If someone is a newby, getting a paid for list can help, because you need many thousands of numbers. I'd pretty much ditch residential, I've found that 80%+ folks are on the DNC list.

For a more established rep, where you need fewer numbers, but higher quality, I think buying a list is inferior to building your own.

I've done biz with CIS many times over the last 20 yrs, and they've been very good to me. They have a website where you can construct lists, check areas etc, certain professions, yada yada. They deliver the information in a variety of formats. Over the years, CIS had very very few bad numbers/names and such.

Thanks for the input, I figured it might give me something to due during these cold winter days when the town is shut down due to snow.

Who is CIS?  What's their website? 

I just bought a list from select marketing solutions.  First off, you can negotiate the price WAY down.  I just worked the list last night and only made 30 dials from it but found two qualified prospects.  The other 920 names could suck ... no idea. 

ONLY PAY THEM FOR PEOPLE WITH NUMBERS THOUGH - they sent me a bunch of folks with no numbers.

I've also bought a list which was "100% scrubbed" against the federal DNC list.  The part the guy failed to mention is it is not scrubbed for your specific states DNC.  It worked great until I found that out.   So if you do buy one make sure you check to make sure it's scrubbed both on the federal and the state levels.

cismarketing.com

The online tool is pretty awesome. 

Based on my personal experience and that of many others I have read about, I would say with all confidence that SELECT MARKETING SOLUTION is a rogue company and an indifferent violator of consumer laws.  Given the many complaints about their business practices and the irresponsible manner in which they have addressed them, the Better Business Bureau has recently assigned them an "F" rating. The BBB does this only reluctantly.

In addition, the Illinois state attorney general's office is handling no fewer than 27 written complaints about this Granite City Illinois-based company.  I know because I have been communicating with them as I have the BBB and other consumer organizations and law enforcement organizations. 

Take a look at the 'testimonials' on their website - they've clearly written their own testimonials and conveniently introduced their own names (and their pseudo-names) into most all of them.

Advisors interested in buying leads would be wise to not make the mistake I made; simply Google SELECT MARKETING SOLUTION. Given the terrible reputation that select marketing solution has earned I would expect a new company name is in their future - it seems there is a connection already to a similar company called the Prospecting Department . I would be happy to personally provide anyone interested with the details of my experience and that which I have become aware of about this 'company.'

JJM

http://www.ripoffreport.com/directory/Select-marketing-Solution.aspx

http://www.bbb.org/stlouis/business-reviews/business-opportunity-companies/select-marketing-solution-in-granite-city-il-310321087

[quote=Eyetattoo]

I have never purchased a list or really have given it much thought but I tought I would try and get some feedback from those that have used them and how it worked out.  Select Marketing Solution has been trying to get past my assistant for months so his persistance has got me thinking.......

Have any of you purchased their list and if so how was the quality and results?

[/quote]

I realize this is old news and I'm only reading this first post, but STAY AWAY from Select Marketing Solutions.  Horrible company that many people in my old office at the wirehouse firm I was with had terrible experience with. 

I used to get emails from multiple people there in the same day quoting different prices to me (not to mention disgustingly poor grammar, like it was written by a 5th grader - talk about professionalism!)

People complained that leads were bad, and their promise to return bad leads 2:1 went ignored.