You know the old expression “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet!” 

Well I feel the same way about “leads”.  You can call it anything else you want, but “a lead by any other name is still a lead!”

What’s wrong with that you might ask?  What’s wrong with it is it’s just that - a lead.  It’s not even a referral in the strictest sense and it may or may not pan out to amount to much of anything.  So you have the business card; the name & contact info.  So what?

Several years ago, I traveled to an affluent area of Ohio (about 65 miles one way) weekly for a leads group that was part of the Chamber.  Usually attended by 35 - 50 folks (many of them financial advisors; insurance agents and printers) who gave a brief intro and then passed their biz cards. 

That was it!  65 miles one way to collect the same business cards each week.  Follow up meetings were almost non-existent and when I was fortunate to get a little time; I was often “stood up” or simply brushed off with a few quick words about how “busy I am”.

Next I tried a “referral group”.  The approach was pretty much the same as the “leads group”.  More business cards, and occasionally an offer to “introduce me” to someone who might be interested in what I had to offer.

The truth is, business is done when we make connections.  They may come from a “lead” or a “referral”, but more likely they come from meeting, greeting, following up and forming a level of personal relationship.  I may never do business with the person with whom I connected, but the relationship will produce all the qualified referrals and introductions I need.  Put more than one connection in place that has “staying power”, and watch your business grow.

Challenge is that for too long, we’ve done networking in one way.  We’ve either done the social or open networking route or we’ve done the structured 30 - 60 second “Hi, I’m. . . .”.  Or we may have combined the 2.  We walked away and hoped that a follow up call or email would do the trick. 

What’s the old expression, “out of sight, out of mind?”

Beloved women, times are a’changin’.  The old way is dying off and a new way is on the horizon.  Actually it’s not so new - just rediscovered.  It’s all about making connections that are nurtured into relationships that meet not only business-professional needs, but personal & social needs as well.  If you’re my friend & I really like you because I know you and trust you - who do you think I’m going to refer when the opportunity arises?  The woman I met at the leads group?  The woman I heard rattle off something in 30 seconds who is now a blip on my radar screen? 

No, I’m going to talk about you.  I’m going to hand the other your business card.  I’m going to offer to set up coffee or lunch or a simple visit to your office & I may accompany you until the connection is made.

But I won’t do that from a “leads” event or from a “referral” event only.

It’s true.  “A lead by any other name (referral or whatever) is still a lead”.  And without significant intervention somewhere, it will remain so.  And the change you put in the meter each week to get the same biz cards & make the same ‘plastic’ speech will net you the same things its been netting you all along.

So look for opportunities to make connections.  If leads and referral groups (where referrals are nothing more than leads in a different dress)  are all that’s available to you; find a way to turn 1 or 2 of those folks into connections that will travel the road of success with you.

And both of you will benefit as the relationship grows.

My encouragement for the day is to look for the serendipitous connections that life sets on your path.

Linda, a fellow journeyer