The Second Version of the Harvester

416-621-9348 cgreaves@chrisgreaves.com
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Prospecting Tools (Home); Unsolicited Mail ; What Criteria? ; Researching the Prospect ; Establishing a Group ; The Introductory Kit ; The Follow-up Call ; First Day's Experience ; The Second Version of the Harvester ; My Working Documents ; Scripts ; My Experience

On Saturday, September 26, 2009 I began upgrading the first proof-of-concept device.

The new version processes the data in one pass, checking my contacts database for duplicate records, and checking whether I have already loaded a record with the incoming email to the FFInf database.

An existing record is left unchanged except that the later document name will be loaded as the hyperlink.

Since I am looking for the sentinel "For Further Information" I am dropping the French-language items which are heralded by "Renseignements".

The first full run processes 16,287 documents in 75 minutes (3 documents per second) and delivers 3,597 unique emails for 2,256 unique domains.

I am finding more and more that for me the process is one of small steps. I am, after all, not peddling a brush; I am asking a corporate executive to assemble a group of people for 15 minutes or half an hour. Multiply that time by 6 and double their salary to get a minimum value of the true cost to them (6 managers for 15 minutes is 90 minutes. Assume $50,000 p.a. salary yields $100,000 p.a. full cost, and over 90 minutes that yields around $500.

My 1st 60-second phone call established the privilege of sending a single email.

My 2nd phone call lasting no longer than 5 minutes established the privilege of sending a second email outlining a 15-minute demonstration of up to 6 products. The email will establish a list of applications, and will include some basic questions to be asked of managers that lead them into curiosity about my products.

If I work this right, my third phone call can be geared to securing a date and time and place for a demonstration and discussion.

I am unashamed in my use of this data. When a gatekeeper at ctv tries to fob me off, while misunderstanding why I'm calling, I back down politely and exit. I re-search my database and find a Canada News Wire contact with a cell-phone number. Cell-phone users are used to short, snappy calls, and mine is well under 60 seconds. I need a name. It's not her any more, it's him, and she gives me his direct line. No more gatekeeper!

I also try to sit at The Other End of the telephone. When a contact suggest I email it to pr@…. I know it will be going to someone as a totally unsolicited email, and could be seen as spam. I don't try to force the email to the contact.

But I will include the contact's name at the head of the email as a referral!

Is it a good thing to establish voice contact before sending an email? Absolutely:

"It's a good thing you called me and told me you were sending this, because it got caught in my SPAM filter."

And despite the bland voice-mail that says "Send me an email" I have a sneaking suspicion that my email must look like spam to a great many simple-minded filters.

My Working Documents

Toronto and Mississauga, Sunday, December 05, 2010 9:11 PM