What rights does an incoming caller have?  To be more specific, an incoming solicitor calling a place of business?

At home, we have the do-not-call list.  This could never be put into effect for business, nor do I think anyone sane would see it as a good idea.  Business would halt.

The general consensus that I have gathered is that callers to your home have no rights.  Hanging up on them is acceptable with a simple “no thank you” is status quo.  This I find fascinating.  When I polled regarding a caller to a business environment, the treatment is different.  Recipients of call to a business environment report that they will listen 1-2 minutes before exiting from a call they don’t want.  Some reasons why at home and office:

At Home

1. Home is sacred, people feel invaded and justified to not give up their home time
2. It’s usually at the end of the day, evening, people want to relax
3. Non equivalence.  You are home, the caller is at work

At the Office

1. Professionalism.  The Golden Rule.
2. Equivalence.  You are both in a work environment
3. You may be calling them tomorrow
4. You really may be interested in their service

In essence, this is a philosophical question.  What is your corporate belief system? What is your personal belief system?  For me, today was back to back  scheduled meetings and three solicitors got past my gatekeeper. Rare.  It inspired this blog and reminded me of one of my beliefs:

“I came here to say that I do not recognize anyone’s right to one minute of my life. Nor to any part of my energy. Nor to any achievement of mine. No matter who makes the claim, how large their number or how great their need.”

Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead.

Of the three in-bound calls, one lied to my gatekeeper to get to me.  This is plain stupid.  Alienate the person who manages my schedule.  The other two reached me while everyone else was at lunch.  Not one of the three had a coherent message.  How much of my time did they get? Less than five seconds.  Did I hang up on them?  No. There is another option!

About three months ago, in talking with our administrative staff, I came up with the idea for line 1300.

If you end up in line 1300, you get a recording that sound something like this:

“Hello. You have have reached line 1300 at Broadlook Technologies because you were either unclear or perhaps rude in your outreach.  This is your chance to get it right.  At the sound of the tone please leave a clear, articulate message detailing how your product or service is right for Broadlook.  We listen to this voicemail box once per week.  If we are interested we will contact you.  Thank you.”

What does line 1300 do?  It empower the people that support me.  They do not have to take crap from rude callers.  It gives your staff an immediate out from a monotonous, unclear, script-reading telemarketer.  In addition, it covers the litmus test of professionalism.  We DO listen to 1300 once per week.

Line 1300 is NOT about being mean.  It is fair.  Personally I give sales a step by step guide on how to sell to me. If they don’t follow it, line 1300.

Try adding a line 1300.  Your staff will love your for it.

Why is this important?  If you are not able to connect with people, you cannot sell to them, you cannot recruit them, you cannot market to them.   As I talked about in the video intro, things are changing.   If there was a contact information historian, it would be me.

What gets me irritated is when something gets reported as the “next best thing”, when in reality, it is simply, the next, extremely predictable innovation in a continuum.  In this blog, I’m going to play part historian, part reporter and part futurist as it relates to contact information.  When the “next big thing” happens, and I’m including social networks, you probably won’t be surprised.

First, a definition is in order.  What is Contact Information?  I define it as:

“an information venue that facilitates communication with a person”

Why am I spending my time doing this?  My day job is steering the ship at Broadlook Technologies.  Broadlook provides technology that empowers sales and recruiting professionals with contacts at corporations.  To stay ahead, we must innovate.  To innovate, we must research.  To research we must watch, listen, learn, explore and dream a little.

One interesting aspect about contact information is that very rarely does a new form replace an old form.  For example, with the advent of SMS (or texting) people are still using email; perhaps not as much, but they are using both.  Even faxes have not been fully replaced by email.  In some cases, legal wants the paperwork.  Take it a step farther and faxes are not enough and good old paper mail is still being used.   What does that mean?

1. The nature of new venues of contact information is additive.

2. New venues lead to more specialized usage of existing venues.

3. The nature of contact information must be part of system design.

Why is this stuff, in turn, important?  Example:  If you are designing a CRM for holding contact information and you “hard code” (design something inflexible)  to store phone, fax, email and that’s it…big problem. Each time a new type of contact information is created, a hard-coded CRM would have to be updated and reprogrammed.  Some may think that a SaaS model overcomes this, but it does not.   A good CRM will have the changing nature of contact information built into it’s design and not solve it with revisions.

