Expanding the definition of “leads”

We need to expand our definition of “leads.” Typically, “leads” is a sales term used to describe potential buyers of a product. But if you work in a service-based business or a knowledge-based business, it isn’t that simple. Leads can be anyone who can “hook you up with an opportunity that might lead to a paycheck” according to Jane Friedman in her book The Business of Being a Writer.  

When I started my freelance business, I didn’t have any connections. So I started telling everybody about what I was up to. Some people who were in no position to hire me became my most profitable leads at that time. They helped me spread the word, they shared my posts, and they connected me with people who were in need of my services. 

You would have no trouble landing new business if everyone knew exactly what you did and who you did it for. Repeat business depends on good work and great client care, but new business depends on a wide knowledge of who you are, and a clear understanding of what you do. 

Is your offering clear enough? Is your business known wide enough? What can you do to increase clarity and reach? By thinking about leads differently, and creating clear explanations of what you do that even a layperson could understand, you can grow your business.