There is a lot to learn and explore. Every day AI advances more. Keeping up with it is impossible. Third parties are now offering snap courses for a fee, YouTube is full of gurus, peers are willing to help you, and a lot of expertise is being developed within our industry. AI will eventually do your accounting. AI may eventually run much of your back office. AI will help you go to market. It is, and will, become vital to your business. My question is… how can Ai help me develop prospects? Obviously, by doing research that could take me hours upon hours and steal that time from doing actual prospecting.
To keep it “elementary,” I used only one common and free AI tool, Chat GBT. By now, you know the skill you need in working with AI is framing in your search question/criteria. In time, inexperienced users learn the depth of the information you need to provide these engines to get back what you need.
My first search was for radiology prospects in my county. I am still in the CD business and almost every radiology center and hospital buy thousands annually. While I do not sell direct, this was a mission conducted as if I was a distributor. This is an example of what gathered for me:
MUSC Health Lancaster Imaging Center
- Address: 1037 W Meeting Street, Lancaster, SC 29720
- Phone: 803-313-3170
- Key Personnel:
I got about a dozen “suspects.” Now I asked Chat GPT to provide me with a letter to send to these prospects. I am not in love with what they did, but rather than tweak it, I am showing you the work:
Dear [Dr. Name or Imaging Department Manager],
I hope this note finds you well. I am reaching out to introduce you to Soundline, a local supplier of medical-grade CD-ROMs specifically designed for radiology professionals like yourself who need dependable, fast, and professional solutions for delivering MRI, CT, and other imaging test results.
What sets us apart?
· Premium Medical-Grade Discs – Dependable, DICOM-compliant CDs that ensure data integrity and performance.
· Award-Winning Disc Branding – Your reports deserve more than a plain surface. We offer high-quality, full-color disc printing that enhances your brand and elevates patient presentation.
· Smart, Flexible Packaging – Choose from a variety of customizable packaging options to suit your workflow and image.
· Local Advantage – As a local provider, we offer faster turnaround times, responsive service, and pricing that competes with national suppliers.
I have enclosed a sample disc and brochure so you can see firsthand the level of quality and customization we provide. Whether you are looking to reduce costs, improve your patient experience, or simply work with someone nearby who understands your needs, we would love the chance to earn your business.
Let’s talk about how we can support your imaging operations. I will follow up next week, but in the meantime, feel free to call or email if you would like to learn more or place a trial order.
Best regards,
I then went on to ask another AI service to develop a 4-panel brochure, and a design for the outside mailing envelope. I got it all together. The total time invested was half an hour. To do better, I would need a few hours. To really make it work, I would expand the search to Charlotte and surrounding counties.
I continued my probe into another market we do well with and that is wellness. I asked a specific question about Bank of America in Charlotte. Here is what I got back:
Bank of America does not have a publicly designated position titled "Wellness Director." However, several key executives oversee and promote employee wellness initiatives:
· Sheri xxx: As the Chief Human Resources Officer, Bronstein emphasizes mental health priorities and leads the company's focus on employee emotional wellness. Bank of America
· Chris xxx: Serving as the Global Head of Compensation, Benefits, and Travel, Fabro is responsible for programs supporting mental and emotional health, highlighting the leadership's role in promoting overall wellness. WSJ
· Chris xxxo: Holding the position of Employee Financial Services Financial Wellness Program Manager, Vittorio manages financial wellness programs for employees. LinkedIn+1Bank of America+1
These roles indicate Bank of America's commitment to comprehensive employee wellness through leadership in human resources and benefits management.
Wow… I can be off to the races. AI looks into LinkedIn and many other social media sites where prospects are exposed. If you get up in the middle of the night and want to prospect, sleep with your phone and, by morning, you will have a map showing you where to prospect and who to call on when you get there.
What will they think of next?
Joel D. Schaffer, MAS is CEO and Founder of Soundline, LLC, the pioneering supplier to the promotional products industry of audio products. Joel has 48 years of promotional product industry experience and proudly heralds “I was a distributor.” He has been on the advisory panel of the business and marketing department of St. John’s University in New York and is a frequent speaker at Rutgers Graduate School of Business. He is an industry Advocate and has appeared before the American Bankers Association, American Marketing Association, National Premium Sales Executives, American Booksellers Association and several other major groups. He has been a management consultant to organizations such as The College Board and helped many suppliers enter this industry. He is a frequent contributor to PPB and Counselor magazines. He has facilitated over 200 classes sharing his industry knowledge nationwide. He is known for his cutting humor and enthusiasm in presenting provocative and motivating programs. He is the only person to have received both the Marvin Spike Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (2002) and PPAI’s Distinguished Service Award (2011). He is a past director of PPAI and has chaired several PPAI committees and task forces. He is a past Chair of the SAAGNY Foundation, Past President of SAAGNY and a SAAGNY Hall of Fame member. He was cited by ASI as one of the 50 most influential people in the industry.