THE FACTORING ESSENTIALS

Transcription

1 THE FACTORING ESSENTIALS New Cash Flow Consultants often come to Working Capital Company asking for help ranging from how to make a sales call to writing sample marketing letters. WCC has listened to our Consultants and has compiled what we believe to be The Factoring Essentials. We are providing them here to help you become successful Cash Flow Consultants. Included, you will not only find tips on how to market and sell to factoring prospects, but also useful tools, including actual samples of: 1 A marketing letter 2 A cold calling script 3 A prospect profile 4 Essential qualifying questions 5 Common Prospect objections 6 WCC faxable information sheets We have created the following packet as a resource for you. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. We wish you success in your craft and look forward to working with you in the future. The Staff at Working Capital Company, Inc.

2 Why Companies Need to Factor? Experiencing rapid sales growth, or taking on increasingly large orders/contracts. Tax liens and/or bankruptcies. Labor intensive companies having difficulty meeting payroll. Need help making timely payments to suppliers. Starting up new business. Who is a Good Factoring Prospect? Every Prospect must possess all three of the following characteristics: 1 NEED A Prospect must have a pressing requirement for money. In other words, the operation of the business would be negatively impacted if additional cash flow is not created. Legitimate cash flow needs include: Backlog of orders Payroll Taxes 2 TIME FRAME A Prospect MUST want and need money now! Many companies will resist starting to factor until the need is immediate (within a few days to a few weeks of your first contact). If it isn t, call back periodically to catch them at their time of need when they will actually be ready to act on it. 3 CREDITWORTHY DEBTORS Factors expect to get repaid on the invoices they purchase from Clients. Therefore, an account debtor s ability to pay its bills in a timely fashion is crucial for a factoring deal to succeed.

3 Who is Not a Good Factoring Prospect? Any one of the following scenarios would preclude a Prospect from being a good factoring candidate: 1 Many inexperienced consultants will waste time obtaining an application from a Prospect and getting that Prospect approved by a factor, only to find the factoring need doesn t materialize. Beware of the following when given as the reason for needing cash flow: We re expecting a large order that we ll need help filling I m waiting on a contract to come through that will create a huge payroll crunch Oftentimes expecting and waiting really just mean wanting and hoping. Optimistic business owners anticipation doesn t always materialize into large orders - in which case the need for factoring doesn t yet exist. However, make sure to follow up with a call around the time that the expected order is scheduled to occur. For, if the surge of work does develop, your Prospect could then be qualified as a good factoring candidate. 2 The reason a Prospect needs to factor is broadly stated as, We need increased cash flow. Take heed of tire kickers, or people who are simply seeing what s out there just in case. If a Prospect can t give you a specific reason for needing the additional working capital (e.g. payroll tax obligation or taking on a new contract), then they won t follow through with factoring, as there is no critical deadline to meet. Find out what THE SPECIFIC REASON for the cash need is, so you can understand whether or not you are working with an actual Prospect. 3 Your Prospect pre-bills (invoices before work has been completed), sells to individual consumers rather than to companies, or sells on a contingent, third party, or guaranteed basis. In order for a Factor to buy an account, a bona fide obligation for a sum certain must exist between the Prospect and his commercial customer for goods or services already rendered. Remember, your ultimate goal is to provide funding to your Prospect, not to collect applications.

4 What Industries Should You Pursue? Service Industries Manufacturers Service Industries The following examples of service industries are all ideal matches for factoring relationships. Payroll and payroll taxes fuel their cash flow needs. Because their assets often consist primarily of accounts receivable, which banks typically won t solely lend against, obtaining financing can be challenging. Luckily, service companies like those listed below can turn to factoring as a viable solution to their financial worries. Temporary staffing agencies Nursing registries Cable installers Security guard companies Corporate consultants Manufacturers Manufacturing companies purchase material from suppliers, which is then used to produce their product. Without ample cash to pay suppliers in a timely manner, manufacturers cannot get the required materials to fabricate enough product for their companies to thrive and grow. Factoring, however, can give manufacturers more buying power through accelerated cash flow. Companies can then take advantage of trade discounts for early payments to suppliers, thereby offsetting some of their factoring costs.

5 Obtaining Lead Sources A simple formula doesn t exist for finding lead sources. It requires work on your part and will be an ongoing project. Begin by identifying the industries that you d like to prospect. Then compile lists of companies belonging to these industries from the Yellow Pages, Internet, professional directories, sales lead companies, or other methods you may find on your own. Make a list of Bankers, Accountants and other Business Professionals with whom to network and foster relationships. Develop and use followup materials to keep in touch and thank them for meeting with you and giving you referrals. Bank Loan Officers Referring Clients to Factors offers banks a way to get out of nonconforming or troubled loans and remain whole. Furthermore, when banks cannot loan a Client money, they can still help by referring the deal to a Factor; this way, the banker helps foster his relationship with the Client, so that when the Client becomes bankable he can regain his Client. Tax Attorneys, Accountants They have first hand knowledge of Clients who are experiencing cash flow difficulties and will want to help them find a solution to their cash flow problems. Bankruptcy Attorneys As factoring is one of the few available means of financing for companies who ve recently filed Chapter 11 (or Chapter 13 for sole proprietorships), attorneys are eager to help keep their Clients in business by working with Factors. Other Networking Sources Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs, networking groups and social clubs are all excellent avenues to meet and exchange business prospects. Be sure to benefit by using such groups and their members to your advantage.

