emails. So, if
that
happens, call someone else (perhaps sales) at
, then name drop a
little... ask if they can help you by providing the email for someone else
you're trying to reach. Most people will do that, if you ask it in
a way
that: a) sounds non-intrusive, and b) they think you already know
the
person you're trying to reach (ethically - lying not required).
Telephone methods:
1. Note Business Unit phone number. Chief of business unit, primary
decision makers FREQUENTLY have their phone number within 10 digits of the
primary phone number. Look it up - it's true for about 70% of
contacts.
2. Many of the decision-makers will answer their own telephone on a
Friday
after 4:00 pm, Monday at 7:00 am, and after 7:00 pm most work days. Those
are all excellent times to prospect to a decision maker, although they will
have other distractions - get in, state purpose, build interest, get the
meeting, get out. For tips on building interest, that's another
chapter,
but something related to how we've helped their peer or someone in their
company with a serious business problem works best.
3. Call outside hours (after 5) to avoid admin if they blocked you.
Sometimes, we only want to talk to the admin, in this case, call DURING
business hours.
What's the great thing about these tips? There is no lying
required (giving an
impression you
know someone does not mean you lie, just means you implied it, if questioned
about that, it's a private matter is a reasonable response)- this is all