“A good CRM will take into account the changing nature of contact information and  design for that nature from the start and not solve it with revisions.”

This is how I look at contact information.  It is moving and evolving.  No one piece replaces all the others, it is a complex ecosystem

This is why understanding history, being agile, and having a philosophy-based component to software design is critical.   If you are simply reacting to what others in the market, you end up with cargo cult software.

So what are the venues moving into the future for contact information?

First the base elements that do not need further explanation:

Company name
Person’s name
Title
Email
Phone
Cell phone
Fax

IM (instant messaging) - Made popular by services such as MSN messenger & AOL.  Used widely by consumers as well as inside the corporate firewall.  

SMS (texting) – I am going to break SMS into 2 distinct categories, as they have different uses and require different information to utilize.

SMS – Phone to Phone – The only requirement is having the phone number of the recipient

SMS – Email to Phone – Requires the carrier plus the phone number.  This is a good reason to record the carrier of the person you want to reach.  There are several services that will fill in the carrier for you if you don’t have it.  (mailbeep.com, nowsms.com, ipipi.com ).  You can also do it for free if you know the carrier and follow the conventions below

Alltel
[10-digit phone number]@message.alltel.com
Example: 2125551212@message.alltel.com

AT&T (formerly Cingular)
[10-digit phone number]@txt.att.net
Example: 2125551212@txt.att.net

Boost Mobile
[10-digit phone number]@myboostmobile.com
Example: 2125551212@myboostmobile.com

Nextel (now part of Sprint Nextel)
[10-digit telephone number]@messaging.nextel.com
Example: 7035551234@messaging.nextel.com

Sprint PCS (now Sprint Nextel)
[10-digit phone number]@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Example: 2125551234@messaging.sprintpcs.com

T-Mobile
[10-digit phone number]@tmomail.net
Example: 4251234567@tmomail.net

Verizon
[10-digit phone number]@vtext.com
Example: 5552223333@vtext.com

Virgin Mobile USA
[10-digit phone number]@vmobl.com
Example: 5551234567@vmobl.com

Domain – The corporate domain has been shown to outlive the company name.  Having the company domain is a launching point for doing all kinds of research.

Handles – This is a questionable area to track and store.  From my research, people are creatures of habit.  If they had the handle of firechief5150 in the early days of AOL, then most likely it is the same person who has firechief5150@gmail today.   Crazy stories about people using the same handle on different services and thinking they were stealth.  Ask me about this one if you run into me at a conference.

VOIP  (voice over IP) – Skype & MagicJack are the best know example here.  While corporations and individuals are using VOIP to replace traditional phones, this is really not a change in venue from a regular phone number.  However, when you reach a person with a username (i.e. I am DonatoDiorio on Skype) and you do it over your computer, that changes things enough to consider it a change from traditional phone lines.

Blogs – Someone can learn a good deal about me from my blog.  Not only what I write about, but who I link to and what I read. Today, starting a blog can be done in 5 minutes.  Information can be found on a blog that goes beyond the basics of contact information.

Microblogs – Twitter is an example of a microblog.  Where a blog may be a full set of thoughts, written down.  Twitter is more like a set of single thoughts.  In addition, Twitter has become a complex social network.  While many are still trying to figure it out, others are already using it successfully for sale, marketing and recruiting.

GPS – GPS technology has significantly improved over the last few years and it is continually being advanced.  It has moved from our cars, to our phones and beyond.  I content that *where* someone is has become an aspect of contact information. Think about it.  Their are rules to calling people;  don’t call before 8am or after 7pm, etc.  The same goes for GPS.

Social Networks -  As prevalent as they are today, social networks are in their infancy.  Sites like LinkedIN, myspace and facebook will need to evolve in order to survive.

Proximity Networking – Building on GPS, a proximity network will combine someone’s GPS location with a set of rules within the network.  For example. If a fellow Alumni of your school is within 100 yards, and it is lunchtime, and you are currently eating alone, broadcast an invite on the proximity network.  Look for online dating services to pioneer this area.

Virtual Private Social Networks (VPSN)- Family only, company only or husband and wife.  There are lines of communication that are very exclusive.  VPSN’s will facilitate the private communication and interaction that is possible via the Internet and mobile, but it will be disconnected from public networks such as Facebook.

