Today, I want to talk to you about how to get more local MLM leads. In my opinion, one of the best ways to get started in network marketing is to build your business locally.
That means you should share your products and business opportunity with the people you know; especially those who live in the same town that you do. And, you should prospect locally.
There are several benefits of building your network marketing business locally. The biggest benefit is that you will live close to your downline distributors and customers. This makes it easier to train and motivate your team. You can host in-home parties and live training sessions for your team. If your customers live close to you, it’s easier to serve them.
While most distributors get excited about having a national or international business, it’s much easier to start locally and then expand, rather than vice-versa. Remember, the grass is not greener on the other side. The grass is greenest where you water it.
There are plenty of people in your local area who would be interested in what you have to offer, if you approach them the right way. You don’t have to travel across the country to find good people. Start in your own backyard first.
How to Get More Local MLM Leads
So, how do you get more local MLM Leads? Fortunately, you have several different options. In the paragraphs below, I will teach you ten different ways to get more local MLM leads. These strategies are listed in no particular order.
# 1: Car Sticker or Car Magnet
If you aren’t using a car sticker or a car magnet to get more local MLM leads, you are really missing out. You can buy one on eBay or VistaPrint for less than $50. Just attach it to your vehicle and generate leads while you drive around town and live life. Keep your car sticker generic. Do NOT say the name of your MLM Company on it. Just have a catchy headline, a call to action and your contact information. Make sure it is LARGE and easy to read.
Think of a car magnet as a traveling business card. It can present information such as your phone number and website, topped off with a catchy message and compelling graphics. Larger than a bumper sticker, a car magnet can potentially reach thousands of prospects, especially in high traffic areas. Whether you’re driving around town, from state to state or simply parked at a mall, your message will be seen. ~ PrimoPrint.com
# 2: Flyers
You could create a simple flyer to hand out to people. You could distribute the flyers at the fair, via the flea market or place the fliers on car windshields. Your key to success with flyers is to keep it simple and be consistent.
You don’t want your flyer to mention your company name. Instead, create a good headline, a few key benefits and a call to action. You want people to call your pre-recorded toll-free number so they can listen to your pre-recorded message. Or, you can provide a link to your capture page.
Also, make sure you hand out at least 100 fliers per week, EVERY WEEK. Being consistent is a big part of being successful. Personally, I like the idea of having flyers based off your product line. For example, if your company specializes in weight loss products, make a flyer about losing weight.
Nicely designed flyers are good at attracting a person’s attention, but it’s the copy which matters the most, so make sure you get your value proposition across in the most compelling way possible. ~ InsuranceLeadsGuide.com
# 3: The Three-Foot Rule
The average person comes in contact with at least 100 people per day, if not more than that. Step out of your comfort zone and initiate conversations with people you meet.
You don’t have to pitch them right away. Just strike up a friendly conversation and see where the conversation takes you. Focus on the other person, rather than monopolizing the conversation.
Ask questions and listen. Do that and you will have no problem meeting new friends. Trust me, face to face prospecting is alive and well. Very few people use the three-foot rule in today’s internet age. That’s why it works so well.
Many business people subscribe to the three‐foot rule when it comes to sales prospecting: Anyone who comes within three feet of them is worth talking to about their product, service, or business. When you get comfortable with what you’re selling and with talking to people about it, apply this strategy. ~ Dummies.com
# 4: Newspaper Ads
You could place a simple ad in your local newspaper and have interested people contact you. You could advertise your products or business opportunity.
I suggest you try both and test to see what type of results you get. Your key to success is consistency. Most people will need to see your newspaper ad several times before they respond.
Keep your ad in the newspaper on the same days each week for minimum one year. It doesn’t have to be in the newspaper every day, just keep it consistent.
Using newspaper advertising for lead generation can be an extremely cost-effective method if done the right way. Lead generation with print media allows you to access a large audience for a minimal cost per reader. Although you are competing with other editorial content in the newspaper, there are minor changes you can make to your ad that will have a dramatic effect on readers. ~ Macromark.com
# 5: Join Civic Groups
Every town has several civic groups. This might include the Elks Club, Kiwanis, Rotary, Masons, etc. Join several civic groups and become active in the group. Volunteer for a leadership position. Get to know people. As you build relationships with others, you can contact them one-on-one about your products or opportunity.
Not only will you be helping to make your community a better place to live, but you’ll be face-to-face with potential clients who will get to know you on a personal level. Something your newsletter, postcards or cold calls can’t accomplish. ~ EasyAgentPro.com
# 6: Drop Cards
You could print up some sizzle cards, also known as drop cards. A drop card is slightly bigger than a business card, but smaller than the size of a postcard. You can print them at your local office supply store and then leave them in strategic places. You could leave one at the ATM machine, with your tip at the restaurant, on bulletin boards, gas pumps, or wherever else you can think of.
