Are Your Leads Leading You Astray?

Advertisements for leads are everywhere on the web and they promise everything from wealth to automatic ways to grow your business. But can a lead system really deliver? Are they really worth the money?

Lead systems can be effective and can be used to grow your business. In fact, if you really want to expand your business, they should be part of your efforts. However, you should look carefully at the system before you invest to make sure it will meet your need. Researching can save you not only money, but a lot of frustration as well.

First ask where the company is getting the leads.  There are lots of sources including responses from various kinds of advertising (television ads, internet ads, etc.). If they won’t tell you their source, look elsewhere.

Second ask if the leads are verified in any way. In other words, are you sure the information provided is accurate. If you are getting 1,000 leads and 500 turn out to have false information, obviously they are not going to do you much good.  The exception to this is if you are offered a large number of leads for a small price. If that is the case, you can probably expect that many of them may not be good.

How old are the leads? Information changes quickly and the older the lead the more likely the information is to be outdated.

How many people receive the same leads? There is nothing worse than sending someone an email about your business when they have already received 10 similar emails. 

What kind of response rate to the leads generate? The response rate might also determine the price. It is not unusual to be offered leads of various qualities with corresponding variance in price. Just remember, you get what you pay for.

Do they offer a mailing system? Leads and contacts are a numbers game. You can expect a certain number of responses for a certain number of inquires emailed out. Sometimes those numbers can be pretty high. Lead systems that also offer you a way to email large numbers of people without setting off the red spamming flags are essential.

Do they offer any training? Training on how to use the leads is also essential. Training can include how to develop a letter to send to your leads, how to keep track of the responses, and how to test your system. Having a system to keep track of the responses and respond in a timely manner to requests is particularly important.

A lead system is just another tool to build your business. No system, no matter how good, can replace the work necessary to build your business.  Use this tool wisely and you can reap great rewards.

"Lead me not into to Temptation, but deliver me from the Bad lead."  Dr Robin Rushlo