Linkcrafter.com – Blog

Real networking is the one that bring you business, profitable referrals, and help you grow your business in a supportive community.

The Old networking sucks!
Have you tried networking for your Business? Can You measure the outcomes of your networking effort? Is it worth the time, the stress, the uncertainty, and the investment you have devoted to it?

“I’ve never made a penny from LinkedIn.” Peter Johnston

“LinkedIn is certainly a useful social network for business and I have had an account for many years. The usefulness is related to the type of business you are in. I have been seeding more than thirty related industry groups with information and answered questions but tangible business leads hav been infrequent to non-existent. This might be due to the fact that a huge number of members are recruiters looking for suitable candidates for their job placements.” JEBworks

“my experience on LinkedIn has been mostly negative so far. I’ve had a profile for at least two years, I think, and I belong to about 10 groups. I use the Update feature often, which also updates my Twitter stream.

So far, I have gotten absolutely nothing out of LinkedIn. It seems to be set up mostly for companies looking for employees and professionals looking for jobs.

I’m an independent contractor who’s still trying to determine if I can use LinkedIn to find clients for my business. The profile is set up like a resume. How do I list a project that only lasted five hours? Where do I put an oral presentation I gave that lasted one hour? If I’m currently working on four projects, can I have four “current jobs”?” Ruth shipley

“I’m also an independent consultant and I haven’t gotten very much from LinkedIn. It is overwhelmingly focused on job-hunters and companies looking for employees. ” Katleen D.

“what is the point of twitter…I’ve tweeted several hundred people with ads..not one response..what’s the strategy….it just seems like a waste of time…

I’ve been on twitter for years and never got any business…its just a site for those who want to
tweet, but no one really pays attention to any of them…

Dolores LaVerdi

“Twitter doesn’t help – only those offering to sell their book on ‘How to get Leads’ or individuals who have nothing better to do all day than to share their irrelevant experiences with their ‘so-called’ network.

Then there are networkers for networking sake – out to build their numbers so that they have a better chance (via search engine technology) of being seen in this ‘sea of people’ they call social and professional networking sites!”

PETER HEDLEY

Recent studies and testimonials on business networking have revealed that 92 to 98% of professionals and business people on social or professional networking websites and clubs obtain No business impact from the time and money they invest in networking, and are unable to measure any impact they assert.

First generation of online professional networking like Plaxo, Linkedin, xing, viadeo, ryze are slowly loosing credibility simply because a majority of business people using them see no impact on their business. Many have invested lot of time and sometime money in these networks, but still have nothing to show for it.

These are trying times, Most of us can no longer afford to waste our precious time and resources on tactics that just don’t work.

It’s time to build a profitable referral network around your business. Leads are vital for any business.

When there were no customized tool for leads groups to go online, many leads groups and leads groups organizations found themselves using tools like Yahoo! Groups, Meetup, or Linkedin to manage their online interactions. Since Linkcrafter has created dedicated and customized leads group management tools for the industry, Most groups and organizations have moved to Linkcrafter. Linkcrafter is the best and the N°1 leads groups and referral networks utility.

Linkcrafter is not a substitute to existing leads groups. Linkcrafter solutions help existing leads group to move online with all necessary tools.

If you are trying now to manage your leads group with tools like Meetup, Yahoo! group, Linkedin, ecademy, Ryze, Ning, it’s time to move your group to Linkcrafter which is a customized, robust, and sophisticated software made only for Leads groups and referral networks.

Leads groups and referral networks are made of 10 to 40 businesses owners or representatives. Each member of a leads group act as an Opportunity Reporters™ for other members. Wherever they hear about a business opportunity, they immediately report it their leads groups members to consider.

Well managed leads groups meet regularly to review the group’s performance in passing qualified leads, strengthen peer to peer  relationship, and furthermore give opportunity to each member to present his business in front of the group. As members learn more about each other  business, they will gain trust and be more eager to give referrals.

Leads groups and referral networks are very powerful tool to receive free qualified leads and business opportunities from peers. Additionally, members  share marketing and sales ideas as well as professional advice with fellow participants

2 kinds of leads are shared in a leads group or Referral network:

• Direct Leads or referrals -”A friend is looking for a SEO company”, or “I need a new car”
• Transferred leads or Referrals – “I’ve heard AcMe is looking for a new supplier of office equipment. Call John for more information” or “I’ve found this need posted on craiglist.com”

Referrals Network based on IRaaS

Business Networking

The Old Networking sucks!

