An open letter to those buying “trigger leads.”

Recently, a group of associates and myself were engaged in some very troubling conversation, involving our industry and the effects on the broker industry of this practice known as “trigger leads.”  During the conversation, I was reminded of a TV show I had watched some time ago that discussed parasites of various kinds. In general, the parasite benefits from his close association with the host but the hosts in most cases are left harmed in some shape or form. Fleas, tapeworms, fluke worms, ticks; these are just a few of nature's parasites that latch on to a host organism and begin to drain the blood and other nutrients it needs to survive. Parasites by their very nature are “exploiters”, unable to survive or create any real value by themselves in the world; they depend on the host organism to do all of the work of obtaining food. They will latch on to the belly of a wild beast and live off of the efforts of their host. When the parasite stands alone, they are weak and vulnerable. Left without an able bodied host in which they may suck the life blood from, they are worthless… a disease requiring a treatment and cure. I am sure there is a good argument to be made by some group of biologists somewhere that parasites are good for something. As for my opinion, I hold the parasite in contempt as the life sucking creatures that God made them.

There is a new parasitic organism that needs to be added to the list. This parasite has invaded our industry and rented office space in some of the most affluent areas of the country. They lie in wait at the watering hole, just as the leach would be found in some African watering hole. As we are forced to deal with the oligopoly of credit reporting agencies in which there is no other alternative, we develop a sense of what the wild beast of the African plains must feel like as he makes his way to the only watering hole available to him. The parasite has found his temporary home in the watering hole, waiting on their next host organism that will give them life.

In this case, the parasite I speak of is the leasing broker, the lessor, and the funding source who are “buying trigger leads” from these oligopolies we can abbreviate with letters like EFX, EXP, and TU. I could spend several paragraphs discussing these suppliers of trigger leads and believe me, I have equal contempt for these white collar criminals as well but for this rant, I am choosing to concentrate on those who are buying the trigger leads. For my opinion of you is simple, you are a parasite by definition! Take pride in knowing that just as the leach lies in wait underwater or the tick and the flea make their way to the top of a blade of grass, waiting on the strong to provide nourishment, you are a parasite by your actions. When you have to buy a trigger lead containing the name and credit score that was created because of my hard work and effort, your actions are that of a parasite. Furthermore, you and your boiler room mindless minions add insult to injury by calling my client and suggesting that you are from the bank or underwriter that we are currently working with or even so bold as to lie and say you are with my company! All in an effort to snare my client into your deceitful trap. Yes, you are a parasite. When you employ the nameless, faceless, boiler room tactics of bait and switch schemes and the collection of advanced fees, your actions are that of a parasite. Each time you hand out your lists of pre-qualified hot leads that I worked to generate, to the new pimply faced 20's something script reader that you are cycling through this week, remember that you are the parasite. For your actions bring no real value to the market place as you originate nothing new, you create nothing new, you provide nothing that is independent of other's efforts. The parasite by nature is unable and incapable of surviving without the efforts of their host organism. Your reputation precedes you and you are mocked in an industry that offers plenty of opportunity to build long standing and fruitful relationships. Yet the parasite understands only one type of relationship. That in which they take and take and take until nothing is left and the host is left dead or dying.

So to those who purchase these trigger leads and employ the tactics I mentioned above, know this. The next time you pick up the phone and call the number of someone who recently had their credit checked by another leasing company, know that as you make your offer and prepare to interject yourself between me and my client, utilizing your bait and switch tactics, take comfort in knowing that you are a parasite. For a man's actions do define the man. I do not expect you to change your parasitic ways for I have never seen a tick or a flea or a tape worm that was able to change what they are. You are a parasite by nature but I hold out the hope that one day you will evolve or cease to exist in your current form. In closing, please know this… You will never be welcomed or admired among those of us who value morality, high ethical standards and celebrate talent and knowledge. The volume of business that you are able to usurp from others efforts is no badge of honor except among other parasites and middle managers who depend on your thievishness to meet their quotas. You may put each of us out of business, one by one, and that is a sad fact as we become victims of your parasitic activity. We may only find solace in knowing that once you have killed the hosts, as all parasites eventually will, you too shall cease to exist. My last thought on the subject would be a message to all of the funders who knowingly buy deals from the companies purchasing these trigger leads and telemarketing all of your other broker's customers using the tactics I mentioned above….May you reap what you sow.

Regards,

Brian Montgomery
Express Funding Solutions