Should You Call Leads?

Reading the title of this blog post may have made some of you sick to your stomach.   The very thought of having to call leads sends most people running for the hills, because it encompasses two of their worst fears:

1. Talking on the telephone
2. The possibility of rejection

Being willing to call leads is one of the things that sets the professional network marketer apart from those who treat their business like a hobby.   That being said, it is important to point out that not all leads are created equal and how you acquire those leads can make a huge difference in the outcomes of your interactions with those leads.

It Is Easier To Call Leads You Personally Generate

In the world of business leads there are basically two places those leads come from.   There are leads that are purchased from a third party vendor and those that you generate on your own.   Typically leads generated by a third party vendor are solid in the areas of being a “live” person with a “good” phone number; however, most of these leads have generally responded to some type of generic marketing piece or were cultivated from a genealogy list.   These leads are one step above working a cold market, since they have at least demonstrated an interest in having a home based business at some point.   The unknown factor is how recently was that interest expressed and whether or not they are still interested?  For those who call leads such as these, it can definitely be a mixed bag of results.  Many times the lead does not remember filling out any forms or requesting information, so they are not overly receptive to your phone call.   Many times they have found a business that they are now involved in and the window off opportunity has passed.

Self generated leads on the other hand are generally very warm and currently involved in their quest for information.   Depending on how those leads are being generated, the prospect may actually have a basic familiarity with the business owner.   This familiarity makes the conversation much easier, because the inquiry of the prospect has already been identified and can easily be referred to in conversation.

Why It Is Critical That You Call The Leads You Generate

In a case where the lead was generated from a personal blog or some other personally branded website, the business owner has the added advantage of familiarity and a certain degree of basic trust.   When one of these leads trusts you enough to provide their phone number, they are doing so with the expectation of receiving a phone call.  Those who take the initiative to call leads that they have personally generated often find that they are connecting with those leads during a window of opportunity, when the lead has yet to settle on a business opportunity or they are open to making a change.

For most of the people, they are drowning in a flood of inbox emails coming at them from all directions.   The business owner that is willing to call leads, sets himself or herself apart from the competition.   I am amazed at how many people actually thank me for calling them, because no one else is.   The end result of making these calls is the opportunity to forge a much stronger relationship than that which could be accomplished through email.   This leads to higher sales and enrollment percentages.  Those who move from prospect to either customer or team member also tend to be more profitable in the long run and less likely to jump ship.

Although it may be uncomfortable at first to call leads, you will find that it quickly becomes second nature and the results of those calls will make you eager to do it again and again.