Have you tried networking for your Business? Can You measure the business outcomes of your networking effort? Is it worth the time, the stress, the uncertainty, the investment you devoted to it?

Recent studies and testimonials on business networking are revealing that 92 to 98% of professionals and business people on social or professional networking websites and clubs obtain No business impact from the time and money they invest in networking, and are unable to measure any impact they assert.

Leads groups

Leads groups are the most successful marketing effort for your dollar that you can find anywhere.

While leads groups have always been immensely successful in building mutually beneficial relationships, combining them with social media has taken them to a whole new level.

Linkcrafter has made things much more easier with Online leads groups.

With Online leads group Members and managers of leads group don’t even have to leave the comfort of their own home or office to take part in rewarding professional relationships. It’s easier than ever to keep in contact with leads and ensure that groups stay focused and motivated.

Superior advantages for Online leads groups

A recent study has found that taking traditional leads groups online make them more profitable to its members:

• Online leads groups members receive 5 to 11 times more sales leads and business opportunities than a member of a traditional leads group.
• A typical Online leads groups member save up to 8 hours a month in leads group meetings compared to a member of old style leads group, But receive much more leads.
• Joining an online leads group is Free.

But Wait, there is more.

Online leads groups beat traditional leads groups in these 4 compartments:

• Members and managers don’t even have to leave the comfort of their home or office to take part in rewarding professional relationships
• They are less stressful, less time consuming, and you can join or start a group for Free.
• No need of the 4 meetings a month. Passing leads and tracking leads results all happen online.
• You can afford to join several local or national leads group. It doesn’t take more time nor more fee.

Leads are vital to the success of any business, so why not get back in the game today?

Start Your own profitable leads group today

Linkcrafter is the N°1 solution provider for Leads groups and referral networks in the USA and in Europe.

There is no other place where you can find a set of powerful marketing tools as on Linkcrafter. For example, capturing leads is not limited to human to human interactions. Linkcrafter made available powerful widgets and survey scripts that work to capture leads even when you are sleeping. The Internet never sleeps. These bots are constantly putting you in front of potential clients and customers and bring you business.

Join to Grow.

To join, Follow this link: http://linkcrafter.com

“Real networking is the one that bring you business, profitable referrals, and help you grow your business in a supportive community.”

First generation of online professional networking like Plaxo, Linkedin, xing, viadeo, ryze are loosing slowly credibility simply because a majority of business people using them see no impact on their business. Many have invested lot of time and sometime money in these networks, but still have nothing to show for it.

The Old networking sucks!

Have you tried networking for your Business? Can You measure the business outcomes of your networking effort? Is it worth the time, the stress, the uncertainty, the investment you devoted to it?

Recent studies and testimonials on business networking are revealing that 92 to 98% of professionals and business people on social or professional networking websites and clubs obtain No business impact from the time and money they invest in networking, and are unable to measure any impact they assert.

What is the solution?

These are trying times, Most of us can no longer afford to waste our precious time and resources on tactics that just don’t work.

Leads groups  are the most successful marketing effort for your dollar that you can find anywhere. The major advantage of choosing leads groups as a way to expand your business is that they are a highly focused, results-driven method of marketing and promotion. In leads groups, individuals are highly motivated and are able to track their results more accurately.

Leads groups have enormous potential in our current economic climate. They give you the opportunity to make real connections with other professionals and see identifiable results almost immediately. All of this begs the question: why not start your own leads group today?

What is a leads group?

Leads Groups or Referral networks are marketing initiatives taken by local small business owners with the purpose to share sales leads, business opportunities and provide support to each other with testimonials, cross-selling, joint-bid, insider information and knowledge sharing.

Sometime leads groups are referred to as Leads clubs, Trusted Networks, Leads sharing Groups, Leads exchange Groups. Chamber of commerce mixers could be referred to as leads groups too.

How Leads groups work?

Leads groups and referral networks are made of 10 to 30 businesses owners or representatives.

Each member of a leads group act as an Opportunity Reporters™ for other members. Wherever they hear about a business opportunity, they immediately report it their leads groups members to consider.

