With the new year upon us, you might want to consider making a resolution to improve your marketing campaign for 2009.
Review your business card format and ensure it projects a professional image and clearly states your business information and what you do. Be sure to use the back of your cards for added impact with little extra cost. Your cards may be the first and only thing prospective clients see about your service.
Create a bi-fold or tri-fold brochure. A local print shop can assist with a format or you can experiment with your own basic word-processing software. If you can include a photo of yourself, that will help to create a more personal relationship and give clients an idea of exactly who they are dealing with. Take a tip from all the real estate agents that ALWAYS include their own pictures in their marketing material. They've been doing this for a long time and they know it works.
Research the possibility of running inexpensive ads in local newspapers, or on local radio and TV stations. The ad departments with these media will assist you at little or often NO COST in creating a professional message.
Incorporating an effective marketing campaign into your other regular prospecting efforts with enhance your overall business. Use this new year to get off to a great start in 2009.
I wish you all a very safe, happy and PROSPEROUS New Year!
Scott F. Soape
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
FREE Website Hosting
There are several FREE website hosting services where you can quickly & easily build a decent website for your commercial debt resolution practice. Here are just a few...
www.snappages.com
www.weebly.com
www.wix.com
www.squarespace.com
www.synthasite.com
These sites offer a great way to present a professional looking web presence at no cost and very little effort. In addition, most of these allow you to upgrade for a small price and add extra bells & whistles.
Internet exposure for any legitimate business has become a MUST. Be sure your business has a website so that prospects and clients can find out more about what you have to offer.
Scott F. Soape
www.snappages.com
www.weebly.com
www.wix.com
www.squarespace.com
www.synthasite.com
These sites offer a great way to present a professional looking web presence at no cost and very little effort. In addition, most of these allow you to upgrade for a small price and add extra bells & whistles.
Internet exposure for any legitimate business has become a MUST. Be sure your business has a website so that prospects and clients can find out more about what you have to offer.
Scott F. Soape
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Enlist Independent Associates & GROW Your Practice!
Although a steady stream of local leads and referrals can be counted on in this profession, there may come a time when you will want to expand your reach to other geographic areas. I experienced this desire early in my career as a commercial debt negotiator.
After a few failed attempts to find a reliable way for locating additional leads, I finally developed a truly innovative program for getting OTHER PEOPLE to pay me to send me leads. Now, I market this Associate Program as an "Income Opportunity" and receive an ongoing stream of qualified leads from around the country on a regular basis without spending any personal time or money (I pay my Associates only if I receive a fee).
By enlisting the services of independent Associates, YOU can also tap into all the commercial financial disputes arising anywhere you desire. I'll show you how.
My Associate Program System is available to anyone in the commercial debt resolution profession and it will allow you to exponentially GROW your fee revenues.
Whenever you are ready to take your practice to the next level, contact my office for additional information on this extraordinary fee-enhancing program. You may end up with MORE BUSINESS THAN YOU CAN HANDLE!
Scott F. Soape
After a few failed attempts to find a reliable way for locating additional leads, I finally developed a truly innovative program for getting OTHER PEOPLE to pay me to send me leads. Now, I market this Associate Program as an "Income Opportunity" and receive an ongoing stream of qualified leads from around the country on a regular basis without spending any personal time or money (I pay my Associates only if I receive a fee).
By enlisting the services of independent Associates, YOU can also tap into all the commercial financial disputes arising anywhere you desire. I'll show you how.
My Associate Program System is available to anyone in the commercial debt resolution profession and it will allow you to exponentially GROW your fee revenues.
Whenever you are ready to take your practice to the next level, contact my office for additional information on this extraordinary fee-enhancing program. You may end up with MORE BUSINESS THAN YOU CAN HANDLE!
Scott F. Soape
Web Networking
There are a number of FREE networking websites for businesses available. I have been a member of StartUpBiz for several months and receive quality referrals on a regular basis. Feel free to add your own business information to this site and / or do your own search for others. The wider you can spread your name, the more business you will get!
