Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2006

Internet Lead Providers ProspectZone Launch Revamped Website To Introduce “Smart” Leads

CHICAGO, IL — October 16, 2006 — Mortgage brokers and insurance agents frustrated by lead companies that over-promise and under-deliver now have a new way to reach interested internet shoppers. It’s called Smart Leads™, and it’s only from ProspectZone. ProspectZone, a leading provider of mortgage and insurance leads on the Web, unveiled Smart Leads™ this Monday, heralded by the launch of a revamped website, www.ProspectZone.com.

“Smart Leads™ grew out of the widespread need we identified among internet lead buyers,” said Clint Jones, chief executive officer of ProspectZone. “Too many professionals are spending good money only to get oversold, uninterested leads and bogus contact information. In some cases their funds are held ‘hostage’ by companies who refuse to issue return credit.”

This is not the case with Smart Leads™, continued Jones. “Our lead programs were built on the principal that the internet can be the most cost-effective, convenient way for mortgage and insurance professionals to reach motivated prospects, as long as rigorous lead generation standards are always upheld. When you can get real data from interested prospects in real-time, plus innovative tools to help you close them, then you’ve got a Smart Lead™.

Smart Leads™ are also backed by ProspectZone’s robust technology. Said Brandon Cruz, president and chief technical officer, ProspectZone, “We are constantly evaluating and improving the technology behind our leads. Our systems are updated every two weeks with additional enhancements. For example, the quality of our mortgage leads is ensured by an 18-point verification process that scrubs lead data for accuracy. Any data that appears questionable is immediately screened by our call center and manually verified before being distributed to our network. Our lead management tools eliminate data entry with automatic importing, and let brokers and agents and real-time results of all their online campaigns. It’s all part of maintaining the reliable, robust lead programs our clients demand.”

ProspectZone’s ROI-enhancing technology also includes lead management tools that eliminate data entry with automatic importing. The tool gives agents and brokers the ability to see real-time results of all their online campaigns.

Said Cruz of this technology, “It’s all part of maintaining the reliable, robust lead programs successful brokers and agents demand.”

ProspectZone is introducing Smart Leads™ by re-launching the ProspectZone website. The improved site features a sophisticated new look and intuitive navigation, and is designed to help visitors make smart lead buying decisions with in-depth content. Besides educating lead buyers on what to look for in a lead company, the site also features an extensive Marketing Resources section. Here visitors can browse through ProspectZone’s library of articles authored by the company’s in-house online marketing experts. Topics include Email Marketing Tips, Lead Industry Trends, and Online Marketing Best Practices for successfully working internet leads. Visitors can also download free White Papers, and subscribe to the company’s information-packed monthly newsletter.

“There’s a void when it comes to real information about internet leads on the Web. Agents and brokers have needed straightforward lead-buying advice and strategies for effective online marketing for some time,” added Jeremiah Desmarais, vice president of marketing, ProspectZone. “Smart Leads™ is more than just a higher-quality lead from an upfront company,” continued Desmarais. “We hope by giving lead buyers these educational resources and a website that facilitates making the best buying decisions, they’re able to see a higher return on investment than they’ve previously experienced with any other company.”

The Anatomy Of A Smart Lead™

Real Interest. Some companies “incentivize” their leads by offering free iPods, coupons and other special giveaways. These people aren’t interested in an insurance policy or a home loan, so they’re worthless to lead buyers. ProspectZone leads are never incentivized with offers. The company uses a blend of aggressive search engine marketing, email campaigns and select affiliate partnerships to target consumers who are actively searching for mortgage and insurance products. Every lead has requested a “Free Quote” from professionals in their area.

ProspectZone’s network of award-winning websites and competitive online marketing campaigns generate over 2,000 financial leads a day.
Real Data. Mortgage lead buyers often find themselves stuck with leads riddled with invalid contact information. ProspectZone combats this by employing an impartial third party to screen all mortgage leads through an 18-point verification process. If data matches major telecom company and U.S. Postal records, it is instantly distributed to ProspectZone clients. The entire process is completed in 3 seconds. ProspectZone has added this step to ensure that their mortgage leads come with real addresses and real phone numbers.
Real-Time. Lead buyers lose out when they can’t get on leads while interest is hot. ProspectZone sends leads the instant they enter their system, whether generated online in real-time or after they’ve been screened by their internal verification team. And they timestamp each one to prove it.
Generous Return Policy. Not only do some companies pass off bad leads to buyers, they refuse to accept them for return credit. ProspectZone backs every lead with its 10-day return policy. Buyers have up to 10 days to return a lead and apply for replacement credit. And all lead returns are manually processed by ProspectZone’s in-house Quality Assurance department.
Never Oversold. Some lead companies prefer to squeeze every last dime out of their leads than deliver quality. So they sell leads to every taker. These oversold leads are driven crazy by phone calls, and are impossible to close. ProspectZone never oversells leads.
Snapshot Reporting. Most times lead buyers can only guess how well their lead campaigns are doing, so they have a difficult time knowing how well their money is being spent. The BrokerOffice system automatically imports all ProspectZone leads, as well as leads clients purchase from other vendors, or generate from their own websites or online campaigns. Easy reporting tools let ProspectZone clients quickly analyze the performance of all their campaigns, down to the True Cost per Lead of each.

Custom-Filtered. Lead buyers know what kinds of prospects yield the highest return for their business. If a company doesn’t offer filters, buyers have to eat the costs of leads that aren’t worth their time to work. ProspectZone’s custom filters let clients target their ideal lead. Beyond geographical filters, clients can focus on specific lead attributes, including Weight and Number of Dependents for insurance, and Loan Amount and Credit Rating for mortgage.
Real People. Many lead companies on the Web are faceless operations that don’t return phone calls after the sale is made. ProspectZone is run by real people with a real commitment to providing quality leads and first-rate service. Lead Specialists are available Monday – Friday to help lead buyers create their own custom lead program.

“Mortgage and insurance professionals have told us they need a better quality lead from a company they can partner with for long-term success. Smart Leads™ is our answer,” added Jones.

About ProspectZone

Since 2004, Chicago-based ProspectZone has worked with the mortgage and insurance industries as a leading source of high quality leads and agency solutions. ProspectZone connects interested mortgage and insurance consumers with brokers, lenders and agents who provide them competitive quotes on insurance and loan products.

Mortgage and Insurance professionals interested in Smart Leads™ from ProspectZone can visit them online at www.prospectzone.com or call toll free at 1-877-561-9663.

Jeremiah Desmarais
Vice President, Marketing
ProspectZone, Inc.
1-312-226-0027

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