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Five foundations, one field playbook.

Watch each session in order, or jump straight to a topic using the notes beside the video, every heading is timestamped. Once you've been through the training, the field playbook below turns it into the exact script you'll run on calls.

Module 01

Leasing Terminology: Roles, Brokers, and Discounting

This session covers the core leasing concepts: what a lease is, the parties involved, and the difference between brokering and discounting a transaction, including how ownership and payment rights determine who earns fees or profit in each structure.

0:49 — What a Lease Is Open in Loom ↗
What a Lease Is 0:49
  • A lease is a rental agreement for commercial equipment.
  • The lessee pays for the right to use equipment owned by the lessor.
  • Leasing is presented as a major method of capital equipment acquisition in the U.S., used by both small businesses and large enterprises.
Core Parties in a Lease 1:16
  • Lessee: the company using the equipment and making lease payments.
  • Lessor: the owner of the equipment and recipient of the lease payments.
  • Vendor: the supplier of the equipment being leased.
  • In a standard transaction, the vendor sells the equipment to the lessor, and the lessee pays the lessor under the lease agreement.
Funding Source and Co-Lessees 2:14
  • A funding source may supply the money the lessor uses to acquire the equipment.
  • The lessor may use its own capital or borrow funds to complete the purchase.
  • Some transactions include co-lessees, where more than one company shares the lease obligation.
  • Co-lessees are often used when one company needs stronger credit support from another.
  • Tax benefits may be allocated to either co-lessee or shared between them.
Broker vs. Lessor 3:33
  • A broker brings the lessee, vendor, and funding source together.
  • A lessor owns the equipment and receives the lease payments.
  • A company that discounts a transaction may still act as a broker, but it also takes on the role of lessor because it owns the equipment.
How Brokering Works 4:17
  • The broker acts as the middle party in the transaction.
  • They may work with vendors, lessees, or both to connect the parties needed to close the deal.
  • A broker can originate business either by:
    • getting referrals from vendors, or
    • finding end users who need financing and then locating the vendor and funding source.
  • The broker's value is in assembling the transaction and getting it approved.
Broker Compensation 6:06
  • In a pure brokerage transaction, the broker is paid by the funding source.
  • The funding source determines the return it needs from the deal.
  • The broker marks up that cost and presents the total to the lessee.
  • The broker earns the spread between the funding source's required return and the amount built into the transaction.
How Discounting Works 7:17
  • In a discounting structure, the lessor originates the deal and owns the equipment.
  • The lessor may approve the transaction internally or through an external funding source.
  • After approval, the lessor completes the documents, confirms delivery, and pays the vendor.
  • The lessor then either keeps the lease payments in-house or assigns them to a funding source.
Present Value and Profit Recognition 8:17
  • If the lessor assigns future payments to a funder, the funder pays the present value of those payments.
  • Example: on a 60-month lease with the first and last payments collected upfront, 58 payments remain.
  • The lessor receives today's value of those 58 payments rather than waiting for each payment over time.
  • The lessor recognizes profit immediately; the funder profits from receiving the future payment stream at a discount.
Key Takeaway 9:05
  • The main difference between a broker and a lessor is ownership of the equipment.
  • A broker earns a fee for arranging and selling the transaction.
  • A lessor owns the equipment and is entitled to the lease payments, either over time or through assignment at present value.
loom.com/share/864a6389d48c42458905e7fa09de1edf ↗
Module 01

Module 02

Vendor Development and Sales Process for Small-Ticket Leasing

A practical approach to vendor-led sales in small-ticket leasing: finding the right vendors, opening conversations with the right people, and building programs that help vendors increase sales rather than just finance existing deals.

