How do I get better leads than anyone else?

How do I get better leads than anyone else?

Written By Jeffrey Gitomer
@GITOMER

KING OF SALES, The author of seventeen best-selling books including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, and The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude. His live coaching program, Sales Mastery, is available at gitomer.me.

How do I get better leads than anyone else?


The easy answer is by finding the highest quality, most qualified prospect who has lots of money and needs what it is that you’re selling. If you’d like a list of these people, they’re available over there at Disney World, in the area known as Fantasyland.


HERE’S THE REAL ANSWER:

The highest quality lead is an unsolicited referral. (The prospect calls you directly and wants to buy.)


The second highest quality lead is a proactive referral from a customer. (Your customer calls you and gives you the name of someone who he thinks want to buy — or who he says wants to buy.)


The third highest quality lead is a reactive referral from a customer. (One that you ask for, and the customer gives you without a lot of prodding.)


Next is networking. Your ability to go face to face in a group of prospective customers. Let’s say you sell roofing supplies and you’re at the homebuilders’ monthly meeting. All the contractors and builders, who could be your customers, are there.


You have three choices:

1. You can show up, have a few beers, chit chat with everybody (including your co-workers), maybe even make an appointment, and then go home. Bad choice.


2. You can preplan the meeting by selecting the four or five people with whom you want to connect. Call them or e-mail them in advance and tell them you’re looking forward to seeing them at the meeting. Good choice.


3. The best choice is to be the featured speaker at the meeting. Your topic might be — “The roof is leaking, now what?” And give a talk that helps builders or contractors maintain their profitability and their quality. After the speech, everyone will come up and say “Great speech!” Literally, you’ll meet everyone in the room. GREAT CHOICE!


FINAL ANSWER: I still recommend you select and connect with your targets. This way you can accomplish knowing everyone — and selling a few. But the secret ingredient is being the perceived leader, so that quality people will be attracted to you.


Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Sales Bible, and The Little Red Book of Sales Answers. President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts internet training programs on selling and customer service at www.trainone.com. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com


c 2006 All Rights Reserved – Don’t even think about reproducing this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer 704/333-1112