Do you feel you’ve run through your warm market? Has your company or team just launched a new online recruiting system? Have you just joined one of these new online self-funded systems launched by Mike Dillard, Ann Sieg, Ellie Drake or Mark Wieser? Or maybe you are thinking of venturing into Affiliate marketing, and are looking for a good lead generation company.

If you can relate to any of the above, then you need to realize that the life blood of your business is a quality targeted prospect. One who is interested in one of two things; launching their own business and/or doing business with you from a customer stand point. This type of potential home-base business owner could be worth thousands of dollars to you down the road.

In this post I want to talk about the four main keys things keep in mind when it comes to MLM leads and specifically in the companies who generate them!

1. Fresh leads – This is a must if you are going to going to be building your business on the internet or in the local neighborhood! Some lead generation companies will tell you the leads are fresh because they just bought them from someone else. However a reputable lead generation company will have contracts in place with major advertising networks that are generating specific data and delivering it to the lead generation company ever hour or so. You want to make sure ALL of your leads (Autoresponder leads, real-time leads, local leads, and phone-surveyed leads) which you buy based on freshness are truly fresh. So make sure you know in advance exactly what definition of "fresh" your lead generation company is using.

Something else I want to clarify. There is a rumor that is being spread around as "Gospel Truth" that is really nothing more than a way to sell you on buying Guru's new online system. This rumor is "The Internet offers a never-ending supply of fresh leads to your business if you do it right." This is not true. Yes millions of new people are getting on the net each and every day. However, these folks are not looking for an online business. In reality most folks who are on the net are there for someone other reason. Yes you can find great people on the net who may be interested in joining your business or buying your product/service. But before you know for sure you will have to build a relationship. So don't fall for this rumor, and join some system that is only making someone else rich.

2. Do over look (g)old leads. Fresh leads are great. However some of the greatest Gold mines were discovered on ground that had been worked on the surface, and passed over as barren. 60-90 days old leads will produce some very good results, when approached correctly. I suggest using these leads instead of Autoresponder leads if you are using email marketing. I would also suggest these leads when training new distributors. They are usually cheaper than fresh leads, and your new distributor will not burn through their marketing budget to fast.

On a side note; At MLMLeads we only sell our fresh leads twice. So when you get (G)old leads from us, you are still getting a pretty fresh lead. And they work well with online marketing system. These leads also work well if you are using the phone for prospecting. Most folks would rather put leads into an autoresponder than pick up the phone, so when you call these prospects and approach them right (Read Enrique's script in your back office at MLM Leads) you'll see how easy it is to fill your prospecting pipeline. Now I should add, that some lead companies will sell their aged data 20 or 30 times. Make sure if you do not use MLM Leads that you ask how many times this data is sold, and how soon between each sale.

3. Generate your own leads. This is the best method of attracting targeted prospects. However, it is also one of the slowest ways. It doesn't matter if you are attracting prospects via the internet using Web 2.0 methods, Social Networking, Video Blogs, or posting audio messages around different forums or leaving a fish bowl in a local restaurant, joining the local Chamber, or some other networking group. You must remember it’s human nature to always be on the defensive, wondering "What's the catch?" See the main difference in professional lead generation, and generating your own prospects is this fact:

When you hire a company like MLM Leads, we are focusing all our marketing dollars on generating leads based on years of trial and error. We know what works, what doesn't and can see the changing trends long before the average home based entrepreneur. Your focus is on building your business, our focus is on providing you with the best prospects found anywhere.

Now if you have been in network marketing for a while you may have a pretty good database of past and current networkers to contact. This is great, but as we all know they are either burnt out because of false promises, companies leaving them short, or just changing life situations have caused them to leave the profession. And when you contact those who have become successful, most of them just want to do a reverse pitch and get you into their company.

I do believe your warm market will always produce the most loyal team members, but I also understand most folks are leery at contacting their friends, family and business associates before they fully feel successful. Lead generation is a great way to get your foundation built, money coming in, and a story to tell folks about your new business venture.

4. Don't just use a duplicated “replicated” website from your primary company or other online system as your “only” prospecting and marketing sites. When you do this it is the same as telling your prospects "I am a follower not a leader, I have no originality. Don't get me wrong I am systems driven, and believe in effective duplication. As a matter of fact I call it "macro-marketing" You have to use every marketing channel you can find to drive your branding message.

You are far better off using a service like DeskPing to host a one page landing page where you give away a free report in exchange for your visitors joining your newsletter or better yet subscribing to your desktop marketing campaign. This has become my main method of building my targeted, 100% permission based database. And guess what? Your prospects will love it, because they have full control on if you continue to market to them. And you'll love it, because your message is delivered 100% of the time directly to their desktop and not lost in hundreds of other emails they received daily, if not hourly.

You can also use your new DeskPing landing Page to post your sizzle line number, audio testimonial and best of your own personal video message, letting your prospects get to you know as a real person, not just another person trying to get money out of their pocket. As you build up more trust, begin to offer additional information as a solution to their situation.

So take time right now to go get your new DeskPing account started, then call Enrique to find out what type of lead will work best for your personal business needs. And if you need some advice on creating a compelling marketing message or learning more on creating your personal brand just give me a buzz.

Never Give Up,

Troy