Google Alerts - Homework Help For Client Research

I recently gave a speech to a group of new sales representatives who were looking for some ideas and strategies to help them get off the ground quicker. One of the key bits of advice that I extended to them was "DO YOUR HOMEWORK!" What I meant by that was for them to take the time to know the company or industry that they were about to be calling on.

Most of you have heard me say this before but I must say it again, knowledge is power. Thanks to Google, gaining that knowledge (at least somewhat) has become so much easier. Google News Alert is a free service that Google offers which allows users to receive summary emails of news articles which are posted on the web on predetermined topics or subjects of interest.

I started playing with this service myself more just for fun than anything else. Originally I focused my efforts on Malcolm Gladwell and few other favorite authors and subject areas. The amount of information that I received back daily on items posted on the web was quite surprising. I found all sorts of obscure articles and web postings from the most unlikely of places; places I never would have found or run across on my own.

Because of these alerts, my eyes were opened to a whole new culture and perspective that my common daily drudge of web viewing never would have allowed me to see. I was amazed and impressed. I quickly started adding topics, subjects and specific companies that I had interest in learning about or doing business with. I was and I am completely sold on this knowledge gathering resource.

In my talk to the newbie sales folks, I mentioned a conversation I had recently had someone from a company that I want to do business with. Fresh from a Google alert about a recent change in how the company was changing their commission structure, I was able to easily impress my new point of contact during a recent business event. In fact, the changes I was regurgitating back to him in relations to some team training I had earlier proposed took him completely by surprise. He has since revealed that he didn't fully understand the complexity of their compensation change and hadn't put much thought into how it was going to affect his workgroup. That was until I mentioned it to him and got him thinking. Thanks Google alert for helping me start that ripple!

I ask you as I said to my newbie sales friends, who looks more impressive? I freshly equipped with my new knowledge and a strategy on how to use it or my competition who keeps bugging this guy about training, training, training. Substance, value and forethought verse no substance and not even the slightest hint of knowledge in action.

Google alerts are highly valuable for anyone but especially for those of us who are out there in the trenches battling every day. Check it out, whether for business or pleasure; I know you will be impressed.

Ripple On My Friends!!!