There is an old axiom in the print journalism industry, or what remains of it, that went something to the tune of “if it bleeds, it leads.” Basically this meant that the headline for the days paper should be something related to the human condition as opposed to intangible. The headline of “Congress looks to Raise Capital Gains Rate” will always run behind that of “Fiery Inferno Leaves Family Homeless." It may be cruel but it is an abject truism that people are more drawn to what happens to others than that of arguing a hypothetical premise or intangible idea.

What does this have to do with Online Lead Generation, mortgage leads, or credit repair leads, and exclusive business leads you may ask? In short- it has plenty to do with it in that selling debt consolidation or loan modification has nothing to do with paying off bills or changing the terms of a mortgage; it has everything to do with how someone benefits from completing a debt consolidation program and how someones life is made better by going through a home loan modification program. Often times we confuse what our service is with how our services benefits others.

With that in mind we thought we would offer up this weeks Findmyleads blog towards tips geared to ACTIVELY engaging a prospect into conversation about your product or service thereof as opposed to simply throwing out a blanket phrase and hoping it sticks. Debt consolidation leads are much more then the tools of the trade; they are people and customers looking for a life changing service that will offer some small glimmer of hope that life after interacting with your company will be better then it was before. 

Debt Consolidation- Why ask “are you looking for debt consolidation information?” when you can ask “Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to make ends meet?” People looking for debt consolidation are over whelmed and bringing out the distress early is the key to getting the next stage of discussion. Remember-its not simply simpliflying and streamlining budget; its offering a finish line where a potental clients life invariably will be improved after using your service. 

Mortgage Leads- Why ask “are you looking to do a loan modification” when you can ask “do you think you are paying far too much on your home mortgage?” Once again there is no shortage of news about real estate interest rates and almost everybody these days knows someone who has gone through short sale or foreclosure and heard the stories about saving money through refinancing or a loan modification. In this case it is not simply a mortgage lead; it is the chance at letting a homeowner keep and stay in their home. 

Credit Repair- Why ask “are you looking to get into a credit repair program” when the better question is “do you know that people with bad credit scores pay thousands if not 10's of thousands more in high interest rates?” Once again if there were no downside to having bad credit no consumer would care-but given the number of people with bad credit who realize the dangling carrot impossible to achieve be it those wanting a car, a home, etc etc the idea of pitching credit repair leads isnt simply a matter of getting a higher credit score as much as it is the higher standard of living that comes with the higher fico score. 

Once again the question is designed to engage and lead the prospect into the next round of conversation. People will not buy from people they do not like or do not trust and without getting to the next layer of conversation those two issues will never be effectively addressed. Simply offering a blanket phrase of your service having an effective sales floor is turning those prospects whom are on the fence into those prospects whom are buying your product or service. And without question exclusive business leads will give you a great chance of converting a prospect into a customer; but actively engaging the prospect will raise your chances no matter what the lead quality may be. 

Profit is the driving force and cash is the blood flow of small businesses. A business model that doesn't account for any potential revenue shortage at the end of a quarter means a few more sleepless nights and nervous mornings whether meeting payroll or paying the bills. Exclusive leads from FindMyLeads.com is certainly an option that pays for itself but even then you need to be smart. It may sound like overkill but accounting for every dime is of utmost importance and something you have to watch on the balance ledger in preparation for the occasions when you will have to have enough funds to cover the outflow of cash. And that does not even take into consideration any sudden crisis that will offer no other options other then to dip into the reserves.

Let's be honest running any business is no picnic and learning the little tips and tricks for small business too late is not the best way to learn. A mistake in today's economy can equate to bankruptcy and running on the idea that 1 mistake may be your companies last is not the most reassuring feeling for a business owner no matter if your leads are exclusive leads or semi exclusive leads. With that in mind here are some tips, tricks, and advice for business owners that might spare a new business owner some of the growing pains of operating a business.