6 Phone Tips 101 Your attitude is expressed by the way you speak on the phone; be sure it s positive! Don t take the following for granted or assume that you re a natural on the phone. Good phone skills will definitely payoff, but you must make the effort to continually work on them. Say Thank you for your time. Be Friendly. Keep in mind the goal you want to accomplish with the call. Sit up straight or stand up. It helps boost your confidence. Stay focused on the conversation. Remember, good listening skills are just as important as good speaking skills. Allow your Prospects to talk without interrupting them. Have all pertinent information handy. Talk slowly and clearly. Be confident, professional, and in charge. Always be enthusiastic. Stress words that appeal to your Prospect. Restate let the Prospect know that you understand him/her. One of the best methods of developing phone skills is to record yourself and listen to the playback to evaluate your efforts. Recorded mock conversations, either by yourself or with the help of a friend, can be invaluable to honing your sales skills.

7 Calling Musts Dedicate Time Daily 8:00 to 10:30am daily: Research shows that this is the optimum calling time to reach decision-makers. You should not set appointments with Prospects prior to 11:00am. By dedicating your calling time daily, you are assured of making the calls necessary to be successful. Don t permit interruptions. Put off everything except prospecting calls and emergencies. Paperwork and chitchat won t help you make any sales! Plan your calls the day before. This way you can begin calling promptly at 8:00am. Call in rapid succession. Try not to put the phone receiver in the cradle between calls. This gets the calls rolling and makes the process easier. Have an Objective Have an objective to every call (e.g., reach decision-maker, qualify suspect). As your leads will often have a phone number but no contact person, sometimes a call s objective can be as simple as obtaining a decision-maker s name. Then, with the next scheduled call, you can build on your efforts; for example, now that you know for whom to ask, make your objective to reach the decision-maker. Call, Call, Call! Don t forget It s a numbers game. You must make numerous calls to reach an interested party. Several Prospects must be qualified to get a deal. Therefore, call, call, call!!!

8 Calling Musts Speak to a Decision Maker Don t waste time selling to someone who is not a decision maker. You MUST speak to the individual responsible for the financial matters of the business (e.g., President, Owner, CFO, or Controller). When you don t know the decision maker s name, try the following approach: I m trying to get in touch with your President/Owner or whoever makes the financial decisions for the company. Can you tell me who that is? or Would you please help me? I was given this phone number, but I don t know who to ask for. Get Past the Screener Get past the screener by making the receptionist your ally. Ask for the screener s name and use it. My name is Bob Smith, and your name is? State clearly how you will be of interest and benefit to the boss My company provides cash to businesses in the industry and I want to discuss this possibility with. Is he/she in? Ask for the information you need. What s your Controller s name?/ When s the best time to call?/ Does Joe have a direct dial line? Leaving Messages Ideally, you will not want to leave messages with a receptionist or assistant. Rather, determine the best time to reach the Prospect and call back then. However, if you have a succinct message prepared, you may choose to leave a voice mail message for the decisionmaker. Use your brief message to make an impression that will entice your Prospect to return your call ( I m calling to see if your company would benefit from increased cash flow through accounts receivable financing ).

9 Structuring Your Cold Calls Until your cold calling becomes second nature, it is useful to have the following in writing and at your fingertips: 1 SCRIPT A Cold Calling Telephone Script (see our sample script attachment). This aid will help keep you focused and on the path to reaching your call s objective. 2 QUESTIONS Introductory questions to use in conjunction with your script. Keep in mind that service companies biggest cash flow worries stem from making payroll and payroll taxes, while manufacturers are usually concerned with making payments to suppliers. You ll have only seconds to grab your Prospect s attention and to get your point across, so make your words count! I d like to talk with you about your cash flow needs. Do you ever worry about meeting your payroll or payroll taxes? Have you had to turn away a big account because you didn t have the cash flow to meet the increased payroll? I d like to help you with your cash flow needs. And I imagine that being in the service industry, your biggest concern would be meeting payroll and payroll taxes. I can help you eliminate these concerns. Have you ever had to turn down a large order because you didn t have the cash flow to buy the materials to produce and fill it? Are you ever concerned about paying your suppliers in a timely fashion? 3 WORKSHEET A Prospect Profile Worksheet (see our sample profile attachment). Keeping this essential tool at your fingertips will allow you to qualify your Prospects early on to avoid wasting time. Use our Prospect Profile as an aid to guide you through your qualifying discussions. Most of the qualifying questions you will need are listed right on the profile form. Use them to stimulate and direct your conversation, as opposed to just asking question after question in an interrogative manner. Refer to your profile consistently until the content comes to you instinctively.

