The move comes after members expressed concern about the increase in the number of unscrupulous lead generation firms emerging onto the market. These firms promise mortgage intermediaries good quality leads, take up-front payment, and then either disappear completely or deliver way below their original sales-pitch.
To help members run thriving businesses in a regulated environment, the guide looks at the rules around new business development, and then at the appropriate questions to ask a lead generation company. In this way AMI aims to help intermediaries ensure that they are dealing with the right firm.
Topics covered by the new guide include:
- FSA Principles and how they cover lead generation
- FSA lead generation and buying regulations in detail
- The types of activity to be wary of
- Issues to consider when choosing a lead generation or lead supplying firm
- Key questions to ask a supplier firm
- How to do due diligence on a firm
- How to develop your own “perfect customer” profile – (how to only buy good leads)
- How to respond to leads – staying compliant and building your business
- The importance of record keeping
- How to do regular reviews of your requirements
Chris Cummings, director of AMI, commented: “Anyone reading the trade press might think that ‘buying in leads’ was a very suspect business. As with any new venture, there are good reasons to be wary, but under the right circumstances, lead buying can in fact, be an extremely valuable business tool. Our new guide has been produced to help mortgage intermediaries generate their own leads, buy-in leads, and find the right business partner to deal with.”
For a free copy of the new guide, and to make sure you have seen the latest other ones, just visit: www.a-m-i.org.uk and look in “publications” in the members site. Alternatively, call AMI on 0207 628 1288.
