Directories can help salespeople search out new accounts and determine their buying potential. A list of some of the more popular national directories is provided next:

• Middle Market Directory lists 14,000 firms worth between $500,000 and $1 million (available from Dun & Bradstreet, www.dnb.com).

• Standard & Poor’s Corporation Records Service provides details on more than 11,000 companies (www.spglobal.com).

• Thomas Register of American Manufacturers provides a listing of 60,000 manufacturers by product classifications, addresses, and capital ratings (www.thomasregister.com).

• Polk City Directory provides detailed information on the citizens of a specific community. Polk, in business for more than 125 years, publishes about 1,100 directories covering 6,500 communities in the United States and Canada (www.citydirectory.com).

• The Encyclopedia of Associations lists more than 23,000 U.S. associations and more than 20,000 international organizations with details on membership, publications, and conferences (www.gale.com).

These are just a few of the better-known directories. There are hundreds of additional directories covering business and industrial firms on the regional, state, and local levels. Some directories are free, whereas others must be purchased at a nominal fee. One of the most useful free sources of information is the telephone directory. Most telephone directories have a classified (yellow pages) section that groups businesses and professions by category. Web Yellow Pages (www.bigyellow.com) provides more than 11 million U.S. business listings.