According to much of the hype that you read on the Internet, generating large numbers of leads is the key to network marketing success. Whether you are involved in multi level marketing (MLM) or any other kind of network marketing enterprise, the failure to turn it into a viable business is usually attributed to the failure to generate leads. On the other hand, success in generating leads is considered the surest way of enjoying network marketing success. While there is some truth in that idea, it fails to differentiate between different types of leads. For the purposes of this article, there are three types of lead: totally unqualified leads, generic marketing leads, and qualified MLM or network marketing leads.

A totally unqualified lead is basically anyone and everyone you might meet on the street. Hand a promotional leaflet to complete strangers as they pass you in the street is a good example of prospecting for unqualified leads. I don't know if you have ever done that in the middle of winter, but I can tell you that it is for the most part a cold, miserable and unrewarding venture.

Your family and circle of friends are also unqualified leads! They could be leads simply because out of love and respect for you they will permit you to give them your sales presentation, but they are unqualified in that they have not actually expressed an interest in the product you are selling or the company you are promoting.

Of course, there is a chance that any lead, no matter how unqualified, may be turned into a qualified lead, yet this is a time consuming process that relies on the skill, product knowledge and determination of the network marketer.

Turning to generic leads, as I define them in this article, a generic lead is someone who has responded to a classified ad or Internet site that offers something vague like ?Make money even while you sleep?. These ?leads? are often the ones which are generated by lead-brokering companies. Inexperienced and frustrated network marketers often turn to lead-broker for help. The lure of grabbing 50,000 leads for just a few bucks after repeated failure to generate even 50, or 5 leads on their own is often irresistible. It is a questionable practice, however, for the rookie marketer to purchase generic leads like these without doing any prior research. The rule of thumb is simple, but worth bearing in mind:

The cheaper they come, the worse they are.

On the other hand, a ?qualified lead? is a person who has sought out you or your website, or an offer that is similar to your particular business, to get more information about the product, service, or business that is being promoted. Similarly, a qualified lead is someone who is familiar with the network marketing industry and wants to become involved but might still be searching for just the right niche to buy into. Such leads are worth their weight in gold! Does this mean that each and every qualified lead will turn into a customer or down line candidate? By no means! As a matter of fact, the individual may decide that your product or business is not suitable. Newbie marketers may also turn off qualified leads through their incompetence. Yet by and large marketing to a qualified lead is a lot easier than trying to turn a generic lead into a qualified one.

As you may expect, purchasing qualified leads is a lot more expensive than purchasing generic leads. However, it is also an investment that is well worth making! These leads are often collected during network marketing seminars when individuals are being introduced to the concept and express interest in learning more. Yet keep in mind that even if you differentiate generic leads from qualified leads and don't spend a single penny on unqualified leads, you may still not close the deal! There is no guarantee in network marketing, only a series of more probable options; you need to do everything you can to stack the dice in your favour and going for fully qualified leads is the option of choice among the most successful network marketers.