"Quick-Start" Guide

There's a lot of good information, contacts and sales leads on The Lead Generator, but you have to put in some of your own information in order to get access to it. Use this Quick-Start Guide to get up-and-running quickly. (You may even want to print it out.)

Register Yourself and Your Company

1. Click on "Register" at the top of the screen. The next screen that comes up will give you the choice between registering "as a new user and a new company," or just "as an additional user" for a company that already has an account set up on The Lead Generator. If you're the first or only user in your company (or profit center) to sign up for The Lead Generator, select to register "as a new user and a new company." If you already have an account number, select the option to register only "as an additional user."
   
   
2. If you're registering "as a new user and a new company," fill in the form with your personal information and your company information. If you are registering "as an additional user," you will be asked for your Account Number; and then to fill in your personal information.
   
   
3. Complete the registration process by filling in your contact method, and selecting a UserID and a Password.
   
   

Hints:

• Be sure you enter your correct email address. If you don't, we can't contact you when someone wants to send you a lead on the system. (If you don't want us to be able to contact you, please do not use The Lead Generator!)
  
  
• If you have a special Promotion Code, be sure to use it in the appropriate space.
  
  
• Don't forget to click the "Submit" button to process your registration form.
  
  
• If you're in sales or marketing, and you want your corporate purchasing or management to post your company's needs to the data base, print out this Introductory Letter for Buyers to introduce them to The Lead Generator.


• If you're in purchasing or corporate management, and you want someone from sales or marketing to post your company's product and service information to the data base, print out and give them this Introductory Letter for Sales and Marketing Professionals to introduce them to The Lead Generator.

Login

Click on "Login" at the top of the screen, using your new UserID and Password.

• Note: If you try to access the data base without logging in, you can't, of course; but additionally, you may confuse your browser. If the system tells you that "you must login before you can access the data base" even though you've already logged in, just hit your "Refresh" button, and that should straighten it out.
  
  
• After you login you'll see a quick report showing the status of your entries. Pay attention to this report whenever you login, as it provides "early warning" about data problems. Your goal should be to have all entries filled in and up-to-date. (Hint: You can get back to this report anytime you're logged in by clicking on the LG logo at the upper left-hand corner of the screen.)

Enter Your Company Description

1. Click on the gray button labelled "Company's Profile."
   
   
2. Click on the word "here" in the second line to "enter or edit your Company's Description."
   
   
3. Fill in your company's name in the appropriate box.
   
   
4. Write a description of your company in the text window. You can make it as detailed as you want.
   
   
5. Be sure to hit the "Submit" button or your data will not be posted.
   
   

Hints:

• If you're not satisfied with what you wrote, click where it says "here" to edit your entry. Otherwise, just go on to the next step. (You can always go back and edit it later.)

Enter Your Company's Products and Services

The next step is to tell the system what your company makes and/or sells.

1. Click on the gray button labelled "Products and Services" to enter your company's products and services.
   
   Note: The first time you do this it will bring up a menu of options for how to enter your company's products and services, which are stored using SIC Codes. After you have posted something, this page will also show you a list of what you had previously entered.
   
   
2. Select one of the options for posting your company's products and services. For beginners, the easiest method is to use the second action, or "text search" method, which is described here.
   
   
3. Enter a keyword in the space provided that describes one of the types of products or services that your company makes and/or sells, and click on the "Search" button. This should bring up a list of SIC Codes. (If it doesn't, then try another term.)
   
   
4. Review the list of SIC Codes to determine which ones accurately describe your company's products or services. Put a check mark next to each one that is appropriate.
   
   
5. When you are done, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on the "Submit" button.
   
   
6. Repeat steps 2-5 until your list is complete.
   
   

Hints:

• The other methods for posting, (i.e. "drill down" and "Find SIC",) can also be used to post your company's products and services. The "drill down" method is especially helpful when you're not sure what to enter, and the "Find SIC" method is helpful when you want to add or remove a specific SIC Code from your list.
  
  
• When using the "drill down" method, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the "Submit" button or else your selections will be lost. Note that the process of "drilling down" means "moving up and down in the SIC Code hierarchy."
  
  
• The fourth method, labelled "Update All PS," is used when you want to tell the data base that all your entries should be considered to be up-to-date. It's a quicker way to update your file than re-posting each SIC Code.
  
