Say you’re in the public relations business. A friend who’s a Web designer e-mails you and says she has a client who’s looking for a new PR agency, and is willing to make an introduction. How much is that introduction worth to you? $50? $100?
That’s the premise behind Saleconx, an intriguing new site that’s a mix between Jigsaw (see previous post) and eBay. Salespeople and marketers who register on the site can sell or buy “connections” and name their price, either for a simple referral, an introduction, or a closed deal.
Registration is free, so I signed up last week (know anyone who’s looking for a demand generation agency? There’s $50 in it for you …) and have no takers thus far. Still, that’s primarily a function of the site’s user base – it has a mere 1,448 members as I write this (by comparison, Jigsaw has more than 400,000.) The more members, the more potential connections.
It’s not difficult to envision a scenario, one I’m quite sure the site’s founders have in mind, where almost any business need that you might hear expressed on the grapevine, at a client meeting, at the local Starbucks, has a buyer (and a seller) on Salesconx. Your best friend is looking for a new car? The IT director needs a couple of new servers? Mom needs her windows cleaned? Ka-CHING!
A little disconcerting, perhaps? Maybe. But selling information for money is the cornerstone of a great many successful corporations, Jigsaw being just one. If Saleconx succeeds in growing its user base, every salesperson out there could be a potential referral for you and your business. Just name your price.
The reason I don’t sign up for Saleconx is that I don’t expect to be paid for this kind of referral. I pass along ideas and connections as a “goes around, comes around” part of my business life. My guess is that there are a lot of business people who feel the same way, which might explain the low reg numbers so far.
Hi Ruth, I share your principles, though I confess my thought in registering was: “well if there’s someone out there with a good lead they want to sell for $50, I’m there for them.” I guess that makes me more a buyer than a seller. Also, in fairness to Salesconx, I don’t know if they’ve even officially launched yet, so their user numbers could yet increase substantially.