Never go big on the first round of expenses. Sure you may have always dreamed about the big oak desk and the imported Italian leather chair- but while we are experts at internet mortgage leads we also know these while these items may give the appearance of success...it may end up being the end of your dream. Expensive office equipment may impress a few clients here and there if you can afford to pay the lease it may be all you are left with. Run lean and mean until your are assured your income can match the outflow.

The days of the big mega footage office with spacious offices, break room, sauna, and decompression or long gong barring you running a company like Google. With today's technology more and more employers are comfortable and willing to telecommute. You are running with credit repair leads not working an assembly line. With so many online programs and website offering web casts, webinars, conference calls and what not; take the time to think how much square footage is actually necessary.  Virtual communication technology is here, reliable, and often times very reasonably priced- physical space is so 1990s.

Staff over expansion; it is far better and easier to hire a staff to fill the need as opposed to having over staffing issues with not enough work to go around. Much like you can get exclusive leads online at FindMyLeads.com you can also look at getting temps in when work flow trumps your current staff and workforce. With Craigslist and other website you could also find plenty of creative ways to 1099 needed chores as needed and save plenty of labor and HR issues.

Pt2 next week!

With the new year comes new philosophies, new goals, new aspirations and new business models for all small business owners. They can be as small as deciding whether or not to get a new provider of office products or switching to decaf for the office coffee maker. Regardless what issues you are dwelling on and lamenting over there are without question a few common sense ideas easily implemented that can ensure the year 2012 is more profitable then 2011. We can start off with a no brainer; FindMyLeads.com is your #1 source for exclusive leads; it all starts with quality internet leads and FindMyLeads.com is the industry leader.

But apart from the point being made above there are some other aspects to consider and we have managed to cull a few of them and list them below for your business building and reading pleasure. What a great way to end 2011 and kick off 2012 with some of these easy ideas.

Work on the processes to ensure a focus on the customer as well as making the entire sales process as user friendly as possible be it internet mortgage leads or credit repair leads. Companies who value and prize their customers have a higher customer retention ratio as well must high satisfaction rating. There is an old saying that a happy customer will tell 10 people while an unhappy customer will tell 100. Focus on the needs and want of the client and you will be off and running.

Ramp up your advertising,marketing, and promotional strategies. Customers in a tough economy are going to be far more reluctant to seek out your business therefore you must take the helm to boost your own exposure and remind them early and often of your business and service that you provide. There are plenty of people who need help with their mortgage and internet mortgage leads are plentiful; seek them out and reap the reward.

Back to basics with a good old fashioned healthy dose of Sales training. Improving product knowledge and reinforcing basic sales skills has never gone out of style no matter what the economic conditions and when opportunity arises its always best to be prepared to take advantage. While Credit Repair Leads may be a service that sells itself its never a bad idea to bone up. When the road to opportunity presents itself-make sure you and your staffs bags are packed!

Reinforce the relationships with you core customer and work to keep and improve existing customer relationships. Profitability always relies on maintaining and up keeping your current database customers. Be it a simple email saying thanks for being a valued customer or something more elaborate- letting clients know you value and care about them is never a bad idea.

Be Flexible and willing to make needed changes. The business climate is ever evolving and ever changing regardless if you are using exclusive or semi-exclusive leads so why be stagnant in lieu of being proactive? Successful companies are always willing to adapt to changes be it social or political. Evaluating outdated processes that may no longer be working for your company to improve efficiency and in turn profitability is the reward for those willing to take the needed risks to succeed.

With the new year comes new philosophies, new goals, new aspirations and new business models for all small business owners. They can be as small as deciding whether or not to get a new provider of office products or switching to decaf for the office coffee maker. Regardless what issues you are dwelling on and lamenting over there are without question a few common sense ideas easily implemented that can ensure the year 2012 is more profitable then 2011. We can start off with a no brainer; FindMyLeads.com is your #1 source for exclusive leads; it all starts with quality internet leads and FindMyLeads.com is the industry leader.

But apart from the point being made above there are some other aspects to consider and we have managed to cull a few of them and list them below for your business building and reading pleasure. What a great way to end 2011 and kick off 2012 with some of these easy ideas.

