Leads, leads, leads!
Leads are to your business what air is to your lungs. You just can’t go without it.
Back in the old days, lead generation meant picking up the phone book and cold calling everyone in sight. Then came face to face networking, then came social media, and alas we have lead generation tools at our fingertips.
You’d think the lead generation problem would be solved, right?
Wrong.
Networking upped your intake of rubber chicken, but you never had a strategy for what to do with all these new lunchmates.
You wake up one day with 1000 friends on Facebook, but similarly you have no idea who they are or how you’re supposed to make these connections work in your business. You figure, “Hey, I’ll just pitch them what I’m offering” and suddenly you find yourself with zero responses and zero interest (not to mention a new reputation as a noisy yakking marketer).
What’s a gal/guy to do?
Plan a Profit Path.
A Profit Path is a roadmap of how you’re going to monetize your connections and exactly how to set goals when meeting new people.
Look at the people you meet as falling into 3 categories. And remember, this isn’t about cut and dry boundaries. Some people may overlap into 1 or more areas.
Profit Path #1: Clients
Is this person in your ideal client category? Does he or she fit the profile of the person you’d most like to work with? If yes, then keep that in mind. Don’t know how to figure out your ideal client? This is one of my favorite resources on finding your ideal client.
Profit Path #2: Referrals
The majority of your contacts actually fit into this category. I always advise people to default all their contacts to “referral” before ruining a relationship with a premature sales pitch or offer. The best way to learn about creating mutually beneficial referral relationships is through old fashioned connecting. Try picking up the phone (read my tips here on how to take your online contacts into offline conversations) and go from there.
Profit Path #3: Leverage
A leverage opportunity is one that allows you to step up in front of someone else’s audience. These can include joint ventures, media, and other “platform” type online visibility and offline visibility opportunities. Having a solid media plan and topics you are known for will help you attract great leverage opportunities. Read the posts on PR and Publicity to help you in this area.
Action Steps:
1. Look at your network and see what Profit Paths your contacts fit into. Remember, people might fit into more than 1.
2. Create an action plan that will lead to CASH. You want to speak in front of big audiences? Then get on the horn with those Leverage Opportunities. Need clients? Well, if you’ve done the work you can see who you need to connect with.
3. Turbo Boost Your Results: Contact me for a Spotlight Ready Strategy Session and we can outline the precise way you’ll get more leads and turn those into MONEY with a customized plan. (These are very limited and highly effective… if it sounds good then take action now)
My question to you: How are you getting leads and what are you doing with them?
About Nancy Marmolejo
