Finding Leads - The Outside Approach

To find leads, consider an outside approach:

• Set aside four weekend hours and search the Internet for leads. Websites like spoke.com and manta.com are great tools.
• Spend five minutes checking local business news every morning either by reading the paper or going online
• Profile your ideal customer and then buy a list of similar companies
• Ask clients, friends and family for referrals
• Network

Finding Leads - The Inside Approach

To find leads, consider the inside approach:

• Go to your current prospect list and call everyone on it
• Organize a prospect swamp with fellow sales people to shake things up
• Ask your boss to assign you inactive accounts
• Search within your own clients. Are you calling on every person and every department that buys?

How to Increase Your Sales: Tip 2

Tip 2
Follow up on hot leads the instant you receive them. Don't wait an hour or a day.

10 Places to Look for Leads in 2012: Part 2

Back today with part 2 of "10 Places to Look for Leads in 2012."

6.  Check out the local business news.
7.  Read the want ads on hiring websites like Monster.com and Career Builders.
8.  Purchase a list of names.
9.  When you visit customers, determine who else is located in their neighborhood.
10.  Swap leads with co-workers. Buyers who didn't click with a fellow salesperson may click with you, and vice versa.

There are plenty of leads out there, but keep this best practice in mind. Call the leads you have before you spend time collecting more. Who knows? A phone call today might be all it takes to put you in the right place at the right time for a big opportunity.
 
Good Selling!
Linda

10 Places to Look for Leads in 2012: Part 1

In this month's Self-Taught Sales, I shared my thoughts on "10 Places to Look for Leads in 2012."  Knowing is can never hurt to share new ways to find new leads, I thought you'd be interested in these 10 places that I suggest you look next year.

1.  Do a little digging around in the lost business graveyard. Past customers can be great prospects for future business.
2.  Take the "twin" approach. Find enterprises similar to those customers who currently buy. For example, if your best customer is a bank, find other banks to call on.
3.  Use LinkedIn. Keyword search functions allow you to locate companies and decision-makers.
4.  Business intelligence websites like Hoover's, Jigsaw, Manta, and others are excellent lead sources. Some information is free while other data is available for a fee.
5.  The Internet is a gold mine of information. Search for key attributes like "Corporate Headquarters for software companies in Atlanta" and see what pops up.

Check back Wednesday for places 6 - 10.

Smokin’ Hot Leads—How to Make the Most of Them

Hot leads are seriously interested in making a purchase.

You identify them by:
• Prospecting
• Inbound requests for information via phone or web
• Networking
• Events and tradeshows
• Referrals

To keep hot leads sizzling, react quickly. Give the lead immediate quality attention. Make them feel like they matter to you. Call or email quickly—within hours, not days. Demonstrate genuine appreciation for
their interest.

Determine where the hot lead is at in their buying cycle. It it’s early on, the hot lead is investigating options. They are on a quest to learn, and their search for information tends to be wide and shallow. As the prospect closes in on a purchase, the list of possibilities narrows and details become more important.

When talking to a hot lead, find out where they’re at. Ask them, "What stage are you at in your buying process? Are you investigating your options or ready to purchase?"

Don't be discouraged if they admit they're not ready to buy today. Remember, a hot lead is seriously interested in making a purchase. Have a plan in place to stay top of mind and be their number one choice. Continue to engage to increase the odds of closing.

Leader of the Pack

This week I came across an interesting article on lead generation. According to Lotus CMO Rick Faulk, his experience suggests that greater than 75% of the leads sent to sales reps never get actively worked.

Could this be true?

Studies clearly state that the sales close rate goes up dramatically if you respond within 24 hours of a prospect contacting you. By making a personal phone call, you will help to better distinguish yourself and your organization from your competitors. While the size of the opportunity and the buying cycle dictate the persistence of the follow-up, I would hope that great sales people like you aren't letting potential leads pass you by.