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from a cold calling merchant cash advance company to
a technology-focused alternative lender.
"We have grown into a multifaceted technology
company," Abadi said. "People use our online platform
to apply for a loan, comparison shop and find the right
funding channel."
Otar added, "It was never our intention to be an
exclusively online company, where people apply and get
approval without a human touch. For us, this business
has always been about relationships; we specialize in
educating our clients and helping them find the best
product fit."
The partners hired a marketing team to help them build
their social media presence through regular Twitter,
LinkedIn and blog posts that highlight industry trends
and discuss the pros and cons of various nonbank
finance options. An industry consultant recently
stopped by and pointed to a yellow legal pad and pen
and asked, rhetorically, "What is that?"
The pen and legal pad have since been replaced by a
customer relationship management system that Otar
said has performed well and exceeded expectations. "It
took a while for our agents to get used to the CRM, but it
has significantly improved our process flow," Otar said.
"Workflow automation helps us manage expectations.
Loan originators are notified when we start to work on
a file. Continual status updates throughout the process
make it easy for reps to follow each deal as it goes
through the pipeline."
Otar noted that the company has been leveraging its
social media and technology platforms to tailor its
messages and create targeted marketing campaigns
across a diverse demographic spectrum. "It's a
generational thing; the newer generation doesn't care as
much about the personal touch," he said. "Millennials
want everything fast and are comfortable using the
online tools. Our 35- to 40-year-old customers still
appreciate getting calls."
MLSs can help merchants scale by providing the
services, solutions and support they need to grow their
businesses. Their success is tied to their merchants'
success. MLSs with an abundant mindset also have
a competitive advantage. They see no scarcity of
prospective merchant customers, only the need to
improve their reach.
Dale S. Laszig, Staff Writer at The Green Sheet and Managing
Director at DSL Direct LLC, is a payments industry journalist and
content provider. She can be reached at dale@dsldirectllc.com and
on Twitter at @DSLdirect.
28
from a cold calling merchant cash advance company to
a technology-focused alternative lender.
"We have grown into a multifaceted technology
company," Abadi said. "People use our online platform
to apply for a loan, comparison shop and find the right
funding channel."
Otar added, "It was never our intention to be an
exclusively online company, where people apply and get
approval without a human touch. For us, this business
has always been about relationships; we specialize in
educating our clients and helping them find the best
product fit."
The partners hired a marketing team to help them build
their social media presence through regular Twitter,
LinkedIn and blog posts that highlight industry trends
and discuss the pros and cons of various nonbank
finance options. An industry consultant recently
stopped by and pointed to a yellow legal pad and pen
and asked, rhetorically, "What is that?"
The pen and legal pad have since been replaced by a
customer relationship management system that Otar
said has performed well and exceeded expectations. "It
took a while for our agents to get used to the CRM, but it
has significantly improved our process flow," Otar said.
"Workflow automation helps us manage expectations.
Loan originators are notified when we start to work on
a file. Continual status updates throughout the process
make it easy for reps to follow each deal as it goes
through the pipeline."
Otar noted that the company has been leveraging its
social media and technology platforms to tailor its
messages and create targeted marketing campaigns
across a diverse demographic spectrum. "It's a
generational thing; the newer generation doesn't care as
much about the personal touch," he said. "Millennials
want everything fast and are comfortable using the
online tools. Our 35- to 40-year-old customers still
appreciate getting calls."
MLSs can help merchants scale by providing the
services, solutions and support they need to grow their
businesses. Their success is tied to their merchants'
success. MLSs with an abundant mindset also have
a competitive advantage. They see no scarcity of
prospective merchant customers, only the need to
improve their reach.
Dale S. Laszig, Staff Writer at The Green Sheet and Managing
Director at DSL Direct LLC, is a payments industry journalist and
content provider. She can be reached at dale@dsldirectllc.com and
on Twitter at @DSLdirect.
28
