Leads Or Referrals? What I learnt from a visit to a Networking event.

I attended an amazing business networking event yesterday. Amazing in the sense of the infectious positive energy in the room, well structured yet lively agenda and the instant connections I made during the meeting and within 24 hours after!

It was a Visitors day at BNI Emperor chapter (in Dubai, UAE). Over 60 people (mostly business owners / management team) were in the meeting. Everyone got a chance for a quick introduction and saw how a typical BNI meeting happens.

It started off with a short education session on the topic, 'Leads Vs Referrals' by the chapter educator and social media expert, Anamika Arun. It got all my attention because as a profession I generated tens of thousands of Leads for my clients using Digital Marketing (mostly over Facebook, LinkedIn & Google). I also know the immense value of Referrals as I get them too.

What is a 'Lead'? In simple terms, a 'Lead' is an individual or organization with an interest in what you are selling. The interest is expressed by sharing contact information, like an email Id or a phone number. It is important to note that, without an expression of interest it is not a Lead, it is just a contact. There are different shades of Leads. Cold leads (Curiosity seekers), Warm leads (slightly interested) and Qualified leads (good fit). Leads can also be nurtured from Cold to Warm to Qualified with good content marketing approach.

What then is a "Referral'? A Referral is the act of telling someone about the positive features of a person or a business, or the person who is being referred. It is stronger than just a "lead" because the prospect has talked to your mutual acquaintance and is generally expecting the call. Hence, they are “referred.”?There are different shades of Referrals too. They vary in quality according to how much involvement your referral source has invested in preparing the referral for you. It is quicker to close good Referrals. Professional organizations like BNI teach and facilitate getting good Referrals.

Back to our Title question, Leads or Referrals? Why not BOTH? And LinkedIn is a great place to generate both. In fact Referral is nothing but another type of 'Lead' that comes with a stamp of approval and trust. You can also learn the skill to generate Leads and Referrals on your own! It is one of the most valuable skills today. That is what I teach in a 60 day Social Selling coaching program called 'Limitless Leads'. It starts with laying the foundation of turning your profile Magnetic. You can get a glimpse of it from this Free Video series called 'Magnetic LinkedIn'. (Click above image)

And if you like to experience, what I experienced first hand at BNI, visit them for free. I was in BNI before and love the work they do and the structured systems they have and are focused on generating quality Referrals. Learn more about them here. https://bni.ae/ I also strongly recommend joining BNI if you can. (check if you are eligible)

See the comments below for a shoutout to the great connections I made in the meeting. (I could not tag them in the article)

Happy Networking. Happy Social Selling. Wish you Abundant Leads & Referrals.