Getting good returns from leads groups
Many people invest a lot of time, money and energy participating in leads groups. And many are disappointed with the returns they get.
So let’s take a look at how to maximize your returns from participating in a leads group, if that’s what you want to or have to do.
Let’s start with some basic facts.
- The main (and sometimes only) purpose of a networking or leads group is to find and exchange leads for members within the group.
So before joining a group, check your expectations: What, besides leads, are you expecting to get from this group?
Then find out whether the group is structured to provide what you want. If not, it’s probably not a good group for you.
- Participating in groups like this requires time and commitment on your part.
So again, before joining a group, check your commitment level: Are you willing and able to invest the time and energy necessary?
If not, you probably want to find other ways to network to get the same results. (And yes, there is usually more than one way to get to any destination!).
Most books will tell you about the kinds of things you need to do, to get the most out of your leads group membership, such as:
- Help other members in the group (i.e. you have to give to get)
- Recognize leads for each other (so you can help others)
- Express your gratitude (when others help you)
- And so on.
If you want a checklist like this, here are a couple of books:
- Rain Making
goes into more detail about what to do and what not to do in such situations (look in the 2 chapters on “networking”).
- Business By Referral
However, you must have a foundation in place first in order to actually do the things on these checklists.
What do I mean by this? Well, you must:
- Know what kind of referrals you want, so you can ask for it.
If you are unclear or ambiguous about this, there is no way you can possibly explain to others what you want!
So whether you’re doing a 2 minute presentation to the group, or having a private conversation with one or more members, this basic foundation must be in place first.
- Understand clearly what kinds of referrals other members want.
Again, if you’re not sure what’s a good lead for a member, how can you possibly recognize or forward any leads to them?
Similarly, this kind of understanding may help you realize that while you may be fully committed to to generating leads for others, you may not be in a position to find the kinds of leads the members are looking for.
This is useful to decide whether or not you should continue participating in that particular group.
Having this kind of “foundation” will help you be a valuable member of the group, and get the best return on the time, money and energy you invest in the group.
So focus your time and energy on building this foundation first.
Clarify for yourself what you want. Learn how to “extract” from others what they want (since they may or may not be clear about this themselves!).
Learn how to identify when you are truly unable to help other members. Use all this to build your trust and credibility within the group.
For more on how to build this kind of foundation for yourself, check out the comprehensive Effortless Networking program.
Till next week,
– Sri
