Getting creative

Ok, I've been assessing the stale mate; making enough money to live, not making the extra amount needed to accomplish my goals. Obviously I need more leads. Without more leads I can dream all I want about a store-front location and a local ad campaign.

I only like working exclusive leads from small biz owners. That's telemarketing. I've done well with telemarked leads for over a year now. I pay $12/hr, they generate 3 leads per hour for $4 per lead. Most are junk so I close about 1 out of 20. Fine - it costs me $80 to get a client.

Now we hit the real problem - volume. If I make $2,000 in a week my time is worth $50 a hour. Paying a marketer is $12/hr so calling 2 or 3 hours per day is not the best plan. I'd also need no less than 60 leads a week to pump up my production. At 3 leads an hour that's 20 hours a week. I do not have 20 hours a week to make calls.

Back to hiring and past problems. Telemarketers don't work. Most don't work at all - you hire and train them and they never call. Others will make 20 or so calls per hour (which is pathetic) then tell you they get zero to one lead. Good ones pound out leads for a while, then evaporate.

I will never hire a telemarketing company. A lead is a name and a number - period. All I'm looking for is owners with enough interest to at least want information. Having marketers attempt to qualify prospects is a mistake and doesn't work. I'm not gonna pay $15 per lead for junk when I can get junk for $4 a lead.

So I had an idea - enroll in the Maryland Workforce Exchange. Employers get to list a postion for no cost and most applicants are welfare, disabled, unemployed (receiving benefits) or are on some state program.

I'd like people who need and appreciate the money. For the right person at-home telemarketing for $12/hr is a dream come true. I'd imagine it would be fantastic for someone who's disabled. If I hire a qualified person I'd also receive a work opportunity tax credit.

A lot of my former good telemarketers simply didn't need the money. They were at-home moms with working husbands. It was spare cash for them and after making calls got a tad boring they quit. I'd rather offer the job to people who really need the money. I don't have a downside here - if someone doesn't work they don't get paid.

Let's see how this plays out. By the way, this will be in addition to continuing with my Assurant LEGS lead program, local chamber events and everything else I'm doing.