One of my very favorite offline tactics is advertising with drop cards. At first I thought they were cheesy but once I realized I could use them in many, many different ways, I completely changed my mind about them and decided they were very effective (and easy and fun) for building my business. ~ Ray Higdon
# 7: Bandit Signs
You’ve probably seen the small signs at busy intersections. You could make a “work from home” or “lose weight today” or “fire your boss” sign. You could place one in your yard and at busy intersections. Just check your local ordinance laws first so you don’t get yourself into any kind of trouble with the law/code enforcement. You can have these signs made at Kinko’s or Office Depot. They’re pretty cheap, too.
Bandit signs are everywhere – and there’s a good reason. They work. But the truth is…your bandit sign campaign is only as good as how you manage your prospects and leads. ~ ConnectedInvestors.com
# 8: Wear a Button
I learned this tip from Herbalife reps. Wear a button whenever you can. Have one made up that says:
- Fire Your Boss – Ask Me How
- Lose Weight Today – Ask Me How
- Work from Home – Ask Me How
- Got CBD? Ask Me How
- Or something similar
When you see people reading your button, you can start a conversation with them. It’s pretty simple.
“Lose weight now, ask me how” was the first phrase ever to be featured on a Herbalife Nutrition button. The message was simple, straightforward, and noticeable: it was an open invitation to approach anyone wearing it.
Our founder, Mark Hughes, was one of the first people to wear a Herbalife Nutrition button. He was a visionary businessman and knew that a little innovation would drive the growth of the company. He was not mistaken. ~ I Am Herbalife Nutrition
# 9: Facebook
You can use the search feature on Facebook to find people in your local area. It’s not hard to do. You can search for people in sales or entrepreneurs or stay at home moms, or whatever demographic you want to focus on. Send them a friend request and get to know them. Do not pitch them right away. Make it a goal to simply add 2-5 new friends each day.
Rather than sitting at a trade show table for hours on end, or setting up a display in hopes that targeted consumers will complete a form, you can have leads generated and sent to you using the technology of the internet. ~ Laura Lake
# 10: Fish Bowl Method
The fish bowl lead generation method is my favorite way to get more local MLM Leads. Team up with a small business owner and do a raffle. Get the owner’s permission first.
If they agree, put an empty fish bowl near the cash register at their business. Do a drawing for a free product. Make the contest 5-10 days long. Once the time has elapsed, pick a winner and send them their free gift.
Make sure you contact everyone else who entered the raffle, and tell them they did not win, but offer them a free sample, or a free discount off their first purchase with you. You could easily get 200+ leads using this method.
You can put your fish bowl anywhere that you can get permission to offer your prize and gather sales leads.
When I put one in the YMCA I asked them ahead at the desk what they thought of the idea, then was redirected to someone with more authority and asked if I could do it.
They were more than happy with the idea when I suggested that I would give them a percent of each sales total for shows I scheduled. This is good when the organization has fund-raising needs. ~ CreateCashFlowShow.com
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the best way to build your network marketing business is to start out building locally. It makes no sense to try to build a team on the other side of your country, or in another country, until you’ve built a strong foundation locally first. That way you can support your team and help it grow.
In order to start building your team locally, you need to get good at prospecting and generating leads. You need to use different marketing techniques to help you identify interested people.
You can do that by following any of the tips I mentioned in this post. I suggest you use no more than two to three marketing strategies at a time, so you can focus and work smart.
Once you start generating leads, you need a good follow-up process so you can convert your leads into customers and distributors. As your team grows, you can teach them the strategies that have worked for you, so they can generate their own local MLM leads as well.
Once you start sponsoring people, you will quickly discover that your network marketing business will naturally spread across the country, in many different states and cities. Your local people will lead you to many other folks, both nationally and internationally.
What are your thoughts about generating local MLM leads? What’s worked for you in the past? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great day!
Chuck Holmes
20+ Year Network Marketing Professional
Top Earner & Top Recruiter
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
P.S. Learn how to grow a successful network marketing business. Secret tips, training, and practical ideas. Free training delivered by email.
We typically use home parties to get local MLM leads. I like home parties because in a 60 to 90 minute party I can begin a friendship with 5-10 people at a time. We can feed off each other’s enthusiasm. Plus, if people like the products enough to buy them as a customer there is a good chance that they will want to upgrade to a distributor, even if it’s just to get the discount.
Home parties work great. I used to do home parties when I was in Amway and I almost always found new customers and new reps by doing this.
I’ve been using the three foot rule for nearly a decade now. It still works. I make it a point to meet at least 5 new people a day. I do that Monday through Friday. In a period of a year, I get more than 1,200 prospects just by talking to people I meet. I don’t have to spend a $1 on advertising. I’ve built my entire business this way and it works.