Well managed leads groups meet regularly (minimum 2 times a month) to review the group’s performance in passing qualified leads, strengthen peer to peer  relationship, and furthermore give opportunity to each member to present his business in front of the group. As members learn more about each other  business, they will gain trust and be more eager to give referrals.

Leads groups and referral networks are very powerful tool to receive free qualified leads and business opportunities from peers. Additionally, members  share marketing and sales ideas as well as professional advice with fellow participants

2 kinds of leads are shared in a leads group or Referral network:

• Direct Leads or referrals -”A friend is looking for a SEO company”, or “I need a new car”

• Transferred leads or Referrals – “I’ve heard AcMe is looking for a new supplier of office equipment. Call John for more information” or “Ive found this need posted on craiglist.com”

Start Your own Profitable Referral network

The reason most people don’t start their own leads group is because they’re afraid. Others tell them that their idea will never work and that they will fall flat on their face. But the truth is that many people have done it and taken their business to a whole new level.

The advantage of starting your own leads group is that you get to be the decision-maker. By leading the group yourself (rather than passing the role around), you’ll form a solid foundation for your members. This sense of stability is what is lacking in many groups today, which means that you have the chance to build a working model that will be successful for years to come.

Starting your own group is totally free, so it’s relatively low-risk. You can hand pick all the members to ensure that they will be reliable associates with high-quality referrals. You can also manage the sub-niches in your category to ensure that there is no competition between members.

Anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit can excel at starting a leads group. Take your future into your own hands and start your own group today!

The renaissance of leads groups means that business people spend no money on advertising and less time in networking, yet grow their sales, visibility, and brand awareness. It’s the wave of the future.

You can create or join a referral network or a leads group now, go to Linkcrafter and join for Free.

Once you begin your journey in the world of leads groups, you’ll need to put some specific strategies in place to manage the leads as they come. Without any type of organization, things can get out of control quickly and you can lose as many leads as you bring in. Here are some tips to avoid this problem:

• Work on differentiating leads. Decide on your definition of an active lead and know when to drop a lead if it isn’t producing results.

• Keep careful records. You need to know exactly where your referrals are coming from so that you know what’s working and what isn’t. This will also help you in the wider field of business contacts in general.

• Respond to leads quickly. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to get a hold of someone who just isn’t responsive. Don’t be that person to your leads! If you don’t get back to them within a reasonable time frame – say, two days – then you’ve let the worm off the hook.

• Approach each lead as a sale. In a way, you’re doing the same thing with a lead as you are with a customer: selling them on your business. So treat them like you would any client and be ready to answer their questions if need be.

Once you have your leads up and running, the key to taking them to the next level is to keep detailed records. Examining your return on investment for each lead is the way to generate more business in the future with the best results possible.

Fortunately, You don’t have to do all these things manually anymore. Linkcrafter has create the best leads groups software  with CRM  integrated. Move your leads groups from Meetup, Yahoo! group, Linkedin, ecademy, Ryze, Ning to Linkcrafter, a customized, robust, and sophisticated software made only for Leads groups and referral networks.

Have you tried networking for your Business? Can You measure the business outcomes of your networking effort? Is it worth the time, the stress, the uncertainty, the investment you devoted to it?

John is a management and marketing consultant in New York. For years he was a top networker on LinkedIn.com. Being that LinkedIn was THE professional networking site, John thought that he was doing pretty well by having over 4,000 working business relationships. He met a lot of interesting people and did what he could to drive sales.

Then, on November 11, 2009, John’s friend Susan invited him to come along with her to a leads group gathering. Susan owned a large cleaning company in New York City and had insisted John check out the world of leads groups, which she claimed had changed her business approach forever. As soon as John arrived and caught a glimpse of the members passing around leads and sharing insider information, he was shocked. He couldn’t believe he had been missing out so many opportunities all this time.

Susan explained to John that the economic downturn had completely changed the way that people approach networking. Most realized they needed to “cut the fat” out of their business models, which meant doing away with pricey ad campaigns and meaningless memberships in professional organizations.

Most of us can no longer afford to waste our precious time and resources on tactics that just don’t work. The recent popularity of leads groups is the natural result of other organizations’ inability to provide members with results. These are trying times, but they also tend to bring out the most effective and efficient business strategies. And now that John knows where the money is at, he’s going straight for it.

