Are you looking for MLM leads that work? If so, you’re not alone. Most network marketers struggle to find quality leads for their products, services, and business opportunity. In most cases, even if they do have quality leads, they don’t know how to contact the leads, follow up, or close the sale. Or worse, they have unrealistic expectations about what their conversion rates will be.
There are literally hundreds of ways to get more MLM Leads. If you get nothing else out of this article, please remember that. Some lead generation strategies are free while other strategies are expensive. Some methods are simple and other methods are complex. What works for one person might not work for someone else. It’s important to find a lead generation strategy that works for you. It’s different strokes for different folks.
MLM Leads That Work
MLM Leads That WorkIf you’re looking for my secret to find MLM leads that work, here it is:
The best MLM leads are the leads you generate yourself!
One lead that you generate yourself is better than 100 leads that you purchase. When someone responds to your advertisement, or if you pique someone’s curiosity during a conversation, that is a better lead than cold calling someone you’ve never met before.
Here’s another secret:
People with network marketing experience are your BEST prospects because they have experience in the industry, believe in the industry, they’ve received some training, and they have network marketer friends.
Food for thought! If you aren’t approaching FREE AGENT network marketers, you are leaving a LOT of money on the table.
The Three M’s
Generating qualified network marketing leads (or buying them) is a science. This is why it’s important to understand the three M’s of marketing. I learned this lesson from Dan Kennedy, one of the most respected direct response marketers in the world. Here is a brief overview of the 3 M’s.
Market
Who is your target market? Who is your ideal customer? Who are you trying to reach? You must be able to answer these questions before you buy leads or try to generate your own leads. Be as specific as possible. The more you know about your ideal prospect the better. This lets you focus your efforts and work smart with your marketing. Remember, if everyone is a prospect, no one is a prospect.
Message
What is your message? What is your offer? What makes you, your product or your business opportunity different? You must be able to answer these questions. If you can’t answer them, your prospect can’t answer them either. Your goal is to deliver this message in your ads or offer so you stand out in this crowded world.
Media
What platforms will you use to reach your target market? What magazines do they read? What websites do they visit? Where do they hang out online or offline? Several example media include newspapers, magazines, networking events, trade journals, websites, Facebook, YouTube, and more.
Spend a few hours and think about the 3 M’s. The time and money you spend doing this will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration on the back end.
Ways to Get MLM Leads
Here are a few simple ways to get more MLM leads, just to get you thinking.
- YouTube
- Safelists
- Pay Per Click
- Postcards
- Drop Cards
- Buy Leads
- Home Parties
- Referrals
- Networking Events
- Texting
- Business Cards
- Bandit Signs
- Wear a Button!
- Car Magnet
- Cold Calling
- Clothing
Any of these methods will work! My best tip is to pick two to three lead generation strategies that resonate with you and focus on those strategies exclusively. Do not try to do too many things at once. Master those few strategies before you add additional strategies to your marketing mix.
Expectations About Leads
Many network marketers have unrealistic expectations about MLM Leads. They think everyone will be interested and just whip out their credit card and buy on the spot.
They don’t realize the number of people they must approach to find someone who will be interested in their offer. Even if you have good leads, at least 9 in 10 people you talk with will not join or buy. That’s a realistic ratio for warm market leads.
When it comes to cold market leads, even if you have good leads, at least 19 in 20 leads will not buy or join. This is a fact.
Do not fight it or try to change it. Recruiting is a numbers game. Yes, it’s also a game of skill and strategy, but you must go through 5x to 10x more people than you think you do, to sponsor new reps and customers.
What I Do
Here are some things I do to find MLM Leads That Work.
Postcards
I mail a ton of postcards and flyers to former network marketers and people with home-business experience. A typical mailing costs me less than $1 per piece, and sometimes much less. Interested prospects visit my website or get in touch with me. I mail 500 to 2,500 postcards and flyers every month. I buy 100% of my leads from Wilson’s Lists.
Safelists
I’m a big fan of Safelists, especially Herculist and ViralURL. I use them daily. They generate me a TON of MLM Leads That Work. I upgraded to their paid membership and buy ads several times per week with them. Keep in mind, I’m not talking about their free service or basic membership. I use their paid advertising.
Apache Leads
I do a decent amount of business with Don at Apache Leads. I buy the 250,000 aged leads for approximately $200. I use my texting scripts with these leads. No, I do not call or email them. I text them. They are cheap and I have to go through a lot of numbers, but some do convert. But for the cost per lead, it’s an economical way to build your business.
