Generating Leads

The obvious lead source is your contact database. You can also find plenty of information that can be converted to leads in newspaper articles about companies moving or expanding, people who are being promoted, and a company that wins a contract or receives venture capital. Information about businesses that receive small business loans or happen to be struggling will be very useful to many members.

If you notice Press releases, brochures, flyers or any other resources that list events, they are also a great leads resource. So are tidbits about people and companies that you hear about while attending events.Check to see if there are websites that list events in your area and check in on them every month.

If the group provides a roster of the members, take time the day before to go through your contacts to find at least one lead for each person. Since most people show up empty handed to groups, you’ll easily demonstrate your genuine interest in the success of the members. Believe me, you will benefit from this tenfold.

When you introduce yourself, be very clear and concise about the leads you are looking for. Keep it to one sentence, e.g., “I’d like to meet business coaches.” If you add words of explanation, people will have a tendency to tune you out, and they’ll forget what kind of leads you want. They might refrain from giving you leads because they’ll feel confused from having too much information.