Guidelines for 'Amateur' Developers In Handling Industrial Inquiries
Prepared by NEBRASKA NOW Newsletter, edited by V. Wilson Lee, Extension Economist Emeritus, Community Resource Development, Auburn University

We will assume in this case that you receive a letter stating an interest in your area for a new facility. Let's follow this example through what might occur.

1. Phone the person inquiring. Try to gather as much information as possible about the project and the company. A prospect "Report Sheet"* is a good guide to make sure you ask the right questions.

2. Check out the company. If you are unsure that you are dealing with a reputable firm, now is a good time to do some checking. Call the Alabama Development Office and ask them to check the various business directories or have your local bank check.

3. Prepare your response. Timeliness is important. If you need more time to prepare your response, send a letter thanking him for the inquiry and stating that your information will be coming in a few days. Briefly, your response should answer all specific questions as well as provide basic information such as a Community Profile, Facts Book and Site Forms.*

4. Phone your prospect. This contact is to make sure he received the information you sent and it met his needs. It gives you an opportunity to answer any questions he may have or to provide additional information.

   This contact should probably be made two to four weeks after the first package is sent. This allows the prospect time to review the material.

   At this point you need to decide your future actions. This will depend on the reactions you get from this contact. Perhaps he will tell you straight out that you are no longer under consideration. If so, you can make the file inactive. Don't throw it away. You still have a good contact for the future.

   A more likely reaction from the prospect might be that the project is fairly long range. If this occurs you should try to find out when he will reach the next stage of his project. This will give you an idea when you should follow-up. You should set up a card file to remind you when to call or perhaps just mark it on your calendar.

5. From here on out, the follow-up becomes a matter of common sense. Try to keep the prospect informed of any changes in your community. Try to intersperse letter contacts with phone calls. As the project develops you will be able to provide more specific information such as utility costs estimates.

6. The frequency of contacts will generally be determined by how "hot" the project becomes. If it is very long range (several years), contact every four to six months might be sufficient.

7. At some point, the prospect will either become interested enough to visit your town, decide to locate elsewhere or drop the project. If he located in another community, try to determine the reasons you were eliminated so you can remedy them if possible.

   In any case, be sure to retain your files for the future. It's also a good idea to cross-reference them by state so you can make personal calls if you visit the area. — NEBRASKA NOW Newsletter