Recent studies and testimonials on business networking are revealing that 92 to 98% of professionals and business people on social or professional networking websites and clubs obtain No business impact from the time and money they invest in networking, and are unable to measure any impact they assert.

John Veitch a Top networker on Rize, LinkedIn, Facebook,  put this way :

“I’ve always had high hopes that people might use the Internet to achieve useful things in their lives.

Mostly that’s failed to happen.

In recent years with the introduction of social networking opportunities I’ve seen that most people fail to understand how online social networks work. The success rate on Ryze is somewhere between 8% and 2% depending on your viewpoint. On LinkedIn the success rate is even lower. None of the many social network sites available are any different. There are millions of registered people, a few spectacular stars, a tiny cohort of regular users and many uncommitted users, creating a massive long tail of people who don’t get it.

There are huge numbers of people who have joined professional networks, but far too many sit isolated and inactive”

Sure, it’s Not because networking doesn’t work, Networking does work  But only for The few who understand what networking is about.  Get first insight from our previous post  “Why most of people waste time in networking?”

John observations are right.

Many websites have tried to help the unskilled networkers, but our survey found out that close to 90% of people on professional networking websites get No value for the time and eventually the money they  spent in these networks.

On these traditional networks, the reason for linking two people is weak.  Most networks are built on a casual business acquaintance – maybe you worked in the same company. Those networks are fine for who-knows-who, but when it comes to marketing your company to:

• Receive faster, more enthusiastic and more qualified responses to your promotions
• Turn more prospects into loyal paying clients,
• Switching from chasing customers to having customers come to you,

They’re useless.

The problem with current networks is that they don’t create enough “business transactions” for the majority of their users. The number of transaction is too low, discouraging the majority of users and even worse, there’s no way to measure the value (ROI) of the transactions that occur.

We need to go beyond networking as we know it.

“Real networking is the one that bring you business, profitable referrals, and help you grow your business in a supportive community.”

Leads group are the most successful marketing effort for your dollar that you can find anywhere.

Linkcrafter has made things much more easier with online leads groups.

With Online leads group, members and managers of leads group don’t even have to leave the comfort of their own home or office to take part in rewarding professional relationships. It’s easier than ever to keep in contact with leads and ensure that groups stay focused and motivated.

Linkcrafter sits on the nose of this revolution. In less than 3 months, Linkcrafter became the #1 leads groups and referral networks utility in the USA and in Europe, managing more than 30.000 leads groups in the US and around the world.

First generation of online professional networking like Plaxo, Linkedin, xing, viadeo, ryze are loosing slowly credibility simply because a majority of business people using them see no impact on their business. Many have invested lot of time and sometime money in these networks, but still have nothing to show for it.

On the other side of professional networking, there are leads groups. Leads group are the most successful marketing effort for your dollar that you can find anywhere. The major advantage of choosing leads groups as a way to expand your business is that they are a highly focused, results-driven method of marketing and promotion. In leads groups, individuals are highly motivated and are able to track their results more accurately.

There are are huge old style leads groups with geographic chapters like bni.com, leadclubs.com, referralexchangenetwork.com, letip.com. These traditional leads groups organizations request a hefty fee to join – around $300-$400; an annual renewal fee between $200 and $300; and monthly fees for meals that can run up to $50. In total a leads group can run up to $800 per year. There are attendance rules and fines for not providing the recommended number of leads.

The economic downturn had completely changed the way that people approach networking. Most realized they needed to “cut the fat” out of their business models, which meant doing away with pricey ad campaigns and meaningless memberships in professional organizations.

So, the world of  the old leads groups organizations is crumbling too. Their members are joining online leads groups in droves, simply because they have the opportunity to obtain more sales leads and business opportunities with less effort, less expense, less stress, and less time wasted in social networking.

With Online leads group, members and managers don’t even have to leave the comfort of their own home or office to take part in rewarding professional relationships. It’s easier than ever to keep in contact with leads and ensure that groups stay focused and motivated.

Here are the main advantages of online groups:

• it’s less stressful, less time consuming, and you can join or start a group for Free.
• No need of the 4 weekly meetings every month. Passing leads and tracking leads results all happen online. You have the opportunity to obtain more sales leads and business opportunities with less effort, less expense, and less time wasted in social networking.
• You can join several local or national leads group. There is no constraints of 4 meetings a month and membership is Free.
• It’s an open world. You obtain qualified leads even from people who are not in your leads groups.