The three foot rule definitely works well, especially if you are outgoing and not scared to talk to people. It’s probably the fastest and easiest way to get local leads for most distributors.
Here’s what I teach my team when it comes to local MLM leads. First and foremost, put a smile on your face. Second, be nice to people. Third, walk straight and act confident. People are naturally attracted to positive people. Say “hi” to everyone you meet. Do that every day and you will literally ALWAYS have someone to share your products or business with. It’s not rocket science.
Those are all great tips Lucy!
I’ve never considered using the Yellow Pages to get more local MLM leads? Do you have any additional tips on how I could do this effectively?
As of 2014, I would do use the Yellow Pages any more.
My sponsor has been trying to convince me to build locally for quite some time. I have fought him tooth and nail on this subject. I do not want to bug my family or prospect people. Who likes to be sold? After reading this post I can see the merits of generating local MLM leads and building your team locally. I’m not sure if I will do it, but I can at least see your points.
I’m glad you at least have an open mind about it Jordan.
My wife has built her business big by focusing locally. We live in a decent sized town of about 20k people and my wife has personally recruited more than 80 people just from our town. Everyone should start local. There are plenty of leads in every town in America if you approach people the right way.
That’s really awesome Tim. I just shows you what can be done when you have a game plan and you set your mind to it.
When it comes to leads, I try to get people to contact me first. I am not against talking to people, but I really don’t like being rejected or feeling like I have to try to sell people. I mostly focus on advertising in the newspaper and in weekly publications so people will contact me first.
Getting people to contact you first is the same strategy that I use Ray. Good job.
You can also buy local MLM leads from lead companies. I don’t think anyone else has mentioned this strategy yet, but I know it can work.
I’m not a fan of buying leads myself, but I know a lot of people do it and some people swear by it.
You can use Facebook paid ads to generate local MLM leads. I know that Facebook has some strict advertising policies, but if you can maneuver around them and get creative, you can focus all of your online advertising on local people.
I agree that using Facebook to get local leads does work. If you can master their paid ads you can target people in any community you want. It’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely a smart way to build your business if you can figure it out.
If you want local MLM leads get off your butt and be social. Sign for up for events. Join organizations. Go out to eat more. Spend time at the library. Put yourself in social situations and you will find plenty of people to talk too.
You make a good point, Tony. Unfortunately, not everyone is social or outgoing. For people that are, I would recommend your advice. For shy people, they still need to be more social and find a marketing strategy that works well for them.
My wife and I get local leads by setting up a booth at the farmer’s market. We rent a booth, set up a product display and do a raffle. On a typical weekend we can generate 50 to 100 leads. Not all of the leads are local, but most of them are.
That’s awesome Jay. Setting up at a farmer’s market to generate leads can be a great strategy depending upon what type of product or service that you sell.
I like to use sizzle cards to generate local network marketing leads. I just leave them in public places and people who find them and like what the sizzle card says visit my website or give me a call. It’s cheap and easy to do.
Jennifer,
I think sizzle cards are a great and inexpensive way to generate local MLM leads. Keep up the good work.
Chuck
I get leads for my business by handing out free samples. Whenever I am out and about, and meet someone, I offer them a free sample. All I have them do is give me their contact information so I can follow up with them. That’s it.
I love the idea of handing out samples to get more leads. I can definitely see how this would work, especially if you have a great product.
What if you don’t want to talk to people? What if you don’t feel comfortable prospecting strangers about your business? Then what should you do?
If you are shy then you might need to learn some forms of paid advertising to find some local leads. However, even if you do that you will still have to pick up the phone and follow up with people. If you aren’t willing to even do that, I would tell you that sales and MLM are probably not for you.
I think the best way to get local leads for your network marketing business is to join the Chamber of Commerce. This is a great way to meet other entrepreneurs and connect with key leaders in your community.
The Chamber of Commerce definitely is one strategy to get more leads. What I like best about this strategy is that you are spending lots of time with other business owners. These folks make great prospects.
I build my business 100% online. You don’t need local leads to succeed. By all means, it is one way to building your business, but it is by far from being the only way to get leads.
Terry,
Building your MLM Business online definitely works. I do the same thing myself. But, it’s not for everyone. There is a huge learning curve and tons of competition. As I see it, the fastest and easiest way to get more leads is to start in your own back yard.
Chuck
Chuck, you are a great writer. I’ve struggled with my MLM Business for many years. I believe in my business, but I’m naturally introverted and I really don’t feel comfortable just striking up conversations with people. What do you suggest I do?