  

Enter Your Company's Needs

This is the most important set of entries. As is the case with other entries, if you do not enter your company's Needs, you will not get access to the data base; but if you do not enter your Needs accurately, other users will not want to do business with you!

1. To enter your company's Needs, click on the gray button labelled "Needs".
   
   Note: As with Products and Services, the first time you do this it will bring up a menu of options for how to enter your company's Needs (or purchasing requirements,) which are stored using SIC Codes. After you have posted something, this page will also show you a list of what you had previously entered.
   
   
2. Select one of the options for posting your company's Needs. For beginners, the easiest method is to use the second action, or "text search" method.
   
   
3. Enter a keyword in the space provided that describes one of the products or services that your company buys, and click on the "Search" button. This should bring up a list of SIC Codes. (If it doesn't, then try another term.)
   
   
4. Review the list of SIC Codes to determine which ones accurately describe the commodities or services that your company needs. Put a check mark next to each one that is appropriate.
   
   
5. When you are done, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on the "Submit" button.
   
   
6. Repeat steps 2-5 until your list is complete.
   
   

Hints:

• The other methods for posting, (i.e. "drill down" and "Find SIC",) can also be used to post your company's Needs. The "drill down" method is especially helpful when you're not sure what to enter and you want to browse the list, and the "Find SIC" method is helpful when you want to add or remove a specific SIC Code from your list.
  
  
• When using the "drill down" method, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the "Submit" button or else your selections will be lost. Note that the process of "drilling down" means "moving up and down in the SIC Code hierarchy."
  
  
• The fourth method, labelled "Update All Needs," is used when you want to tell the data base that all your entries should be considered to be up-to-date. It's a quicker way to update your file than re-posting each SIC Code.
  
  
• Many users know what their companies need. But some find it more convenient to have their Purchasing Manager make these entries. Either way is acceptable. (The easiest thing to do is just copy your company's Accounts Payable category list.) You will find that you will not get many leads, however, if you do not put this information in, if you enter it inaccurately, or if you enter it incompletely.
  
  

Enter Any Sales Leads That You Have

It may seem a little odd to enter sales lead into a system that you joined in order to get sales leads but, of course, that's what The Lead Generator is all about. A sales lead that you enter may not represent a chance for you to make money, but if someone else could make money on the idea, it's a good lead -- and it makes the system better for everyone.

To enter any leads you have:

1. Click on the gray button labelled "Leads."
   
   The first time you do this it will bring up a screen with a button labelled "Add a New Lead" that you can click to, of course, add a new lead. After you have one or more leads entered, this screen will also show you the titles of leads that you've already entered so you can review, edit, delete or update them.
   
   
2. Enter a title or subject for the lead in the appropriate space.
   
   
3. Enter the text of the lead in the text window. Put in as much information as you can about the nature of the opportunity, keywords, or even contact information if you want.
   
   
4. Click on the "Submit" button to post the Lead to the data base.
   
   
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for any additional leads you have.
   
   

Hints:

• Posting Leads is the easiest way to get leads. Most users search there first.
  
  
• Many salespeople have trouble believing that they have any leads that would be valuable, or worth posting, but they're usually wrong. Any need that you can't fulfill is a lead for someone else.
  
  

Post Ads

At this point, you could start searching the data base; but most users will want to post a couple of advertisements before they finish their initial data entry. Your ads can be as detailed as you want.

1. Click on the gray "Ads" button.
   
   The first time you do this it will bring up a screen with a button labelled "Add a New Ad" that you can click to add a new advertisement. After you have one or more Ads entered, this screen will also show you the titles of Ads that you've already entered so you can review, edit, delete or update them.
   
   
2. Enter a title or subject for the Ad in the appropriate space.
   
   
3. Enter the text of the Ad in the text window.
   
   
4. Click on the "Submit" button to post the Ad to the data base.
   
   
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for any additional Ads you want to enter.
   
   

Now That You've Completed Your Initial Data Entry, You Can Search The Data Base For Leads

Once you've completed the initial data entry, you can search the data base for leads. Here are some hints:

• Any area can contain opportunities. Be creative in your searches.
  
  
• Reach out to people. Some leads will come to you, but you'll get more if you're willing to make the initial contact.
  
  
• Answer your mail; and keep your own, posted information up-to-date -- otherwise, you'll get blocked from the system.
  
  
• Read the detailed Users Guide for search tips and hints on how to use the system effectively.
  
  

Good Selling!