International Search

[Nathan Swartzbaugh]

Hi all,
I have an interesting project I'm working on. I am trying to find contact names, and the closest numbers possible, for the top 50 World's Safest Banks. The tools I currently am using to get the job done are:

Finding a list of CEO's, board members, etc via paid Hoover subscription.
Once I find a name, I am:
Using wink.com, 123people.com, pipl.com (my favorite) to attempt to fine contact phones. Often times it is just the corporate phone numbers.
I also am using the boolean string to search google for their email, or figuring out the basic email format for the corporation. The problem is, I doubt any of these CEO's actually check their email.

Besides the methods and tools above, can anyone offer additional resources in helping me find contact information? On a side note, I don't have much experience with pay sites, but are there any pay-sites which our corporation might benefit from which might offer direct contact information, or with the proper search tools is pretty much the same material available to us?

Thanks in advance!

[gary cozin]

Nathan-

Try http://zoominfo.com
http://jigsaw.com

Can search for free, however the paid subscriptions offer you more-

And LinkedIN is very good or company look ups, and will allow you to send messages or inmails, etc to the contacts or have them connect w/you, etc

[Wil Graham]

Hi Nathan,

"The problem is, I doubt any of these CEO's actually check their email."

I agree theres nothing worse thanspending ages digging up a email address, sending an email and not knowing if it was ever opened. Ive been in the same situation mant times. I suggest you try www.readnotify.com they offer a covert method of tracking your emails at a reasonable cost. they will allow you to find out if and when your email was opened, how long it was opened for and will monitor on a continuing basis .pdf word and exel attachments. So you will now every time they are opened and if your email has been forwarded.

Cheers Wil

Ps. Its also a great way of striking while Irons hot shortly after someone has looked at you email and you are fresh in there mind

[Shannon Myers]

I agree with Wil and your own statement of CEOs rarely checking their email. While you are looking you might as well look for their executive assistant. If you are actually going to contact them you usually will need to go through or connect with them at one point. Most CEOs and Board Members also sit on other boards, usually a non-profit of some sort. These are the places where it is easier to find their contact information.

Wil Graham said:

Hi Nathan,

"The problem is, I doubt any of these CEO's actually check their email."

I agree theres nothing worse thanspending ages digging up a email address, sending an email and not knowing if it was ever opened. Ive been in the same situation mant times. I suggest you try www.readnotify.com they offer a covert method of tracking your emails at a reasonable cost. they will allow you to find out if and when your email was opened, how long it was opened for and will monitor on a continuing basis .pdf word and exel attachments. So you will now every time they are opened and if your email has been forwarded.

Cheers Wil

Ps. Its also a great way of striking while Irons hot shortly after someone has looked at you email and you are fresh in there mind

[Wil Graham]

Shannon is right about executive assistants, treated correctly they can be a great source of information, My situation may be different to people working in the USA (rules of engagement) I source names and make appointments for offshore financial planners, with Expatriate executives in Sinapore, Malaysia,vietnam and Thailand. In my experience Exec assistants are a mine of information, often they will confirm the execs name (you never know Tom who you found on the internet may have since been replaced by Harry) and may even give you his mobile number. Also if you cant get the information from the office the exec works in try another office perhaps in another country.

Also try calling there answerphones after work its suprising the information leave on there messages and often its a good way to confirm a execs extension number. Mapping extension numbers is also a useful excercise when researching a company.

Hpoe this helps
Cheers Bill

[Nathan Swartzbaugh]

Thanks for the reply everyone!

I bookmarked readnotify.com, might use that in the future!

In regards to executive assistants, I do agree completely. The only problem is all of my search tools seem to allow me easy access to people higher up in a company, thus far I haven't been able to really find a name or number for an executive assistant. Nothing usually on hoover, linkedin, etc. What methods might you all suggest for finding an executive assistant?

[Wil Graham]

When trying to find the names of exeutive assistants PAs etc I find the best way is to simply phone up and ask them or the operator their name. often all it takes is a few social skills a plausable reason for asking and treating the gate keeper as a friend and ally not the enemy.

I make a point of noting in my database the name of every operator Pa secretary with correct spelling. People love to be remembered and more often than not if you treat them as a human being they will go out of there way to help you.

When Im not wearing my research hat im making "cold calls" to make appointments for my wife. i phone as her PA or Exec assistant ( which in fact I am). This levels the playing field. In there eyes im the same as them facing many of the same challenges. I never talk down to them instead I become there friend. I followed one Exec Assistant in Singapore through 2 pregnancies and 3 bosses she was a great source of information.

I realise that this reply is rather outside the remit of Boolean strings however i strongly beleive Internet reasearch skills go hand in hand with good telephone and social skills.

hope this helps.