A friend who runs a small direct mail business is always on the prowl for new leads, new phone numbers, qualified addresses ... he rabidly pursues every type of list imaginable. His direct mail business is based on numbers. The more people he mails to, the more response he will get. 

I've decided to buy him a copy of TargetSmart's ProspectSmart!

ProspectSmart! allows users to set criteria for locating desired customers. If you're looking to market your product or service to men over the age of 60 who earn more than $100,000, ProspectSmart! allows you to set that criteria and more. After setting a profile, the program queries users regarding where in the U.S. they want to locate prospects matching the profile. Enter the city, the postal code or the state, and ProspectSmart! delivers the information.

For the initial cost of $199 US ($49 US if upgrading a previous version), users receive 1,000 complimentary prospects with additional names and numbers costing 10 cents a name. 

The program provides even deeper options when fishing for leads. Incorporating a data importing function similar to sister product, TargetSmart! v1.5, ProspectSmart! will examine your existing customer information and find similar customers in the same geographic region or across the U.S. And once the prospects are identified, a mail merge tool allows for easy communication with potential buyers. 

This program represents a revolution in the small-business lead generation process. Taking middlemen who broker prospect information out of the mix, ProspectSmart! provides access to virtually an infinite number of qualified leads. 

Also, the mail merge and fulfillment component ensures that you will be mailing your literature to the most appropriate base of customers. 

Finally, compatibility with existing customer information makes this program, bundled with TargetSmart!, an extremely powerful mix. 
There is a catch, of course. After the first 1,000 leads, the program is worthless unless you buy more. Ten cents a lead is a competitive rate, but it would be more convenient for small business owners to be able to buy the entire North American data for an up-front bundled sum of money. 

As a lead generation tool, this program is priceless. But if you are not in the market to purchase beyond the initial 1,000 leads, the life of this program is extremely limited. Finally, similar to TargetSmart!, which ignores the Internet as a source of customer communication, ProspectSmart! does not provide Internet communication abilities. In fact, you can only order more prospect information during business hours and by phone. 

It's a good product, but the Internet is alive and kicking. It's time to meet the challenge, TargetSmart Inc. 

Reviewer's rating: 4.5 / 5 
Comments: If you are in the market for new prospects, this program is for you. 
Price: $199 US($49 if upgrading from a recent version)