If you are introverted, you just need to work smart. You might need to spend some money and advertise. Or try to sponsor a few people who are extroverted. Or, team up with your spouse and work together. Plenty of shy and introverted people have built massive teams. My best advice for you would be to get good at advertising and learn how to get people to contact you first.
For the past couple years I’ve focused my efforts online and done fairly well. I’ve recruited a bunch of people, but the retention is fairly low. The biggest issue I have with online is that it’s hard to spend time and build a relationship with your team. There are merits to doing things locally where you can get everyone together for fellowship, training and motivation. I think the local lead tips you shared in this post are spot on.
Building online is fine, but nothing beats building locally. Everyone should start in their own backyard. If they do that their group will naturally grow nationally and internationally. Even if you live in a town of just 5k to 10 people, there are plenty of great local leads. You just have to be open minded, have a game plan, and talk to people. Who isn’t looking for a Plan B in this economy?
Some of my best tips to get leads locally include:
1. Advertising in newspapers
2. Classified ads
3. Direct mail
4. Events
5. Working with local businesses
6. Home parties
7. Flea markets, yard sales and craft fairs
I’ve done all of these things with success.
Destiny, these are all great tips to build your MLM Team locally. I cannot stress enough that local leads and local teams are the way to go. This is a word of mouth business. It’s foolish to NOT talk to the people you know. After you work through your warm market you need to come up with a strategy to build your team locally. Following the advice I mentioned in this post will help you generate local MLM leads. I hope that helps.
I never liked the idea of building a team locally. For years I’ve done everything in my willpower to build everywhere but in my own backyard. I’ve done okay, but now that I’ve come to reality, I’ve discovered that NOTHING beats building your team locally. There are plenty of folks in your own back yard who would be interested in what you have to offer IF you talk to them.
I agree Eric. Everyone thinks the internet is some type of magic dust. They think they can puke their business all over social media and email and just expect their business to grow. I tell everyone, if you can’t sponsor locally what makes you think you will be able to sponsor people online? Learn how to find people in your own backyard. I’m glad you’ve come to this realization yourself and I wish you all the best in your home business.
I think the key to getting more local MLM leads is just to talk to people. Most of us come in contact with HUNDREDS of people each day. If we can put a smile on our face and be friendly, we will literally never run out of people to talk to. Just my thoughts.
Talking to more people is definitely one strategy Eric. I also believe in working smart. One of my best tips to get local MLM leads is to zoom in on a niche market. For example, focus on stay at home moms, or insurance agents, or realtors, or successful entrepreneurs. Find groups of people who are MOST LIKELY to be interested in what you have to offer and focus on them. That is smart marketing.
This is a great post on how to get more local MLM leads. My best advice to people is to utilize the classified ads in your local newspaper. I’ve grown my business that way for years and it has worked out great for me. I get interested people to give me a call and then I simply follow up with them.
I think the classified ads are a great way to get more local MLM leads. I just don’t recommend that you pitch your business opportunity in the ad. Instead, use a two step selling approach and give something away for free. You could give away a free report, free dvd, free audio, free sample, etc. and then back-end people with your business opportunity.
We like to get more local MLM leads by hosting workshops. We offer free training on a variety of different topics concerning home based businesses and then we offer our business opportunity to the attendees who are interested in working with us.
Workshops are a great way to get more local MLM leads, Tony. That’s awesome. I’ve considered using more of this strategy myself. If you can establish yourself as an expert, provide great content and educate your prospects about something specific, then it’s no problem offering your business opportunity at the end of the workshop. For instance, if you sell makeup, then do a workshop about how to look beautiful on a limited budget, and then offer your products and business at the end of the event. I hope that helps.
I like the idea of handing out fliers. I just moved to a new community and i don’t really know many people here. I don’t think my company has many consultants here so fliers may be a great way to go right now just to get the word out there that I am a consultant with Beijo and Traci Lynn. All the suggestions were great.
Do a small test and see what type of results you get.
I really like the passive advertising ideas, i.e., vehicle magnet/sticker, yard sign. I plan to get a yard sign, especially since we just moved to a new community where no one knows I represent The Pampered Chef. I’m also planning to utilize newspaper ads, and offer cooking classes as a foot-in-the-door technique. 🙂
Great tips on getting local leads.
Good for you. Having a yard sigh and car magnet is a great way to get started.
Great post, Chuck. Building your MLM Business locally is a smart move. So many reps want to sponsor people on the other side of the country before they even try to build the business in their own back yard. It never ceases to amaze me.
I have an ad in the Yellow Pages and that works pretty well. I also offer free facials and in home demonstrations to people who respond to my newspaper ads. I’ve built my entire Mary Kay business locally and it provides me a full time income. You simply need a plan and you need to follow through with it.
Good for you, Alicia. I’m glad you are doing good with Mary Kay.