It has yet to be seen what potential online leads groups truly have in the renaissance of professional networking. All we know is that the smartest business people are getting in on the ground floor of leads groups and even starting ones of their own. There’s no limit to what they can do for those willing to participate! It’s the wave of the future, and we can’t wait to see where it goes.

The renaissance of leads groups through online leads groups means that business people spend no money on advertising and less time in networking, yet grow their sales, visibility, and brand awareness.

Linkcrafter sits on the nose of this revolution. In less than 3 months, Linkcrafter became the #1 leads groups and referral networks utility in the USA and in Europe, managing more than 30.000 leads groups in the US and around the world.

We urge you to join Linkcrafter today and secure your group name and category before your members join groups created by competitors. The Linkcrafter utility will help you create value for your members, while keeping the local ground and social gathering a useful place to build relationships and reinforce trust.

Opportunity Reporters™

Most members think about Linkcrafter:

• When they see a business opportunity, and thinking about how to share or report it.
• When in a meeting with a customer they are presented with a need but they don’t know how to handle it, to whom to refer it to.
• When they find an opportunity on Internet (person looking for a service or a product), and want to transfer to a contact or report it to business community
• When starting a marketing campaign, and looking for word of mouth to make it successful with Peer to Peer campaign recommendation tools.

And you when do you think about Linkcrafter?

Linkcrafter members are proud to be business Opportunity Reporters™ for each other. Wherever they hear about a business opportunity, they immediately post it on the community wall for other members to consider. It could be opportunities captured during formal or casual conversation with customers, friends, or from twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. Hundreds of opportunities are reported daily.

Begin Your Own Profitable Leads Group Today. Leads group are the most successful marketing effort for your dollar that you can find anywhere.

The major advantage of choosing leads groups as a way to expand your business is that they are a highly focused, results-driven method of marketing and promotion. In leads groups, individuals are highly motivated and are able to track their results more accurately.

The economic downturn had completely changed the way that people approach networking. Most realized they needed to “cut the fat” out of their business models, which meant doing away with pricey ad campaigns and meaningless memberships in professional organizations.

Old networking organizations don’t cut it anymore, because they can’t accurately keep up with the fast-paced nature of the Internet. Many people are dissatisfied with the current state of professional memberships and organizations, especially when those memberships aren’t brining in any new business.

This is where online leads groups come in. While leads groups have always been immensely successful in building mutually beneficial relationships, combining them with social media has taken them to a whole new level. People are finally getting excited about referrals again!

The vast power of social media connects people from all over the globe and delivers real-time results. Members and managers don’t even have to leave the comfort of their own home or office to take part in rewarding professional relationships. It’s easier than ever to keep in contact with leads and ensure that groups stay focused and motivated.

Leads are vital to the success of any business, so why not get back in the game today?

It has yet to be seen what potential online leads groups truly have in the renaissance of professional networking. All we know is that the smartest business people are getting in on the ground floor of leads groups and even starting ones of their own. There’s no limit to what they can do for those willing to participate! It’s the wave of the future, and we can’t wait to see where it goes.

The renaissance of leads groups means that business people spend no money on advertising and less time in networking, yet grow their sales, visibility, and brand awareness.

Linkcrafter sits on the nose of this revolution. In less than 3 months, Linkcrafter became the #1 leads groups and referral networks utility in the USA and in Europe, managing more than 30.000 leads groups in the US and around the world.

As a leads group manager, you need to innovate. The world of leads groups is changing fast. Most interactions are taking place online through social media. Old fashioned leads groups are losing ground, and more and more members are quietly questioning the benefit of annual membership fees and the value for time and money of the monthly meetings.

Why are more and more members of old-style leads groups joining online leads groups in droves? Because they have the opportunity to obtain more sales leads and business opportunities with less effort, less expense, and less time wasted in social networking that has no immediate impact on their business.

We urge you to join Linkcrafter today and secure your group name and category before your members join groups created by competitors. The Linkcrafter utility will help you create value for your members, while keeping the local ground and social gathering a useful place to build relationships and reinforce trust.