Question

Topic: Strategy

Eqpnt Leasing - Lead Generating & Mktg Start-up!

Posted by hds on 6/30/2010 at 5:25 AM ET 500 Points
I am HDS and my Conundrum is: at 71, I have to earn additional income; the opportunity to work for a new Leasing Franchise Agency but as an independent in Lead Generating and Mrktg, sales support.
Thinking of creating my Web Site, using an e-mailer with CRM to market plus telemarketing, Social Media when I can & learn it. Can someone please suggest a good mass mailer soft at reasonable costs?
Am I going in the right direction and can someone kindly suggest and advise how best to proceed in this very competitive field, what best strategy to use in reaching, finding leasing clients with reasonable success?
Leasing Products are: Large, Medium & Small Equipment from Office to Manufacturing, Construction to Warehousing, Rolling Stock, Medical, Heavy (Yellow Iron) Equipment;
I would appreciate your help and advise very much!
Thank you, hds
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 6/30/2010 at 9:46 AM Accepted
    I worry on your behalf that you're jumping into something that could cost you more than it will return ... especially given the fact that some of this is outside your current area of expertise.

    Have you created a rough business plan for yourself? If not, that would be the place to start. It will force you to think about how much time and money you're prepared to invest, how long it could take before the business reaches the level you need it to, and when you might expect to recover your initial investment.

    I applaud your enthusiasm and would love to help, but I want to be sure you've matched the challenge to your own objectives, and thought through the business aspects of this before I unwittingly become an accomplice in your undoing.
  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 6/30/2010 at 9:52 AM Accepted
    To answer your main question. I believe the best and certainly most popular email software out today is ConstantContact. I use it myself and run email programs for a dozen or so clients using it.

    It is good stuff for very little money.
  • Posted by telemoxie on 6/30/2010 at 1:29 PM Accepted
    I have had several leasing clients in the past, and finding opportunities for leasing isn't as easy as talking about it.

    In my opinion, leasing is not only a highly competitive field (as you suggest) but is also a very mature market. In my opinion, products and services which are either in the mature or decline phase are difficult to sell using direct mail, email, the telephone, and other such methods. Products and services in the later phases of the sales cycle (see www.quickmba.com ) are sold based on trust and relationships, typically in person. I'm not against the use of the telephone and e-mail, I was in business for 12 years as an outbound telemarketer. But there are limits to what you can do by phone and e-mail.

    Leasing could be an excellent option for you if you have existing contacts (particularly high-level contacts) in capital intensive industries. If you do not have these contacts, it will be difficult (in my opinion) for you to generate interest and meetings selling such a (typically) undifferentiated product.

    I applaud your efforts to keep working, and I would encourage you to select an opportunity which best takes advantage of your many years of experience. If you would like to discuss this further (no cost) please send me an e-mail (click on my username to view my profile and see my e-mail address).

    Good luck.
  • Posted by hds on 7/1/2010 at 5:02 AM Author
    Thank you all very much for your advise & suggestions. To "mgoodman", your advise re: a business plan is very apropos and to the point or core of the business sort to say. I did put a plan together and the expenses climbed quickly, a web site plus a strong e-mail program with a good soft was my idea, accompanied by a good data base. I had to acquire all. Thank you though for reminding me of the fundamentals where I will be spending a bit more time and for taking the time to answer my querries.
    Thank you also to "telemoxie" very much for your very good advise. Although trade-ins' would be out of my realm or concern, it is the connections and links to the powers to be which are of the utmost importance. Thank you for pointing this out as well and the offer to follow up as will I. As well I like to thank you Mr. Hurtte for identifying the soft which I will take into consideration, be it this or any other endeavour I may undertake. Time is of the essence for me because sadly, my back is against the wall and I am a bit panicky. Them the breaks as they say in good Oxford English! I am a good salesman though, 16 years in business as an Fine Art consultant and sales, 8 of which I owned & operated my Fine Art Gallery, 4 years car sales and 7 years with IBM before that. The previous 30 years were spent in Hell, behind the Iron Curtain.
    Thanks' again very much,
    hds

  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 7/1/2010 at 11:21 AM Member
    HDS,
    If you need help getting started with ConstantContact let me know. They have a deal where we both get a month free if I reference you....

    Contact me via my profile. And by the way, thanks for sharing your story. Many Americans forget how easy we have had it. Especially when compared to the former Soviet Block.

    Frank
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