Every CEO wants their business to grow.

And when it comes to generating a larger client base, you can’t go wrong with personal selling. While it’s a strategy that most companies today have pretty much abandoned, it is a very successful approach to client growth when done correctly.

The hardest and most frustrating thing about sales is generating leads. It’s a difficult journey when it comes to converting your cold leads into booming business. But what if these “hot leads” have been right in front of you all along?

For the next three weeks, we want to cover three of the most neglected strategies for business growth and finding guaranteed sources for hot leads.

Generate Lists

Write a list of everyone you know from your close relatives to an old classmate in high school. Most people may disagree with using these leads because of the fear of mixing business with personal contacts. Sometimes, however, this very source that has been avoided could be what catapults your business.

After you have created this list, divide it into 3 parts.

List #1. Closest relationships.

This is the group of individuals that know you better than most and will undoubtedly support and purchase from you. Your mission, should you choose to accept it is to convert your second and third listers into your first. (Read on to define second and third listers). Even in speaking with your first list people, you can generate more names to place on List #3 by requesting referrals from those closest to you.

List #2. Acquaintances.

While these people may not know you very well, what they do know of you could influence them to engage in business with you. So break this ice by inviting them out to coffee. Stick to familiar conversations until you’ve developed a close enough relationship that they can be pushed up to List #1.

List #3. Newly Found Strangers.

You’ve just barely met these individuals and have an opportunity to impress them. They just might be your hot leads. Be a little bit more formal with them by sending friendly correspondence until you feel comfortable enough to ask them out to lunch for a meet and greet. You might even want to play hard to get with this bunch. Send them just enough information to get them to want to reach out and set up an appointment on their own.

Don’t neglect this method. You never know the connections, referrals or leads that you never knew were at your disposal. After all, it’s not what you know but who you know.

Next week we’ll be talking about your current customer base and how you can use them to grow your business.