I hate them with a passion. I do mostly online MLM marketing these days, but in the past I’ve experimented with quite a few lead providers. With many of the programs I got leads that sounded like this:
“Uh, hi, I’m Jerry. I lost my job and [garbled] … my number is 254 … uh, 254-337 … oh wait … what Bob? That’s not the number? What is it, then? Oh, OK, I mean 425-337, uh 3677. Yeah. I need a job. Call me.”
Great. So now I’m listening to Jerry and I’m in doubt as to whether he exists in Waco, TX (254 area code) or Everett, WA (425 area code). After all, Bob, whoever he is in the background, could be wrong about the phone number. And Jerry is downright clueless about the number.
I’m not sure I want to talk to Jerry, or Bob for that matter. Now Ben and Jerry, I’ll call them any day. They make great ice cream. But Bob and Jerry? I’m scratching my head wondering if these two guys are worth the $3 I paid for the lead. I doubt it. With a sigh I pick up the phone (which now weighs 100 pounds because of my reluctance) and dial 254-337… oops! I mean 425-337-3677.
Someone picks up the phone, but it’s neither Jerry nor Bob. It’s a surly woman who tells me that Jerry and Bob are down at the local bar, slugging back a few beers. At this point I’m just not that into Jerry or Bob. I don’t bother leaving a message. (Sigh.) Another lead bites the dust.
Sound familiar? MLM lead programs are great to get your business off the ground, and to provide you with fresh prospects all the time. But, if the leads suck (like Jerry and Bob), then they are a complete waste of time, money, and prospecting energy. If you’re going to invest in a lead program, I would suggest going with a lead program that has some quality standards.
9 Required Features for a Quality MLM Lead Program
Any quality MLM lead program worth paying for should have at least these 9 features:
- Leads that at least have a clear name, phone number, email address.
- A replacement policy for any leads that don’t have at least a clear name and phone or email address
- Option to purchase surveyed or interviewed leads for an extra fee
- Option to buy exclusive or semi-exclusive leads (sold to no more than 2 other people)
- A wide range of aged leads (from totally fresh to over 90 days old)
- Responsive customer service to handle bad leads and answer questions
- Back office where you can manage your leads
- Email lead notification which includes all the lead information
- Affiliate program so you can offer leads to your downline and earn additional income
Bonus: The ability to specify the rate at which you get leads, as well as the capability to pause leads when necessary.
Peak Impact
One lead program I really like which has all of these features is Peak Impact. They have friendly customer service, are happy to replace any bum leads, and offer high-quality leads in all categories. If you are getting into calling MLM leads, you might check them out.
Why These Features Are So Important
The first two features ensure that you get quality leads with accurate names and contact information. Any lead you can’t contact is worthless, and the provider should replace the leads.
Options 3, 4, and 5 give you choices that fit your budget and prospecting experience. If you are just getting started with cold-calling leads, you may want to buy very inexpensive leads so you get practice. These leads may be older leads that have already been sold to other people, which is fine if you just need to practice your skills. Typically, these leads run less than fifty cents per lead. When you get more skilled, you can move up to the leads that have been surveyed for interest and are sold exclusively to you. These can be very expensive, but if your skills are good they make excellent prospects.
Options 6, 7, 8 ensure that you can easily access your leads and get good customer service. Option 9, the affiliate program, means that you can earn an additional stream of income by promoting the lead program to your downline. If the leads are top-notch, you should feel good about promoting them and earning a commission on them. Finally, it’s good to be able to pause the flow of leads if necessary, as well as specify the rate at which you get leads. This allows you to take weekends off, and ensures that you won’t be overwhelmed by getting too many leads at once. It’s crucial to call leads back immediately, especially if you purchase fresh leads.
If you’re interested in trying an MLM lead program, you might check out Peak Impact.
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