Q: I am in the process of starting up a company, but am having difficulty contacting the right people in corporations who will be my customers. Cold calling a company switchboard is not effective, so have you any suggestions on getting the correct name to write to (job descriptions are not viable either because of the myriad of variations).
Jul 14 2006
Answered by: Marc Barber Ask a question
Targeting the right person in a company is critical, but as you have found, not always easy. The most cost effective way is to ring up the company and ask for the name of the person who occupies the position you want to contact. As you have found, there are some companies who do not release this information as a matter of policy irrespective of how polite or professional you are on the phone.
There are alternatives to writing to a generic job title. For example, you can buy lists of people in certain positions from online list brokers or you can hire a professional tele-marketing agency to find out the information you need. However, all of these options come at a price so you need to make sure you plan carefully and evaluate success as you would with any other sales and marketing activity.
Another effective way of making contacts and marketing your business is business networks and networking events and you can look for ones that suit your specific needs such as the right sector. Having the opportunity to talk about your business face to face with potential prospects can be an excellent way of building your business.
Make sure that you examine all of the elements of the marketing mix available to you such as PR which can be done very cost effectively. Business Link for London offers a factsheet on writing a marketing plan as well as general information about starting up or call 0845 6000 787 for more intensive support.
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