Scott F. Soape
Scott F. Soape
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
An Average Case
During your career as a professional debt negotiator, you will encounter small cases generating minimum fees of $300 or $400 as well as large cases generating fees of several thousand dollars. You will also quickly find the actual work and time involved with each negotiation is practically the same. Typically, it takes no more skill, time or effort to close a large case than it does to close a small one.
Here's an example of an average case I recently closed...
On October 31st, I located a courthouse lead where a local Yellow Pages book was suing a business for $14,800 in past due billings for an ad (these are very common). I sent the business owner my powerful "Prospect Letter" then followed with a phone call a few days later.
On November 5th, the business owner hired me to negotiate a settlement and I quickly faxed a low-ball offer to the creditor's attorney.
On November 11th, I received a fax with a counter offer from the attorney. Interestingly, the attorney's letter indicated his client "does not appear to be very amenable with negotiations from this point, but it may not hurt to counter offer". That same day, I sent him another offer for a higher amount but still considerably below his offer.
You will often find the biggest hold up in closing a case is on the creditor's end. Since an answer date for the lawsuit was coming soon, I requested and was granted an extension of several weeks from the attorney while we were in negotiations.
On November 24th, I received a fax with a final settlement offer from the attorney. The terms allowed for a substantial discount and an 18 month payment period without interest. I quickly relayed this to my client. Since this was Thanksgiving week, he asked for some time to think about it before deciding. In the meantime, I put everything in writing along with my "Closing Letter" and sent him the details.
On December 1st, my client accepted the terms and I notified the creditor's attorney who then prepared the paper work.
Although this case took just under 4 weeks to close, it really only involved a couple of short phone calls and a couple of quick faxes & form letters. My fee was $750 (a flat fee based on my initial interview with the client and my expectation for the probable outcome). The final settlement was for $11,200 to be paid in 17 monthly payments of $625 each and a final payment of $575. My client saved over $3,600 on the principal amount of the debt plus over $5,000 in potential plaintiff's attorney fees, court costs and interest on the debt.
I have closed much larger cases in less time and I have closed smaller cases that took even more time but my actual time spent in negotiations is usually about the same. Keeping your "pipe line" full of a variety of cases will ensure a steady revenue stream with cases closing on a fairly regular basis.
Scott F. Soape
Here's an example of an average case I recently closed...
On October 31st, I located a courthouse lead where a local Yellow Pages book was suing a business for $14,800 in past due billings for an ad (these are very common). I sent the business owner my powerful "Prospect Letter" then followed with a phone call a few days later.
On November 5th, the business owner hired me to negotiate a settlement and I quickly faxed a low-ball offer to the creditor's attorney.
On November 11th, I received a fax with a counter offer from the attorney. Interestingly, the attorney's letter indicated his client "does not appear to be very amenable with negotiations from this point, but it may not hurt to counter offer". That same day, I sent him another offer for a higher amount but still considerably below his offer.
You will often find the biggest hold up in closing a case is on the creditor's end. Since an answer date for the lawsuit was coming soon, I requested and was granted an extension of several weeks from the attorney while we were in negotiations.
On November 24th, I received a fax with a final settlement offer from the attorney. The terms allowed for a substantial discount and an 18 month payment period without interest. I quickly relayed this to my client. Since this was Thanksgiving week, he asked for some time to think about it before deciding. In the meantime, I put everything in writing along with my "Closing Letter" and sent him the details.
On December 1st, my client accepted the terms and I notified the creditor's attorney who then prepared the paper work.
Although this case took just under 4 weeks to close, it really only involved a couple of short phone calls and a couple of quick faxes & form letters. My fee was $750 (a flat fee based on my initial interview with the client and my expectation for the probable outcome). The final settlement was for $11,200 to be paid in 17 monthly payments of $625 each and a final payment of $575. My client saved over $3,600 on the principal amount of the debt plus over $5,000 in potential plaintiff's attorney fees, court costs and interest on the debt.
I have closed much larger cases in less time and I have closed smaller cases that took even more time but my actual time spent in negotiations is usually about the same. Keeping your "pipe line" full of a variety of cases will ensure a steady revenue stream with cases closing on a fairly regular basis.
Scott F. Soape
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