Direct Marketing Dollars & Sense: Making Connections: Networking Channels: Leads Groups: True Story

Leads groups are the channels that connect you with the professional people who should be your primary resource for operating a profitable business. These people operate in very stable business environments -generally large, well stratified corporations- and therefor have very predictable discretionary spending budgets. More importantly, they are are generally connected to a wide net of clients and associates with similar economic profiles. If you get even a single solid referral from one of these people it will be absolute gold!

Today I visited a leads group sponsored by the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce. Present at the meeting were representatives of the following businesses:

Barbie Rose, Regional Director, BC Services, Account Management/Recovery,

www.bcservice.com, (415) 847-3773

John Steddin, President, NorthBay Computer Systems, Inc, Information Technology Services,

www.nbcsys.com, (415) 456-6537

Jerry Tallman, Minuteman Press of Marin, Print Production Services,

www.minuteman-marin.com, (415) 453-4548

Robert J. Fernandez, CFP, Merrill Lynch, Wealth Management Services,

www.ml.com, robert_j_fernandez@ml.com, (415) 955-3776

Jennifer Loucks, Caldwell Banker, Residential Brokerage Services,

www.coldwellbanker.com, jennifer.loucks@camoves.com, (415) 256-2334

Joanne Bowman, Bayside Accountancy & Business Consulting, Operational Business Consulting Services,

www.baysideaccountancy.com, (415) 860-5004

Don S. Maxon, Mortgage Loan Officer, Assistant Vice President,

http://mortgage.bankofamerica.com/donsmaxon, (415) 925-2424

Raymond Schlitzer, District Sales Manager, Accuchex, Payroll Management Services,

www.accuchex.com, (877) 422-2824

What to notice in the above list:

First, simply notice the attendance of these people at the meeting. They make money for a living the same as you and me. They do so by making money for their employers. Their employers expect a great deal of performance out of them so any activity that consumes time is carefully considered and weighed against the potential for performance in other activities. If these people are here then its because there is money to be made here.

Second, notice the categories represented at the meeting: Brokers, Financial Planners, Accountants, Loan Officers, etc. Also notice the level of operations that these people are working at; they are principals, vice presidents, directors and owners of volume businesses. I didn't notice any supermarket cashiers or gas station attendants at this meeting. These people are clearly not going to haggle over spending several hundred dollars of discretionary income if they believe that they are receiving quality products in return.

What can you do for these people? Help them:

Spread their word: Participation as a member obligates you to make referrals to members with whom you have good relations as well as confidence in their ability to perform. Talk to your people about who these members are and what they do: Market their message.
Connect them: Take every opportunity to get these members in front of your clients. The average real estate broker is not plying her/his trade over a dining room table while trying out a new skin care regime. That would be my responsibility as a member. If the subject of real estate comes up during one of the sessions that I have with a client then I'm going to tell that person about my friend, Jennifer Loucks, who is a top-level connected broker and she gets her clients the best inside deals available. "Here is Jennifer's card. Can I tell her to expect your call?"
Train them: Lead by example. As a direct marketer you should be receiving more education in networking in your first few months than these members can expect to receive over their entire careers. Being successful in your business and communicating your skills by employing your best networking self anytime that you are present in this networking milieux will set a high standard that the other members will follow and that will create success for them (and their success is yours.)
Be their friend: We're in a great industry and we enjoy many perks as a result of our personal success. Their jobs, on the other hand, can be very stressful. It can be a fun distraction to just hang out with a Creative Memories consultant once in awhile (or even a male Mary Kay rep now and then -how silly is that!)

What not to do for them:

Don't solicit them beyond a simple survey (i.e. "Have you ever tried my product? No? Lets get together sometime." and leave it at that.)
Don't recruit them: You'll be instantly labeled as a Pyramid Marketer (and therefor an "Undesirable.") Just don't.

What you can expect for yourself:

All of the above in exchange for what you do for them. Remember that these people handle large volumes of cash, if even a small percentage of that cash rolls your way you could be sitting very pretty as a result.
Isn't that enough?

The Leads Group for the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce meets on the first Tuesday of every month (12:00 to 1:00 pm) in the meeting room graciously donated by Bank of America Home Loans, 900 Larkspur Landing Circle, Ste 125.

To get involved with this Leads Group first contact Jean Kramers to become a member of The San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, then contact Joanne Bowman or Robert Fernandez, joint chairs for the group.