Is it really a lead?
In the last few weeks, I've received three different requests-for-quote from people using AOL email accounts.
Like asking the guy driving a Hummer about his mileage, it feels a little rude to ask questions about why they don't have an email account with a real domain name. But it also makes you suspicious--I'm not selling Emerilware, after all. Are they a spy, or just a dealer/agent wasting my time?
Trust but verify--I do the following:
- Ask a couple more qualifying questions
- Write down the number on my caller-id
- Try to get other info, such as phone and address
- Search their phone number and email address on Google
In the end, its just scary to think that these people can't spend 50 bucks and a little time to make themselves look more professional. AOL could probably make some money offering such a service directly. (But AOL would rather foist 50,000 ad impressions on you to make that same 50 bucks.)
UPDATE: I just got a significant order from one of the people with an AOL email account!!!
1 Comments:
At June 10, 2004 12:45 PM, Anonymous said…
RE your concern about prospects' "yahoo" or "aol" e mail addresses I see hundreds of rfqs and inquiries from engineers and technical buyers .... and a huge number of them (from premier OEMS and small companies) use "other" e mail addresses in their communications instead of the corporate address.
I suspect it is just a tool for managing the flood of information they are exposed to. In fact one our own engineers tells me he uses 3 e mail accts. He sends different product inquiries with different addresses so that he knows when he gets a response through hotmail for example it is for that particular widget!
Guess it means that we need to keep an open mind and respond to every inquiry...... you never know!
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