It's really hard to find business leads when the economy is down and other people are out in the market to find all the business leads possible. Without these leads, work can be put to a stand still and make no money whatsoever. Here are a few tips about business and real estate leads to keep in mind.
Fresh
Making sure that the lead is fresh is a good start. Word of mouth can be a type of business and real estate lead but if it is a year old then it really isn't much of a lead to follow. It only requires a quick check but nothing that exerts a lot of energy running after.
Knowledge is Key
The business that doesn't know anything about the product that is being sold isn't a business lead at all. They have no idea what will be talked to them about and they might not have any use at all for the product at hand. The buyer or seller for a house are real estate leads only if the person is in the market to buy a house or sell their current house.
Too Good
If any of the business leads sound too good to be true then they probably are. Don't go putting all your eggs in one basket because you might be coming out with absolutely nothing. It's okay to take a small look into something like this as a lead but don't get your hopes up and think you will have an early retirement. Always do enough research to know what you are going after.
Nosey
Asking a lot of questions will only better prepare yourself for the company or person that you have the lead about. The entity that gives you the leads should be asked how the leads became into existence, how long this lead has been floating around and what type of requirements are the leads looking for. Having all this background will help you control the situation better when coming face to face with the lead. You can have better and more powerful information to present and make the lead for more comfortable about doing business.
Making sure that the leads have value to them will set you about the rest of the people getting real estate and business leads. Just having contact information won't start you off right because you might not be the best choice for the job. Using your experience in items and housing markets will make your lead turn into a paycheck. In return you might see yourself getting leads from the company or people you just helped who started out as a lead.