Some Crazy Shit

Lead generation relies heavily on PR. Potential leads need to be promoted to and informed of how your business can benefit them. Depending on your type of business there are some events not to be missed as they’ll be full of potential leads.

Business Networking Meetings

Most large towns will have a business networking group. To find yours look in the local press, on local websites or contact the nearest Business Link office. Some groups require you to be invited as a guest before you can become a member – find out who’s in the group and contact the chairman.

When you attend a business network group meeting use the opportunity to promote your business to obtain leads. Collect as well as give out business cards. These groups exist for businesses to help each other. They usually don’t have competitors in the group, which the chairman will advise you on.

If there isn’t a group in your area why not organise your own? This is an ideal opportunity to generate new leads as you will be in control and can invite potential leads that will hopefully help grow your business. You could set up a breakfast meeting or dinner once a month in a local hotel. The room will need to be hired and if you wish to supply food you will need to consider costs. You could sell tickets, seek a sponsor or use the funds from group membership.

This type of lead generation takes time, so don’t expect an instant list of contacts. However, over time, as people get to know you leads and business should grow.

For the ladies amongst you a good idea is a ‘women in business’ group. This gives the group a unique slant and many leads can be generated through women’s contacts such as schools, parents and friends.

Open Days

Does your business lend itself to holding an open day? If you’re an educational institution trying to attract more students or a hotel or conference centre wanting to attract potential customers this is the type of event for you. Show off your premises and tell people what you can do for them. Advertise in the local press and with posters to promote the event.

Make sure you register every visitor, either before the event if you sell admission tickets or on entry on the day – then you automatically have your list of potential leads.

Trade Shows

An ideal way to promote potential customer interest and obtain a list of contacts to target. For more details on trade show lead generation see our web page www.

Launch Parties

If you’ve got a new business or product to promote a launch party is the ideal way to generate leads. An evening launch held at your premises or in a hotel, with demonstrations of the product or what your business does will reap rewards in terms of lead generation. Serve drinks and canapés and allow guests to mingle and network. As people enter ask them to drop their business card into a box to wine a bottle of champagne in a prize draw at the end of the evening – there you have your list of leads!

The main benefit of networking to generate sales and new customer leads is that it’s free. Word of mouth is one of the strongest forms of marketing. Do a good job and people will recommend you, avoiding the need for expensive advertising.

Self Promotion

Don’t be shy; be proud of what you do. Whether you work as a salesperson for a large company or are a small independent business lead generation will help grow your sales and profits. Tell everyone about your business and always have a supply of business cards to hand. Talking about what you do will get people thinking and if they’re not a potential customer they might know someone who is.

Don’t wait for a potential lead to ask for your business card – give it to them. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression so be polite, not pushy. If you have a website make sure its address is printed clearly on your business card so people can find out more about you.

Where to Network

Networking starts the minute you leave the house and meet people, from the postman to school teachers to the guy you sit next to on the train. Don’t assume someone won’t be interested in what you’re offering – turn things around and see every encounter as a potential lead.

Social networking is fun as well as work orientated. Join sports clubs where you think potential leads will go (golf/tennis/rugby/swimming), it’s during the social time after a game that the networking starts.

You could also join any other type of club or society that your target market may frequent, such as writers’ clubs, gardening clubs, art classes or cookery clubs. Consider where potential customers will be and be there too! If you don’t want to join the club as a paid-up member you could ask to give a talk on your business; a great way to generate new leads.

Network with friends and family and make use of any contacts they have. Think about what your friends do and the number of people they come in contact with each day. Ask them to give out one of your business cards when appropriate and your network of potential leads will soon start to grow.

Network at work by ensuring your current customers know about everything you do. If you offer a wide range of services a customer is likely to use you rather than a new supplier if they’re happy with you.

Follow Up

Once you’ve made a potential contact don’t loose them. If someone has given you their business card and expressed an interest in what you do follow up the lead with a polite email the next day. This ensures they don’t forget you. Don’t wait for people to contact you if you’ve got their contact details.

If you’ve made a large number of potential leads keep them securely on a database and note when you contacted each. Put in place a plan to make contact on a regular basis (without inundating them), and plan to build business.

Lead generation is all about obtaining names and following up on people who may be interested in what you sell or do. It’s chasing potential customers, rather than waiting for them to come to you. It has to be done in the correct manner so as not to alienate people.

Advertising to Create Leads

If you have a marketing budget advertising to create leads can work well. Options are:

• Press advertising

• Posters

• Direct mail

• Flyers

• Press release

Each of the above should address your target market. For example, if you’re looking for leads to attract more students to a college course you’d advertise in places where students go: the careers office, schools, libraries, student magazines etc. You should also consider demographic areas. You wouldn’t advertise a designer clothes shop by leaflet dropping in an area of low income; you’d target the upmarket properties.

But lead generation isn’t just about advertising. You need to encourage potential customers to contact you with their details with a ‘call to action’. This could be:

• A competition

• An open day

• A discount with the first purchase

• Discount for supplying names of friends

• Free gift

Your objective is to get the potential customer’s details and turn that potential into a real customer.

Encouraging the Potential

Once you have a database of contact details you’ve got a valuable tool to increase business so use it wisely. Now’s the time to put your marketing plan into action and hook those potential customers.

Always follow up leads. From a ‘thank you for coming to our event/visiting our stand’ letter to ‘now you can get a discount on your first order’. Keep the momentum going so the potential customer has you in the forefront of their mind. A good example of this is catalogue advertising. Once a company has your name and address how often do they send you catalogues with introductory offers, free products and loyalty schemes? We’ve all got something in our junk mail that we know we didn’t ask for.

But if this marketing method entices us to buy and makes life easier for us then the company has been successful in generating their leads.

Newsletters are another good way of turning leads into sales. They keep potential and current customers up to date with new innovations and developments and can include a ‘call to action’.

Database Management

Once you have created a database of potential leads ensure it’s kept up to date. If anyone asks to be removed then do it straight away – don’t annoy them by sending them information they don’t want. Ensure you are familiar with the Data Protection Act as you can’t use personal details for any purposes.

Guard your list of potential leads and don’t let it fall into the hands of competitors. You’ve done all the hard work to get this information and you deserve the credit.