Small Business Blog

The truth is that no two professionals have the same exact approach to B2B lead generation. Inevitably, some professionals place a much higher priority on business networking than others. If we were all very honest with ourselves we’d probably come to the conclusion that we have quite a few relationships that are less than balanced. Either you are working hard to ensure the success of a colleague or someone is working very hard to help you; and the effort isn’t mutual. We often avoid confronting imbalanced relationships because it can be uncomfortable and easier to just ignore. We pose the hypothetical situation:

David is a property inspector with his own practice. For David, it’s all about business lead generation. He generates most of his new sales leads through his close referral relationships with talented local Realtors. Part of David’s key to success is his ability to actively seek out qualified prospects which he then sends to his Realtor associates. David often has to make difficult decisions as to who he’ll send new referrals to. He takes several factors into consideration such as the client’s specific needs, the Realtor’s area of expertise, and the Realtor’s ability to return the favor.

David met a Realtor named Kevin at a networking event. They quickly built a good rapport and agreed to send each other new business. Over the past three months David has sent Kevin six timely sales leads and Kevin has sent David one; the client Kevin referred isn’t even looking for a property inspector.

Now the easy way out is to say, “Well, he’s making a nice gesture towards Kevin and that should be enough.” But like anything, the reality is that there’s always a give and take. Every nonreciprocating lead David has sent Kevin, has been a missed opportunity to help a different Realtor. For example, Deborah just opened her own firm and she’s hungry for new prospects. She needs the business and is eager to do whatever it takes to make sure David is taken care of too. His other associate Susan is getting close to retirement and is recognized as one of the most experienced Realtors in the area.Susan advocates for professionals she believes in and having Susan’s blessing could be very powerful. She doesn’t have the energy to chase down every name that crosses her desk but she would appreciate a few solid sales leads from David.

What should David do?