There's an excited string going on over on ERE, in fact some are so anxious to say what they need to say they're saying it twice (and three, and four and five) times!

It seems to boil down to what is telephone names sourcing exactly? Is it "garbage" as one claimant seems to state? Is it the build-out of a company's telephone directory without refinement on titles? Is it a product that is a "cut and paste from LinkedIn along with an Excel spreadsheet exported from Broadlook Diver" as another reported? Is it ruse calling? What is it exactly? Here's what I think it is, and this is taken partially from the first module of my MagicMethod telephone names sourcing training.

Names Sourcing is a little understood activity. Simply put, it’s the skillful finding of people who hold specific titles (usually) within (usually) specific organizations so that you, as a recruiter, may contact them and offer them your opportunity. It can be performed in two ways: by using the Internet or by using the Telephone. The use of the latter is many times preceded by the use of the Internet but the use of the Internet is not often followed by the use of the Telephone.

And that, my friends, is what causes so much confusion (and, apparently now, angst) in the profession. That is also the reason there is so much difference in quality of the products being presented today. By the way, TRUE telephone sourcing IS NOT finding the name on the Internet and then calling to see if the guy's "still there" and even if his title is "still the same" as it was when it was placed on the Internet. It's maybe "adding value" if you get the guy's email or direct dial for your customer but it's not really true telephone names sourcing.

TRUE telephone names sourcing is when you call into a company - maybe you have a few names to get yourself started on the inside - and you find out who the players are cocooned inside that organization. MOST of the names you bring out will not and cannot be found on the Internet because you know why? They're NOT ON THE INTERNET in any capacity that would allow you to put their information together in any way that will quickly sort out and help to fill your open requirement.

That's what I think it is. What do you think it is?