Lead Generation, Network MarketingAll over the Internet is talk about lead generation, and every self-proclaimed expert declares that they have THE solution. Many novice marketers will nod their heads in agreement when told that the biggest obstacle to success in this industry is lead poverty, but do they really know what that term means? This question and more will be answered in our Lead Generation 101.

Here are the basics of lead generation:

What exactly is a lead?

In order for any brick and mortar business to succeed, it must have customers to purchase its products or services.  Income derived from sales pay employee salaries, taxes, rent or mortgage payments on the store building, utilities, insurance, and advertising. Likewise, in network marketing, customers are an important component to the marketer’s success. Leads are the potential customers for your products or services, who also may become business partners with you

Are there different types of leads?

Leads come in many forms. Warm Market leads are your friends, family, co-workers, doctors, etc. These are people you know on some level and likely have things in common. Cold Market leads are people you don’t know.

Cold leads can be further divided into two categories – qualified and non-qualified. Qualified leads are those who have been polled to some extent – usually through an online questionnaire – to determine their interest in the products, services, or business opportunity. Non-qualified leads could be names you pull from the phone book, from a purchased list, or simply people who have been referred to you by someone else.

How do I get leads for my business?

There are many methods of lead generation, online & offline, and free to quite costly. Free methods of lead generation include contacting your warm market, blogging, social media, and invoking the 3-foot rule. For cost methods include purchasing leads, pay-per-click ads, classifieds and other advertising methods.

Promoting to your warm market is one of the easiest ways to obtain leads, since you already know the individuals and are comfortable talking to them. However, many of these people will wait to see how well you do before joining your team. A little more difficult is talking to anyone within three feet of you.  Approaching people face-to-face is not for everyone, and many marketers are turning to the Internet. It is easy to write an article, blog post or status update to generate interest in your business, but this method often takes time and patience to see results.

If you have a larger budget for advertising, then classifieds and pay per click ads will draw the individuals who are looking for your products or business opportunity. These leads are generally more targeted and receptive to what you have to offer. Buying leads can be effective, but it is difficult to determine the quality of those leads unless your source comes recommended by someone who has seen results.

The basics of lead generation are simple. Keep in mind that the most cost effective methods are those that provide the best results for you and your business. What works for one person may not work for another, and the only way to tell what works for you is to try each one.

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One of the biggest problems facing marketers today is a decades old dilemma – a lack of qualified leads. To find out how we increased traffic to our website and started getting targeted leads, visit conqueryoursuccess.com for a free, no obligation DVD or go HERE to get started with a 30-day trial.

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