Start Your Own Lead Sharing Group
Do you belong to a lead group? No? Then shame on you, but if you’re doing all the other thing you should why not take the next steps and watch your sales opportunities and new customer count jump. If you’ve never been a part of one have no fear here’s everything you need to start your own.
When you’re looking for Members find people who are selling into the same market size as you but repping non competitive products. For example say your product is business insurance property liability etc. a list of possible candidates would include:
A) Commercial real estate companies
B) Moving and relocation companies
C) Computer sales companies
D) Office supply companies
E) Advertising/ Promotions firms
F) Health insurance
G) Copier companies
H) Office Furniture suppliers
I) Freight carriers (UPS, Fed X)
J) Security Systems
The concept is simple. Pick a day to meet for coffee or lunch at a standing place or time. Each person is to bring a minimum of 3 leads to share with the other members. Each lead can be shared with more than one company but there must be three unique leads per meeting. If there are 10 members there should be 30 leads exchanged as a minimum. If some one has less than the required number of leads on a consistent basis, replace them. Be upfront with the others on the criteria for replacement. For example, if you’re short on leads to share for two straight meetings or more than 4 times in a year you’re no longer welcome.
How to get members… start with top producers from the type of companies listed above, what’s another phone call in the life of a sales person. Call the leading company of that type and ask who their top sales person or top sales manager is, treat it like any prospecting call and be prepared to explain how the group can be of benefit to them and that the only cost is a little bit of their time and follow it up with a thank you note whether they joined or not.
Keeping attendance up. Nothing is worse than something well intentioned and poorly executed, so if the meeting is 45 minutes have 2 of the members provide a 10 minute overview of what makes a good customer or lead for them so they, and you get the quality of opportunities that you deserve.
Create an email distribution list, send out a reminder 2 business days before the meeting so it doesn’t slip someone’s mind.