Pay Per Click
I run a lot of pay per click ads with Microsoft Ad Center. While Google Adwords is not a fan of MLM, Bing allows you to advertise via the Microsoft Ad Center. PPC advertising is when you create short ads, choose specific keywords, and set your bid. When people search for your keyword on Bing, AOL, Yahoo, or MSN, your ad appears. If they click on your ad, you are charged up to your bid amount. I’ve been using PPC for about 10 years now.
Content Marketing
One of the best ways to find MLM Leads That Work is to do your own content marketing. This is when you create articles, blog posts, videos, and podcasts about a specific topic. You position yourself as an expert and create valuable content. If the content is good, many of your viewers will want more information about what you do. They will reach out to you and ask to join your team or buy from you.
Helpful Resources
Here are a few helpful resources to help you convert your leads into paying customers and distributors.
Script
First off, I am not a fan of reading scripts. You sound like a salesperson when you do that. With that being said, you need to know WHAT you will say before you talk with prospects. Develop a script, or get one from your plugged in upline, and practice it until you don’t need to refer to it.
Sales Skills
You need some basic sales and communication skills. Whether you talk by phone, email, or text, selling is a game of INFLUENCE and PERSUASION. Study sales and marketing daily. Read books on communication, persuasion, and how to close. It will be time and money well spent.
Follow Up System
Get yourself an autoresponder. I personally use Aweber. A good auto-responder allows you to automate your follow up process. Aweber is easily my most valuable business tool.
Contact Manager
You need a place you can keep your contacts in one place. I suggest you purchase the software program Stat Trak Address Pro. I am a happy customer with them (not an affiliate).
Tracking Codes
You need tracking codes for each ad or each lead source so you know your conversion rates. You can go to Google and type in tracking software or tracking codes and you will find several different options. I currently use Linktrackr.com.
A Few Closing Thoughts
Before I close out this article, please know this. People join people, not businesses. People buy from people. People buy from people they like, know, and trust. You must be someone worth joining. This means you are likeable, skilled, and display a positive mental attitude.
Also, the average person requires seven to twenty follow ups, minimum, before they make a purchasing decision. Take the long-term view and stay in touch with your leads multiple times, until they buy, die, or ask you not to. Most of the people I sponsor require three to nine MONTHs of follow up before they buy or join.
Finally, when you do talk with people, focus on what’s in it for them. Features tell, but benefits sell. Make sure your entire conversation is geared around how they benefit from your product, service, or opportunity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these are my best tips on MLM leads that work. I hope you found the information helpful.
Everyone needs fresh leads. This business is a numbers game. Without a pool of fresh prospects to share your products and business opportunity with, you won’t be in business long.
What are your thoughts on MLM leads that work? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
Other Posts You Might Enjoy:
- 34 Ways to Get Leads
- Promote Your MLM Business on YouTube
- Sizzle Call Scripts
- How to Recruit with Postcards
- MLM Success Tips
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.
1 real lead generated by yourself is better than 100 bought leads… So true! It is also smart to approach the free agent marketers because they already have experience. Generating real leads is indeed a science, and 3 M’s of marketing are the pillars of your business. Media, Market, and Message. The thing I didn’t know is that there are more than 120 ways to get good leads. Chuck even went ahead and added some additional helpful resources, REALLY useful article!
Yes, generating your own leads is at least 100x better than buying leads. It’s also smart to focus on people in your target market. When you do that, you can approach fewer people and get good results.
I definitely was someone who initially had unrealistic expectations on how many people I would get to sign up from my cold leads. I figured every other person would see how amazing my company is, and join right then and there. That was definitely eye opening for me.
I appreciate you posting links to the resources you use. I do 11 of the different ways you posted to get leads. I think 1 of my most favorite things to do is wear a button. At least 50% of the people I encounter when I wear it ask for info.
Yes, if you convert 1 out of every 200 or 300 cold leads you’re doing great, especially if you are working by phone. However, if you’re doing it via email, it’s much easier, assuming you have a good follow up sequence in your autoresponder. The major problem with cold leads is they don’t know you. There is no like, know, or trust factor. These people need to be warmed up to you and your opportunity. Calling someone one time and hoping they will buy or join is a dead end road. Most people will need to see or hear your message 7 to 20 times before they buy or take action. That’s why you should drip on people via a good autoresponder email sequence.