ZoomInfo Announces Free Tool for Job Hunters

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DATE : Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:39:08 -0500
Entered in Database : 2009-12-15 14:39:08
length : 12797725
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It all started innocently enough. I received a press release from ZoomInfo with a request I record an interview to promote their new FreshContacts offer:WALTHAM, MA--(Marketwire - December 8, 2009) - Helping put America back to work, ZoomInfo, the world's most comprehensive source of business information on people and companies, today announced a new resource for job hunters. Available immediately, FreshContacts provides free access to job seekers looking to identify, research and connect with innovative companies and their hiring managers. Providing actionable intelligence on prospective employers, FreshContacts can drastically shorten the time it takes for many job seekers to find employment… Read the complete press release.So here's the deal. To get access to ZoomInfo's database, you must allow ZoomInfo access to your Outlook contacts, via a application you download from ZoomInfo's web site. Now, here's their pitch: "You may be wondering why ZoomInfo has agreed to give away a 2 month subscription for FREE. Well, it's a simple win-win situation: you get the value of the ZoomInfo database of 45 million professionals at 5 million companies, and in exchange, you allow your contact records to improve the size and quality of the database, which in turn helps everyone else who is using it! " I found one of their bullit points to be particularly disturbing: "Contributions to the database are totally anonymous - they are not traceable back to you." Okay.I've found Linkedin Questions to be a goldmine. This is a free focus group, all you marketing people! So I published the following question:What do you think of ZoomInfo's FreshContacts initiative? (Interviewing their CEO) **Correction: Zales is president of ZoomInfo)I'm recording a podcast interview with Sam Zales the president of ZoomInfo tomorrow - they recently opened their database (for a limited time), to anyone willing to share their Outlook contact list - this is accomplished through a plug-in you download. Here's a link to the press release:What should I ask Sam?Would you be willing to swap your Outlook contacts for 2 free month's access to ZoomInfo's database?Do you have privacy concerns related to this offer?Thanks for your suggestions.Questions for Sam Zales (thanks to all the Linkedin contributors, see a list of responses below)Sam, let's start by addressing the primary concern most people have: harvesting my personal contacts from my Outlook database. David van Toor put it this way: "The people who gave me their business cards did so (I believe) on the implicit contract that I would use the information on it for my purposes only, and not for the sale (however executed) to other companies." Your response?Can you describe for us exactly how this application, "FreshContacts Swapper" works?Is this plug-in authorized by Microsoft?Why have you decided to extend this offer? What's in it for you? What's in it for those who participate?How will access to ZoomInfo help job seekers?According to your press release, you've had a beta program -- what has the feedback been with your beta testers?Another reaction from the Linkedin responses -- the reason you are doing this is ZoomInfo's information is inaccurate and outdated -- to the point of being useless. How do you respond to this?Why use ZoomInfo when a simple Google search will often times provide me with more accurate data?What haven't we discussed that's important for listeners to know?

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