philip@coms.axis.fr (Philip Peake) (07/21/89)
In article <17904@gryphon.COM>, richard@gryphon.COM (Richard Sexton) writes: > In article <1989Jul19.120102.19751@coms.axis.fr> philip@coms.axis.fr (Philip Peake) writes: > >In the past, people have tried to use them as the basis of junk mailing > >(paper mail) lists. > > > >All map maintainers would be well advised to protect their 'clients' > >from this abuse. > > > >There is no problem with using the maps for the purpose for which they > >were intended - no one will jump on you for that. > > > >BUT - just try making a mailing list out of it .... > > There was discussion about this very subject about a year ago on the net. > > Overall consensus was that people didn't mind the (paper) mail as it > was the sort: ``We (obviously) got your name by grepping the maps > for Sun owners. Wanna buy a memory board for a Sun ? Cheap?'' > > I mean, I assume everibody in France doesn't this (junk) mail ? People in France (and European countries in general) get somewhat less junk mail than their counterparts in the US. People here have said that they DO NOT want to receive this mail. We also have to contend with data protection laws, which not only give people the right to verify that data concerning them is correct, but to be protected against use of that data for reasons other than that for which it was given. Ie, if we don't take reasonable measures to protect any data we hold against unauthorised use (such as creating mailing lists) then we are open to prosecution under various data protection laws. It isn't always obvious that the sort of sales that you became a millionaire out of exloiting (:-) : > Disclaimer: I own a multi-billion dollar mega-corperation that gets > all it's profit by sending junk (paper) mail to France. comes grom greping the maps. I will give you some hints on how to improve your methods, and when you become a billionaire, just remember where you got the ideas from :-) ---- None of this is news to proffesional marketing people, so I'm not to worried about posting it - What you want is the name, telephone number, extention number, office number etc of the purchasing manager. Why ? well, because if you 'phone the switchboard and ask to speak to the purchasing manager you will normally just get an earfull of static ! But, call and ask for extention xx, and more probably than not, you will be connected without question - same applies to mail - address it to the purchasing manager, even by name, and it will be opened and examined before being passed on - but maybe not if its addressed to a specific office ... How do you get this info ? Well, not from any of the people used to dealing with the outside world, but if you can get the 'phone number of a 'techie' they are normaly very helpful ... Here is a 'chat script' that a telephone sales person might use: Dial .... "Hello Mr Jones, this is Sally Ripoff from Widget Inc, returning your call about our range of super widgets ... what ?, oh, you didn't call me ? and you have nothing to do with purchasing ? Well, isn't that wierd ! the message I got definately said that I was to return a call to Mr Jones at this number ... and your not in purchasing at all ? .... Well who is purchasing manager then ? ... Strange ! I wonder why the person who called gave your name and number ? .. I don't suppose that you could transfer my call to Mr Smith could you ? Oh, and can you give me his extention number in case the call gets lost ..." ---- At the end of this, Sally Ripoff has the name, number etc of your purchasing manager, and if she's rally lucky, she will even get her call transfered to him - something which would be stopped dead by a half decent telephonist. You never received strance calls like the above ? Well, just wait, your time will come ... Philip
peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) (07/22/89)
In article <1989Jul21.095320.998@coms.axis.fr>, philip@coms.axis.fr (Philip Peake) writes: > At the end of this, Sally Ripoff has the name, number etc of your > purchasing manager, and if she's rally lucky, she will even get her > call transfered to him - something which would be stopped dead by a half > decent telephonist. Maybe in France. > You never received strance calls like the above ? I've never worked at the weird paranoid sort of corporation you describe. > Well, just wait, your time will come ... I doubt it. -- Peter da Silva, Xenix Support, Ferranti International Controls Corporation. Business: peter@ficc.uu.net, +1 713 274 5180. | "A char, a short int, and Personal: peter@sugar.hackercorp.com. `-_-' | an int bit-field were walking Quote: Have you hugged your wolf today? 'U` | through the forest..."