Business Week Online is responsible only for material that is identified as having been prepared by Business Week. If you're logging more hours waiting for calls than working with customers, maybe it's time you looked to a leads club for marketing help. Leads clubs are growing in popularity among savvy networkers and business owners. Born in the 1970s, these groups bring together professionals from different industries to shake hands, swap cards and market their businesses at weekly meetings. Most clubs contain a wide variety of professionals, from real estate agents to plumbers to massage therapists.
Participants get business directly from other members but also from the leads members bring in.
In essence, club participants help market their co-members' products and services and, in return, exponentially increase their own business contacts. The rules may seem strict, but they help ensure that only active and interested members are in the club. However, new groups are opening up, and membership does turn over. Inc. All rights reserved.