Availability Portals- Recently, I’ve had some exposure to Tungle.com which is a free website that helps to schedule appointments.  It works by simply sending a web link to someone, they click on the link and get to pick from available time slots on your schedule.   Tungle is not quite ready for prime time (some process hiccups) but I expect that Tungle and other applications like it will improve.

Preference Portals. – With the high signal to noise ratio in social media, people are looking for a way to manage the chaos.  How should the world engage me?  What are my rules for people to sell to me?  A new site called sell2me.com is doing just that.  Right now, it is in private beta.  The concept is simple, user can sign up for free and list their rules for engagement.

“The future of the Internet will be permission and preference based. “

Tie it all together and there will be many many way of getting in contact, engaging, understanding and knowing information about people in the near future.  The number of venues will continue to increase.  The key thing for people in sales and recruiting to do is keep on top of it.

My prediction.  Look for a solution that ties it all together having something to do with preferences.  Personally, I don’t want my preferences stored on anything controlled by Google, Facebook or anyone.  In the end, preferences must be retained with the individual.

The future of the Internet will be permission and preference based.  Remember: You heard it here!

It may take time to happen, but if you put 2 & 2 together, it is not hard to see the backlash that will eventually happen. How do you feel getting a telemarketing call at night when you are sitting down to dinner with your family?  Do you like getting 50 emails to webinars per day?  I don’t.  How can you get ready to take advantage of this eventuality?  It comes back to the human element.  Use all these venues of contact information to further the quality of human relationship and interaction.  We are human, it is what we crave.  Take time to read someone’s blog before you reach out to them.  It works wonders.

Today I stared on my iPhone, Blackberry, GPhone and Palm pre on my desk and ask myself  “what are these?”

Cell Phones, Mobile Devices or Mobile Computers?

My company, Broadlook is developing software for mobile devices and I needed to have all of them.  I’m also a gadget freak, so I enjoy having all of them. Perhaps the collection of them, together, was odd and put me into a bit of a trance.

“What are these?”, I asked myself again.

Cell phones and mobile devices were the first 2 that came to mind.  Then I glanced at a desktop computer under my desk.  “A little computer”, I thought to myself, then “a mobile computer”.

I looked at my laptop, back to the desktop and again to the cell phones on my desk. “They are all computers”.  I thought.  What is the difference?

Why are they not called mobile computers or pocket computers?  When I asked myself that question, I knew I was on to something.  It was something big.  I realized that the fact that most people call these fabulous devices “mobile devices” and not “mobile computers” is a hindrance to big thinking.  It’s a draw back to the nature of our culture, something that I will fight to the freeze*.

So I took one more look at the devices on my desk and decided to start thinking about them as “mobile computers.” The first thing I needed to get my mind around was how these mobile computers related to the desktops and laptops that are ubiquitous at a software company.

“What are they capable of?” I needed to do some research.  I needed facts.  So I started with the CPU of my mobile computer of choice, an iPhone 3GS.  How did it compare with my desktop or my laptop. Using my new favorite search engine  www.bing.com, I did a search for “iphone processor speed” to find out that the iPhone 3GS runs at about 624Mhz.

Next, I  did a search to find out when in the history of the PC desktop. Did it run at about the same speed?  Being a computer historian, I knew that speed was around the speed of a 486, so I did a search for “iphone speed 486 processor” and found several references to the iPhone being about the speed of a 486 desktop computer in 1995.  So 1995 is my baseline year. Looking at the CPU only would not be thorough, so I decided to compile some information on some of the other things that effect a computers performance as well as a few other attributes.

If you don’t like tech stuff, skip this next few sections and get right to the “Vision stuff” iPhone vs. 486 shootout:

Comparing a 486 desktop computer in 1995 to an iPhone 3GS today.  Today is mid 2009,  14 years beyond the 486.  14 years, remember that. Check out how the numbers match up.  I researched a several sources to find configurations for a new 486 in 1995.

