Mar 11
22
Leads, Leads, Leads
Whether you have been working at your network marketing business for years or started yesterday, you know the success of your business depends on a steady supply of leads. If you want a successful business – no matter what niche you are in, understanding marketing and lead generation should be at the top of your ‘to-learn’ list as it is one of the most important skills you can learn as an entrepreneur.
Like it or not, lead abundance is the answer to growing your business and reaching your goals. The breakdown is pretty simple:
Leads = New Reps
New Reps = Success!
You may have heard that the most common reasons a new business fails is because it is either undercapitalized and/or it has insufficient inventory. This is no different in an mlm or network marketing business. Now, you most likely do not physically carry your company’s inventory so in this discussion we are going to talk about inventory in terms of your lead supply.
So how do you attain a steady stream of leads?
Lead Generation: If you are going to generate your own leads then that is a skill set in itself. You want any marketing campaign that you implement to be profitable but you must know they generally do not start out that way. Successful marketing campaigns become successful through testing and tweaking. This will require the resources of time or money or both. Generating your own leads is rewarding because your prospects are responding to your customized offer and therefore makes for a better conversation and higher conversion rate.
There are many ways to generate leads and they can utilize free and paid methods. You can advertise your offer in print, on television and radio. You can market online through search engines (ppc) and using social media. There are more personal methods that include seminar marketing, local networking (Meetup.com) and event marketing. This is a very short list but covers three of the main areas used by network marketers. Any method you choose should match your experience, your interest and utilize your talents effectively.
Purchased Leads: There are many companies out there that generate leads and resell them to network marketers and they come in a variety of packages. You can purchase real time leads at a premium or aged leads at a cheaper price. You can have a real time lead redirected to your website after they have opted into an offer which can be very beneficial in getting in front of your prospect right away. Some offers include answers to a survey the prospect has filled out. Be sure to do your due diligence if you are thinking of purchasing leads. Be sure the leads are properly qualified for what you are offering and make sure the company has genuine customer support. You will also want to be sure that the leads are not oversold which would make it very hard for you to connect with the prospect and have a worthwhile conversation.
The Sales Funnel: Once you have a method of generating leads in place you will want to be sure you have a rock solid system in place. The sales funnel is the process you take your leads through. This system will take them from a lead to a qualified prospect to a client or team member. The purpose of having a sales funnel in place is to have your leads sorted and sifted so that you are spending your time with qualified prospects, those truly interested in your opportunity. Each phase of your system should bring them closer to the close. You will generally not be closing people on the first call so your system will be crucial to your success.
This discussion touched on vital elements of your business. Each topic can be expanded upon into great detail. The main thing I want to emphasize is that you should constantly be measuring your results in each stage of your system. You will always want to be testing your lead generation tactics to create higher targeted leads at lower per lead costs. You will want to have qualifiers and disqualifiers in your system so you do not waste precious time talking to the wrong type of prospect. And lastly, you will want a follow up system in place so you stay connected with your prospects. Generating leads takes effort and resources. Your prospects may not be ready to buy the same day you connect with them but they are looking for something. If you create a relationship with your prospects that adds value then you will be positioned to be the one they make their purchase from when they are ready to do so.
To Your Massive Success!!
