| Take a look at your prospecting list, if you have one. | | | | down at the local library in the Computer and |
| Where did all those names come from? | | | | Software section of the Dunn and Bradstreet Gale |
| Most likely they're a hodge podge of names from a | | | | Industries Handbook. |
| hodge podge of sources...with few added to your list | | | | I completed my goal of assembling 500 strong names |
| solely on the criteria that they're especially good leads. | | | | by surfing the Internet in search of newsletters, Web |
| Now ask yourself how successful your clients would | | | | sites, and publications that serve the software market. |
| be if their lists were compiled in such an unscientific | | | | There I found lists like "The Top 50 Software Venture |
| manner? | | | | Capital Investments," which listed software companies |
| When you consider that the single most important | | | | that had recently been infused with millions of dollars |
| element of a direct mail campaign is the list (followed | | | | each, in venture capital. |
| closely by the offer, and THEN the copy), it becomes | | | | SOME STRONG SOURCES FOR GENERALISTS |
| painfully apparent that a sloppy list is a liability indeed! | | | | Although I believe that every business freelancer |
| So how do you go about creating a solid list of quality | | | | should carve out a niche for him or herself, many start |
| prospects that you can mine for years to come? | | | | out as generalists. If you fit this category, you'll find |
| There are some methods you can use and sources | | | | some excellent list-building sources at the library. |
| you can tap, and I reveal a few of the best here. | | | | Chuck Thompson, one of my early coaching students, |
| However, It always boils down to looking in the right | | | | discovered the "Mail Order Business Directory" at his |
| places for your particular specialty. | | | | Chicago-area library. It lists over 5,000 names, |
| MY FAVORITE STARTING PLACE | | | | addresses, and basic facts about U.S. firms doing |
| Roughly half of my coaching students are new | | | | business by mail. |
| copywriters and when it's time to share my list building | | | | Library sources I used in my early days of freelancing |
| strategies with them, I always introduce them to Who's | | | | included the "Standard Directory of Advertisers" and |
| Mailing What, a rich online archive of more than 130,000 | | | | "Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies." Also |
| direct mail packages collected from more than 7,000 | | | | known as "the Red Books" by industry insiders, you |
| companies since 1994. | | | | should be able to find them at any main library; I've had |
| For about $30 per year, you can go into the archive | | | | less luck finding them at the local level (and they're too |
| and literally see "who's been mailing what," which can | | | | expensive for most freelancers to buy). |
| be a real boon for copywriters who specialize in the | | | | The "Standard Directory of Advertisers" contains |
| dozens of categories - publishing, financial, collectibles, | | | | information on over 24,000 U.S. and international |
| technology, and more - covered by WMW. | | | | advertisers who each spend more than $200,000 |
| For instance, I specialize in software. And while there | | | | annually on advertising. Each listing includes advertising |
| are more than 7,300 software companies in the U.S., I | | | | expenditures by media, contact information, address, |
| need only 500 to keep busy. So which 500 should they | | | | and more. |
| be? Well, the BEST 500 of course...the 500 that I know | | | | The "Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies" |
| are direct mailers...the 500 that I know are financially | | | | contains detailed profiles of nearly 13,500 U.S. and |
| stable...the 500 that I know are well respected and | | | | international advertising agencies, including accounts |
| trustworthy. | | | | represented by each agency, fields of specialization, |
| When I started compiling my list, I mined Who's Mailing | | | | contact information, and much more. These directories |
| What to discover the names of software companies | | | | are truly exciting sources of information for the |
| that had mailed over the past two years. As "sure | | | | freelancer who recognizes the value of smart |
| mailers," these companies became the richest names | | | | targeting. |
| on my list, and remain so today. | | | | Finally, you never know what you'll come up with while |
| OTHER GREAT PLACES TO LOOK | | | | searching the Internet. After helping dozens of |
| Nearly every large industry has an association, and | | | | coaching students build their niche market list, I have a |
| most associations have member lists. To get your | | | | folder full of rich places to look for high quality names. |
| hands on the list you often need to join the association, | | | | Compiling your own personal prospect list is never fast |
| but unless the price is really exorbitant, it's usually worth | | | | or easy, but there is a silver lining. And that is that no |
| it. Remember, time is money in the freelancer's world, | | | | other copywriter will be marketing to the same exact |
| so the faster you can put together your list, the faster | | | | list that you are. So do your homework and make |
| you can market to it. | | | | your list as strong as it can be. Because most of your |
| The library is another place to look for lists. In addition | | | | success will flow from your list, it pays to make it as |
| to my "sure mailers," I added the world's most | | | | powerful as it can be. |
| profitable software companies to my list, tracked | | | | |