• CPU:  The current processor in the iPhone 3GS running at 600Mhz is equivalent to an Intel 486 processor in mid 1995.
• Memory:  The iPhone 3GS has 256MB of memory or 16 times the 16MB that 486 had.
• Storage:   The iPhone 3GS has 16GB of storage,  32X the storage of the 500MB hard drive of the 486.
• Display:  The iPhone 320X480,   the 486 had XGA or 1024×768
• Network:  The iPhone can connect to modern WAN/LAN @ 100Mb, the 486 had 56kb modems. Additionally, the iPhone has bluetooth capabilities for a wireless data transfer rate of 1Mb/S.
• Software:  The iPhone has over 50,000 applications, the 486 had about 5000 commercial titles
• Software development:  You can create an iPhone application in a few days.  It could take weeks, months or years to create anything of substance for the 486
• Voice control:  iPhone, no problem for basic stuff.  486? Muhhahha ha.
• Price:  iPhone 3GS is $500,  ($200 if you get a cell phone plan).  The 486 was about $2000.

Shootout conclusion: Looking at CPU only, the iPhone is similar to the 486.  The 486 wins big on the display capabilities.  When looking at the big picture, the iPhone or any high end mobile device makes the 486 look like a toy.  Memory, storage and network speed all are large contributors to overall system performance.  Put it all together and it means that the iPhone would look like it was from another planet in 1995.

Technology backbone.  Now and near future:  Wireless data transfer

• USB 2.0 data rate 480 MB/sec  (now)
• USB 3.0 data rate 4.8 GB/sec  (soon)
• Sony “Transjet” technology   70 MB/sec  (now)   Drawback: only transmits 3cm
• Certified Wireless USB -  60MB/sec  (soon)  Transmits 3 meters

Exercise 1:  Can we use full size mouse and keyboards with our Mobile Computers?

• Yes.  Bluetooth works for monitors, keyboards and audio communication

Exercise 2:  Can we use full size monitors with our mobile devices

• Low end monitor:  1024×768 @ 60 frames/sec.   Requires 47MB/sec transfer rate.  (no compression).
• High end monitor: 1920×1200 @ 60 frames/sec. Requires 138MB/sec transfer rate  (no compression)
• Bluetooth 2.0 is a factor of 47X too slow to stream video over wireless.  Even Bluetooth 3.0 at 24Mb/s (3MB/s) is too slow for video unless it is really small and highly compressed.
• The upcoming “Certified Wireless USB” will work fine for video transmission with bandwidth to spare.

Vision of a mobile future

I wake up naturally.  My breathing changes and my iPhone 10GS senses the noise in the room and determines that I am awake.  The iPhone is sitting on a charging pad on my nightstand,  cords connected to devices is a thing of the past.  The full size wall screen in my bedroom silently turns on.  It is all powered by my iPhone. I had a great dream about flying and I want to record the feeling in my journal.  My wife is still sleeping so I opt out of dictation mode.  My iPhone presents me with 4 options that have been selected from my patterns at this time in the morning.  Check news,  review my schedule,  record a dream or plan a workout.  With a button press, I choose “record a dream.  The wall monitor turns into a simple word processor and the iPhone projects a laser keyboard on my bed.  My dream gets recorded and I start my day inspired.

Off to work.  The iPhone/Mobile computer on my belt.  I’m running low on hydrogen so I stop at the local refilling station.  As I drive up to the pump a large touch screen comes alive, connects with my iPhone and performs the financial transaction.  The only interaction from me would be my optional PIN code, but the touch screen verified my fingerprints, so it really is not needed.  In addition, my car communicated with my Mobile Computer.  I’m supporting a local business and it knows my car for the “free fill-up” if I after 10 fill ups.

My to-do list on my Jeep’s monitor, tells me the refrigerator at the house, told my iPhone that I should pick up Milk today.  However, 1/2 way to my office, the task is checked off, as my wife picked up the milk already her way back from the gym  (Powered by a private family social network), all interconnected.    3/4 the way to my office, the computer at my children’s school let me know that they checked into class.  There are 100 other things that I could be notified about this morning, but my preferences screen out the noise and keep my updated on what is important to me.  In fact, my phone is already communicating with my admin’s phone.  I’m running late, schedules need to be adjusted.

At work:  I sit down at my desk.  There is no computer, just interface devices.  Keyboard, mouse, and yes, a kick-ass monitor.  No desktop. The mobile device IS my computer.   Wherever I go in the facility,  I can access any screen that I have rights to.  My favorite is the picnic table outside with an embedded surface computer.