10 Essential Qualifying Questions Essential qualifying questions to use in conjunction with your Prospect Profile. Increase your productivity by qualifying your Prospects as soon as possible. You must have answers to the following to determine if you re speaking to a viable Prospect or not: Is limited working capital affecting the normal operation of your business? What is the specific reason for requiring additional working capital at this time? (Remember, if the reason given is cash flow, probe further to determine the specific reason, e.g. payroll, suppliers, taxes). How much additional cash do you need on a monthly basis? If we can determine that factoring is a viable solution for your cash flow requirements, when would you need to receive your first funding? What product or service do you sell? To whom do you sell? (Then ask for the customer name(s) and monthly sales amounts so you can determine creditworthiness).

11 Answers to Common Objections Be sure to prepare for these! It is important to listen carefully especially so you can ask the appropriate questions in order to address the underlying concern of what is being expressed to you by your Prospect. I don t want my customers to know I am factoring. May I ask why you don t want them to know you re factoring? A business owner may say that she thinks her customers will view the factoring company as an interference, which will somehow disrupt the delicate relationship that the Prospect has established with her customers. You can respond, I understand your concern, yet it has been my experience that if customers are satisfied with your work, they will not be concerned with whom they deal with regarding billing. Our Factor has been in business for over 20 years and does ONLY one thing Accounts Receivable Financing. So, you can be assured that their expertise and professional manner of working with your customers will be handled with the greatest diplomacy and efficiency. That s too expensive! Compared to what interest on a bank loan? Do you currently have a bank loan? [NO] We provide financing to companies who have immediate working capital requirements. As you know, it is difficult to obtain bank financing, and it can be time consuming. We can get you approved as a Client within 24 hours and you can start taking control of your financial situation today. Is your company going through a situation where cash flow is affecting business?

12 Answers to Common Objections Be sure to prepare for these! It is important to listen carefully especially so you can ask the appropriate questions in order to address the underlying concern of what is being expressed to you by your Prospect. When my customers learn that I m factoring, they ll think I m having financial problems! Why do you say that? Over 100 billion dollars goes out to companies through factoring each year, making it one of the largest sources of capital available in the United States. Over 100 billion dollars in accounts would not have been factored if customers truly objected to it. We encourage you to speak with your customers, and explain that you re considering working with a Factor to help with your financial growth. Most likely, they will be familiar with the process and even have vendor/factor relationships already in place. What are your rates? I need to know what this is going to cost me! Well, first I need to ask you a few questions regarding your company and its operations. Then I can give you a proposal to review. If it looks good to you, we ll have you fill out an application and move forward with running your file. How does that sound? OK. So, can you tell me your monthly sales volume

13 Closing After Objections Are Addressed Once objections are discussed and overcome, don t leave the conversation dangling close! Do you agree factoring will benefit your company? or, Shall we proceed so there will be no question of you meeting payroll on Friday? or, This is what I now need from you so that I can quickly get your company the financing it needs.

14 Networking Networking groups referrals can lead to more deals coming your way and to more deals closing! Get Involved As mentioned earlier, getting involved with your local Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, and other organizations can aid in your business efforts. Have a Presentation Prepare a second presentation of the service you offer; be sure to stress the benefits that factoring offers to companies in need. Practice reciting and perfecting your introduction, so that you are always prepared to make it to networking groups or whenever the opportunity may arise.

15 Presentation Materials Marketing Letter Get your name in front of your Prospects. Develop a marketing letter (see our sample marketing letter attachment). This letter can be mailed to Prospects prior to your calls, or you may prefer to send it as a followup instead. Fax Sheets Send Working Capital Company s faxable information sheets (see our attachments) to Prospects. Use as an additional tool to put in front of Prospects and introduce them to factoring. Custom Materials Create your own brochure or materials. Today s technology makes it extremely easy to tailormake marketing materials for the industries and companies that you choose to target. Develop a presentation kit on your computer in a changeable format, so you can customize it and insert the name of the company and individual(s) with whom you are to meet. Present this along with industry specific material showing how your services can benefit your Prospect. Furthermore, you ll optimize your time by creating an information packet to send to Prospects who request information prior to meeting with you. is much faster and more inexpensive than mailing a hard copy of your material.

16 We at Working Capital Company sincerely hope that the information provided in this packet will be of use to you in beginning your pursuit as a Cash Flow Consultant. We trust that your career will be long and prosperous. This packet has been designed as a launching pad containing basic advice that you ll need to get started. As your training advances, new questions and challenges will arise. We are here to discuss them with you on a case by case basis. We wish you good luck and hope that you will keep us posted on your progress and success! The Staff at Working Capital Company, Inc.