Let’s jump right in.

First I would like to talk about the relationship between a lead provider or service provider and the buyer. No this is not Dr. Phil, but it is important to understand this relationship.

On the lead generation side of things it seems that new buyers come in with a lot of baggage. By baggage I mean fears based on past experiences. I mean nothing bad when I say baggage lead buyers, don’t take it personal. But who can blame you for being so skeptical of the lead industry. There are many companies that have made their living providing bad sales leads. I think it is very important that lead providers understand these fears and try to work with new buyers to curb these fears. Some ideas would be lowering normal minimum orders, offering a written guarantee or sending out a small amount of lead samples. I personally do not believe in offering lead samples. They are hard to set up, control and you really do not know what a potential client is going to get with 5 or 10 leads. From the buyer side this may sound “shady” but the reality is that a high volume lead operation could send out 100 lead samples daily based on request. That alone could put a lead provider out of business. Open communication about the buyers reservations and past experiences can help lead providers overcome objections and make more sales.

On the other side of the coin are reservations or fears the lead provider has about the lead buyer. With a very shaky financial system and many lead buyers coming from finance it is safe to say there has been some relationships that did not end on a high note. With the collapse of hundreds of top mortgage lenders and thousand of mortgage branches came unpaid bills. Many lead providers were forced to write of thousands in unpaid invoices. Lead buyers understanding this issue can help move the relationship along by agreeing or understanding tighter billing terms.

This does not mean a lead buyer needs to send in thousands of dollars to a new lead company and take a big risk. If both sides agree to a lower minimum and suitable billing terms then it just may be the beginning of a long and profitable business relationship.