Off to the airport.  On the drive, I am confirmed and checked in.  My ETA to arrive, park, get to the terminal, and get on the flight are all displayed (my preferences).  I’ve got plenty of time.  The car and phone communicate with my wife’s and my admin’s phone.  “Donato did not forget to go to the airport” it lets them know.  As is my pattern, I’m given a 1-button option to call my children.  They are in class, so I record a “see you when Daddy gets back video”.   I’m going to Texas.  My iPhone gives my children’s mobile computers all sorts of interesting facts about where Dad is going.  Upon my return, I’m given a lesson by my oldest about the Alamo.

At the airport:  Every terminal is a smart terminal. Touch sensitive, connected to my iPhone.  My credit card credentials are in the phone.  If someone else has my Phone, it won’t work, since it is a touch screen, it continually verified my fingerprints to make sure that it is me.  My children’s allowance limit is set on their mobile as well.  I can track what they are buying.  I will know what they are watching, and I can be an informed parent.  As they grow into adults, they will gain the rights and privacy of an adult.

In the mobile future, everything is permission based.  Everyone has the right to privacy and to opt out.  The level of opt is by choice.

In the airplane:  No more laptops.  Instead, smart screens on the backs of the seats that face you.  200 passengers minus 15 pound laptop + cases, the plane is 3000 pounds lighter.

On the ground:  The Hilton knows that I am coming in.  My phone tells me the shuttle is running 10 minutes behind.

With more information and fewer unknowns, traveling is less stressful.

At the Hotel:  I am checked in as soon as I walk through the doors at the Hilton.  I don’t have to go to the front desk; I like carrying my own luggage. Room number 2120, close to the elevator, no smoking room, breakfast options are presented.  I choose Eggs Benedict.   Hmmm,  a 30 minute workout gets added to my schedule to burn the extra calories.  I’m given the option of Eggs Benedict and workout OR granola and no workout.  I choose the Eggs Benedict. Wake up call is scheduled 30 minutes early and a lane in the pool is reserved for me.

At the conference:  GPS inside my mobile shows me where everything is.  No running last minute to find out where I am speaking.  Thai restaurant choices and reviews of each are presented for my review.  The conference social network connects me with 3 other people that were craving Thai.  Reservations are made and I meet 3 new people.   Never eat alone.

Coming home:  I’m updated on the soccer game I missed.  In fact, I watch the entire video on the plane.  In flight video conferencing is an option, should I choose to talk to my family…while in flight.  Technology, done right, improves the human condition.

All the things that I’ve talked about are possible today.  No kidding.  The only thing that is lacking is the infrastructure and the middleware, and the desire.  The software (middleware) is being created now.  Airports already have the big monitors, the next generation needs to be smart terminals for our mobiles.

How it will happen.

Each niche piece of software will be created by someone.  It will solve a problem in arriving at the airport, getting a taxi, ordering breakfast, etc.  Private, permission-based social networks will have a huge opportunity to play in the mobile future.  They will replace the Facebooks, MySpaces, and LinkedINs.  The small and niche always chip away and kills the big, slow and generic.  Look at what is happening to Job Boards today. Most of the companies making these mobile apps will NOT make much money.  Next, consolidation of technology will occur. Some will happen with mergers & acquisitions. Companies in India and China will not innovate, but simply copy what 100′s of smaller firms are doing.  Right now, anyone can make a few bucks on a mobile app.  That will change.  Most of these micro apps have nothing truly unique to patent.  The best a small operator can do is either become very popular or truly innovate to protect themselves.   The best protected apps are ones like Contact Capture for the Blackberry and iPhone.  These apps are extremely simple, but are powered by a back end services that have years of R&D and robust technology.

Soooo much opportunity for those that understand that this will happen and is happening now.  The mobile future is exciting.  Get on or get left behind.

*yes the freeze, not death, I intend on being frozen.

Today it is different.  Perhaps I am partly to blame.  My contact information is on the Broadlook website, I’m the registration contact for 100′s of domains, and I freely put all my contact information into my email signature.

And…yes, my company, Broadlook,  makes software that pulls information from the Internet to empower sales and recruiting professionals.   Again, I am guilty, but having my contact information is not an excuse to sell badly to me.

