Be Honest: Wouldn't You Rather Chop Off A Pinkie With A Meat Cleaver Than Do This?

A couple weeks ago, I did something I hadn't done in a while. I bought leads. Not just any leads, mind you, these were good leads. Expensive leads. What they call "Real time leads." I guess they call them that because as soon as the lead responds to an ad, fills out a form, or whatever, they contact me. It was perfect. Or so it seemed . . .

Now, I know there are some out there who have had tremendous success calling leads. Friends of mine who are super successful today got there by calling leads. I guess they have some magic that I neither possess nor understand, because I've never had one bit of success calling leads. None.

In fact, most leads I've called fit into one of three categories, none of which helped my self esteem or built my business.The first category is the largest. About 80% of the phone numbers I called gave me voicemail. This was no big deal. My company had given me a voicemail script. It was short, to the point, and was easy to deliver. I started getting tired of voicemail, though. Well, at least until I had my first person answer . . .

The second category is when somebody actually does pick up the phone. In my experience, this is rarely pretty. About half the time the person who answers pretends to be someone else, even though they are the person you're trying to reach. Sometimes they'll come clean and tell you who they really are (now that they know you're not a bill collector or the FBI), but that they're no longer interested. Some don't even remember filling out a form. And those are the nice ones . . .

Others that fit into this category surely belong somewhere in Dante's Inferno. They are the darkest of the dark; the ones you dread when you try and lift that 800 pound phone. They usually say something like, "Yes, this is John, and I want you people to just leave me alone! Take me off your bleeping list right now!", just before the line goes dead.

Still another in this category is the nice person who seems interested, promises to look at your website, and call you if she has any questions. When you try and follow up, however, she's disappeared.

The third category, of course, is the wrong number, fax machine, or the non-answer. After some of the other responses, sometimes this one is a relief. This time would be different, however. After all, these were "Real Time" leads . . .

So I got home from work, signaled to the lead company that I was ready to receive my leads. I was to receive a maximum of 10 leads a day, which I felt would be appropriate. If these leads were as hot as I imagined, surely at least half would be receptive. This could be a gold mine!

My heart jumped into my throat when the first 4 leads appeared, complete with phone number an email address. Here it comes . . .I lifted the phone, dialed the number. My prospect's name was Valerie.

The phone rang twice before an older man answered the phone."Hi. May I speak with Valerie?"

"Who?" the man said loudly, as if he could barely hear me.

"Valerie!" I repeated loudly.

"Ain't no Valerie here . . ." I could hear him speaking with a woman in the background. Then her voice came on the line.

"Who is this?" she said, somewhat rudely.

I explained who I was and why I was calling.

"Valerie ain't lived here in 6 months! She done moved to Mississippi."

I thanked her for her time and hung up. Unfortunately, none of the other calls I made from my "Real Time" leads turned out much differently.

Honestly, this is how I've spent most of my network marketing career. Well, until recently, anyway.

After experiencing network marketing online with solo ads, list builders, and traffic exchanges, and after recruiting an enormous number of people this way, I don't understand how anyone can keep using the old techniques. I mean, most days I reach more than 10,000 people, and I face zero rejection.

I shudder when I hear companies teaching that everybody is a prospect, and how you should keep adding names to your list. Undoubtedly, these are the same people who still attend Thursday night hotel meetings. No thanks. I'd rather surf MySpace, Facebook, or Yuwie. In my experience, it's much more profitable.

Not to mention, more comfortable.