Work on the processes to ensure a focus on the customer as well as making the entire sales process as user friendly as possible be it internet mortgage leads or credit repair leads. Companies who value and prize their customers have a higher customer retention ratio as well must high satisfaction rating. There is an old saying that a happy customer will tell 10 people while an unhappy customer will tell 100. Focus on the needs and want of the client and you will be off and running.

Ramp up your advertising,marketing, and promotional strategies. Customers in a tough economy are going to be far more reluctant to seek out your business therefore you must take the helm to boost your own exposure and remind them early and often of your business and service that you provide. There are plenty of people who need help with their mortgage and internet mortgage leads are plentiful; seek them out and reap the reward.

Back to basics with a good old fashioned healthy dose of Sales training. Improving product knowledge and reinforcing basic sales skills has never gone out of style no matter what the economic conditions and when opportunity arises its always best to be prepared to take advantage. While Credit Repair Leads may be a service that sells itself its never a bad idea to bone up. When the road to opportunity presents itself-make sure you and your staffs bags are packed!

Reinforce the relationships with you core customer and work to keep and improve existing customer relationships. Profitability always relies on maintaining and up keeping your current database customers. Be it a simple email saying thanks for being a valued customer or something more elaborate- letting clients know you value and care about them is never a bad idea.

Be Flexible and willing to make needed changes. The business climate is ever evolving and ever changing regardless if you are using exclusive or semi-exclusive leads so why be stagnant in lieu of being proactive? Successful companies are always willing to adapt to changes be it social or political. Evaluating outdated processes that may no longer be working for your company to improve efficiency and in turn profitability is the reward for those willing to take the needed risks to succeed.

As we enter another new year it is that time where most businesses reflect back on the year passing and look towards the new year and ask themselves the question of “What can we do to make next year better then the last year?” And that is generally followed up with thoughts like “Is the market going to be better in 2012?” That reflection generally leads to “Will our team and staff be able to break new ground and after some lean times; once again experience growth?” Along with providing quality internet leads we always try and keep our vibe positive and our focus on the good things our business can achieve but we must admit; after three uber difficult years the new year offers rebirth, opportunities, and a chance to achieve and reach some of the objectives we missed the previous years. But reaching those goals often times means changing a culture or simply changing a look, a philosophy, or the how likely we are to embrace risk. With that in mind here are our own goals and thoughts on how we can make next year better then the last.

Stress the good that your company does to help the consumer, the public, and the country. Most salespeople will tell you that it is far easier to sell a product or service you believe in. No matter what your company or products or service: Share testimonials with your staff. If you are a lead generation company share some businesses whom you have served and helped. Testimonials are powerful in that they not only can inspire your next customer; but inspire your staffs ability to pitch your product with confidence and pride.

Change your look or make some other small changes where applicable; be it a repackaging or new color scheme for your products, changes in ricing, even changing the Feng Shui by moving the furniture in the office. For those of you hands on managers; create a positive and humerus presentation to open the year on a positive note and institute a positive mantra the staff can focus on in 2012.

Bone up on skills and training!  Pick a weekly or bi-weekly theme to focus and retrain on. Quality Credit Repair Leads aren't exactly things we get excited over-but a fresh and creative power point presentation about the subject may educate and entertain and at least give the stass something to think about. Even the best of us can use a back to basics type training seminar. Be it sales 101, updates and information to boost product knowledge, or even a quick refresher on the CRM and Computer Skills.

We also are never opposed to early year one on one meeting to talk about goals and any concerns an employee may have. In a new year the chances of ideas and suggestion have a far better chance of being embraced and any lingering doubts or qualms an employee may be bring back from the winter vacation can be aired in a far better manner and the appropriate response taken. This is great stuff for your team! Embrace it; how many other Internet Lead Providers are providing this type of information?  As a matter of fact, Stand in front of your staff and eat some crow by announcing some of your own personal goals or admitting some of your weakness and how this year you are hoping to work on and improve you own personal skill set. A little humility goes a long way and the chance to see the boss as human and mortal can oftentimes earn the respect and admiration from those who perhaps viewed you as one dimensional or indifferent.