How to develop your warm market list

Pretty much everywhere you look in sales there are people trying to come up with a list of "warm leads" for various marketing purposes.  Whether you're in the mortgage, web development, consulting or home based business industries having a solid warm leads list can be invaluable for your business. 

When getting started in my latest venture I found this process was actually more difficult than it first appeared.  I was asked to come up with a list of 100 names.  Even though I feel like I know quite a few people I still had a hard time getting my list to even half that length.  After days of racking my brain I finally made it, but only with a lot of prompting.  I'm hoping that by providing you with a list of ideas it will help your brainstorming and save you some time.Here are some memory joggers to help you with expanding your list:

  • Go through your cell phone numbers
  • Look at your check register for people you've given money to
  • Go through old photo albums, family
  • Look at your resume and think about each job you've held.  Use a service like http://www.linkedin.com to reconnect with these people.
  • Think about awards you've received and the folks that gave them to you
  • Use sites like http://www.Classmates.com or http://www.Facebook.com to remind you of peers and teachers
  • Pull out church directories or go to your church web site 
  • Add old co-workers who are privy to your hard work ethic
  • What clubs or organizations have you been a part of? PTA, rotary club, toastmasters, etc.
  • Note all of the homes / apartments you've lived in and your neighbors at those times as well as the landlords, managers and owners
  • Who have you bought cars from in the past?  How about your home?
  • Look at your e-mail sent items
  • Do you have a landscaper, house cleaner or other service person at your home regularly?
  • Who does your significant other / spouse know? 
  • Who babysits your kids?
  • What sports / league teams have you been a part of?
  • Who are your doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, and mechanics?
  • Do your children take lessons with anyone?
  • What business owners do you know?
  • Who goes to the gym you exercise at?
  • What are your favorite restaurants?
  • Who delivers pizzas or other food to your house?
  • Who do you know involved in Avon, Mary Kay or other multi-level marketing companies?
  • Who do you know in the military?

Now that you have developed a long list of warm market contacts, how do you go about informing them of your new business?  Some of them you may not have seen or talked to in many years.  Depending on who they are it might be good to call them and catch up first before discussing your venture.  It will be natural for them to ask about what you are doing and you can simply give them a little information to pique their interest.  Don't spend the entire call talking about your new business as this will annoy them and they will probably not be interested. Once you’re contacting folks be sure to ask them to think about friends or family that might be interested as well.  If they aren’t interested in coming over to review your new business make sure to talk to them about helping you by being your customer.