Here is a secret:  I love being sold to.  Truly being sold to means that somebody has done their homework, looked at my needs, my company needs and has a solution to my pain.   To save those hundreds of sales reps time, I’ve decided to (1) define the rules of engagement of how to sell to me and (2) post them on my corporate bio.  If you follow the rules, I promise I will respond.  It may be an email that only says “no thank you”. Or try me next quarter, but if you take the time, I will take the time.

I like the transparency of establishing the rules of engagement.  When I passed this idea by a few of my peers, leaders in both small and large companies, they all liked the idea of establishing the engagement rules and being transparent.   My rules are not the next persons rules;  they are mine.  Everyone should craft their own and make them transparent.  If more people did this, selling would be so much more efficient and enjoyable, for both sides.  Imagine that!

In order to sell at a high level, you need more than an email address.  Perhaps having Broadlook’s lead generation tools at my disposal for the last 7 years has spoiled me.  When I reach out to someone, I know something about them and I always personalize my message.

I titled this blog verbosely so people looking to sell to me would find it.  SEO stuff.  We’ll see where it lands…

Rules to sell to Donato Diorio

1. Get my name right.  I can see how people mistake my first name for a last name, but it’s not brain surgery. It shows respect.
2. Personalize. I will not respond to a mass emails. Period.
3. Understand what my company (Broadlook) does.  Can you believe that there is some idiot out there that keeps trying to sell me a list of recruiting firms?     Talk about selling ice to an Eskimo.
4. Show me that I am special.  Customize your sales pitch for my company.  Don’t use generalities.  Research what my company does and ask me good questions. I don’t have a burning need to seek others approval, but if you take the time to tell me.
5. Call and email.   You will probably get voice mail, but I will listen to it.  The email will give me your contact information if I like what I hear.   Tell me you will also be sending me an email.   Be articulate, gosh, I’m sorry, but if your accent is so heavy that I have to listen to your voice mail a few times to understand it, it will get deleted at the very beginning.
6. In your voice mail,  say your phone number two times.  Give me a chance to write it down if I like what I hear.
7. Don’t use a voice mail script.  If you do, you are not at the level yet to successfully sell to me.  Try again next year.
8. Don’t use a negative sell.  i.e.  The economy is bad, and you can help.   Bad for who? Do your homework.  I’m an optimist.  I love hanging up on pessimists.  Realists welcome.
9. Know your product inside out.  If you can’t answer nearly all my questions, you should not be reaching out to me. Have you manager or top sales rep do it.
10. Don’t call me if someone else at my company makes the decision.  I don’t make the decisions on office supplies.
11. Did I mention… get my name right?

Here is the email that put me over the top to write this blog.  It was nth in a series, polite but impersonal.  I will not be working with this company.

==============================================================

Dear Danato,  (got my name wrong)

Hope you are doing fine.   (does he really?)     (the DELETE button was pressed when my eyes hit this line)

This is with reference to my previous mail dated 4th March 2009. (reminding me of his spam) I hope you have received it. I eagerly await your reply as I look forward to exploring a potential business opportunity with your company , which I am sure would prove to be mutually beneficial.  (he has no clue what Broadlook does)

Please let me know your interest and your availability for a short introductory call at a time that would best suit your schedule.  During the call, I would primarily like to introduce XXXXXXXXX, our services, capabilities and address any specific queries that you may have.

Eagerly awaiting your reply.  (and 50,000 others he spammed)

Thanks and best regards,

XXXX

==============================================================

Here is approximately how the numbers broken down.

Somehow I let my in-box get away from me.  I lost track of best practices.  Anyone with some ideas on managing an out-of-control inbox, I want to hear from you. This blog is part 1. In part 2, I post the solutions & suggestions that I gather over the coming weeks.  Part 2 will only be posted once I get back control of my email inbox.

For those about to send me suggestions.  I already make good use of filters and I have a professional email spam-blocking service that I am happy with.  The spams I am getting are from contacts that somehow make the conceptual leap from being a business connection to putting me on their distribution lists.

Idea: wouldn’t it be nice to have a program that took all webinars and events emails and only shows you ones that fit your schedule?   hmmm

part 2…under development.