1:22 — Core Sales Strategy: Start with the Vendor Open in Loom ↗
Core Sales Strategy: Start with the Vendor 1:22
  • In small-ticket leasing, most business starts at the vendor level.
  • Vendors are the primary channel because they already control the customer conversation and can introduce financing at the point of sale.
  • The goal is not just to finance transactions, but to become part of the vendor's sales process.
  • Existing customers and vendors should be contacted regularly to create repeat business.
  • A single transaction can lead to more deals, more vendors, and more end users if the relationship is managed well.
Why Vendor Relationships Matter 6:35
  • A strong vendor program creates a win for all three parties:
    • the vendor makes the sale,
    • the lessee gets the equipment,
    • the finance company earns income.
  • Good vendors should be treated as high-maintenance relationships.
  • The business is not about volume for its own sake; it is about building a small number of productive, durable vendor relationships.
  • Working smart matters more than trying to handle too many vendors or too many product lines.
End Users vs. Vendors 8:48
  • Direct end-user selling can work, but it is often timing-dependent.
  • If the customer is not actively buying when you reach them, the opportunity may already be gone.
  • Vendor relationships are usually more efficient because the vendor can keep introducing financing at the right moment.
  • The vendor's sales force effectively becomes an extension of your own when the program is built correctly.
Specialize by Industry 13:42
  • Focus on two, three, or four equipment categories or industries.
  • Industry specialization is more effective than broad geographic prospecting.
  • The old model of driving around and calling on nearby vendors is less efficient than targeted, phone-based outreach.
  • Specialization helps you avoid competing head-on with larger players in crowded markets.
Research Before You Call 15:36
  • Research is required before making calls in a new industry.
  • Useful sources include:
    • Thomas Register / ThomasRegister.com
    • trade magazines
    • Bacon's Directory
    • the internet
  • Trade publications help you learn industry jargon, trends, legislation, and compliance issues.
  • Knowing the language of the industry helps you sound credible and avoid obvious mistakes.
Choose the Right Industries 19:13
  • Not every industry is a good target.
  • New salespeople often go after copiers, computers, and phone systems because those markets are heavily leased, but they are also heavily competed.
  • Look for niches where larger competitors are less active.
  • The goal is to find markets where you can be effective without fighting the biggest players directly.
What Vendors Actually Care About 20:52
  • Vendors care about one thing above all else: increased sales.
  • Service, speed, pricing, and paperwork matter, but they are not enough on their own.
  • If your program does not help a vendor sell more, they do not need you.
  • To keep a vendor long term, you must make them more successful.
Why the Typical Vendor Pitch Fails 22:26
  • A common pitch focuses on approval speed, document handling, and fast funding.
  • That pitch is weak because competitors say the same thing.
  • It does not show how you will generate additional sales for the vendor.
  • Vendors often use leasing only after the sale is already closed, which means the finance company is merely salvaging a deal instead of creating one.
Who to Call First 27:56
  • The best first contact is usually the sales manager, not the president.
  • The sales manager is the person who can actually implement the program.
  • Presidents may like the idea, but if the sales manager does not adopt it, nothing happens.
Opening the Conversation 34:05
  • Get to the point quickly.
  • A concise opening is:
    • who you are,
    • who your company is,
    • what you do,
    • the industry you specialize in,
    • and that you want their leasing business.
  • End with: "What do I need to do to earn it?"
  • The word "earn" matters; it frames the relationship as something you must prove.
How to Respond to Common Vendor Answers 35:59
  • If the vendor says they already have a leasing company and are happy, move on.
  • If they say their customers all pay cash, move on.
  • Do not waste time trying to convert vendors who are already satisfied or who do not believe in financing.
  • The best opportunities come from vendors who have a real need and are open to change.
The Questions Vendors Will Ask 40:11
  • Vendor questions usually fall into five categories:
    • pricing,
    • credit criteria,
    • turnaround time,
    • paperwork,
    • and payment timing.
  • Do not use the word "rate"; use "pricing" or similar language instead.
  • Do not answer questions you cannot yet answer.
  • A better response is to explain that you build a custom program after understanding the vendor's company, product line, and customers.
Control the Relationship 45:04
  • Do not let the vendor dictate how the relationship will work.
  • The finance company controls the money and the approval process.
  • If a vendor insists on leading with rate or tries to control the terms, walk away.
  • It is better to lose a bad prospect than to build a long-term relationship around poor expectations.
What to Learn About the Vendor 47:39
  • Gather enough information to complete a vendor profile and build a useful program.
  • Key questions include:
    • how long they have been in business,
    • what geographic areas they cover,
    • how they generate leads,
    • what their sales process looks like,
    • what makes them different from competitors,
    • what they like and dislike about leasing,
    • and how many salespeople they have.
  • Ask what sets them apart; their answer often becomes part of your sales strategy back to them.
Understand the Equipment 55:03
  • Learn the vendor's actual selling prices, not MSRP or cost.
  • Know the size of their typical transactions, including the smallest and largest deals.
  • Determine whether they sell new equipment, used equipment, or both.
  • Ask about soft costs such as installation, training, delivery, and warranties.
  • Soft costs matter because many funding sources limit how much of a deal can be soft cost.
  • Collect brochures and product materials; credit teams often want visual references.
loom.com/share/0b703c2883fb4db6bad00cab8096119d ↗
Module 02

Module 03

Sales and Marketing Workflow for Small-Ticket Equipment Leasing

The sales process for small-ticket equipment leasing transactions under $100,000: vendor-first prospecting, moving relationships from commodity to partnership advisor, and using disciplined outreach, questioning, follow-up, and closing techniques.

0:12 — Start with the Vendor Open in Loom ↗
Start with the Vendor 0:12
  • In small-ticket leasing, the transaction starts with the vendor, not the end user.
  • Vendors are the best entry point because they are already in front of lessees and can keep your company top of mind.
  • Once you win the vendor, your next job is to convert and retain the lessee relationship.
Three Vendor Relationship Levels 0:57
  • Commodity level: the vendor uses you for low rates, a new business program, or another simple reason.
  • Credibility level: the vendor sends deals to multiple leasing companies and sees who responds first.
  • Partnership advisor level: the vendor thinks of you first and quotes leasing on every proposal.
  • The goal is to move every account up this ladder.
Take Accounts vs. Make Accounts 2:00
  • Take accounts are vendors already using another leasing company.
  • Make accounts are vendors not yet offering leasing; your job is to get them to include financing on every proposal.
  • Smaller vendors new to financing are often easier to establish and can become loyal quickly once they see fast funding and good service.
Prospecting Discipline and Lead Sources 4:00
  • Leads can come from the internet, purchased lists, email, direct mail, and social media.
  • Cold calling remains essential, even if it is not always fully cold.
  • Early-stage brokers may need to make 40–50 dials per day to build momentum.
  • Success depends on consistent outreach across multiple channels, not a single touchpoint.
Opening Statements That Break Preoccupation 6:03
  • The opening statement must answer WIIFM: What's In It For Me?
  • Avoid generic openings like "I wanted to introduce myself" or "I'm checking in."
  • Use a statement that offers a clear benefit, such as helping the vendor sell more equipment or reduce paperwork.
  • A strong opening statement is the first step in moving the conversation forward.
Choose a Niche and Expect Objections 7:48
  • Not every vendor category is equally attractive; smaller or less saturated niches can be easier to penetrate.
  • Examples mentioned include audio-visual, surveying, and jewelry-making equipment.
  • Common brush-offs include:
    • "We're happy with who we're using."
    • "Our customers pay cash."
  • The response is to keep the conversation going and uncover who they use, how they buy, and whether financing could increase sales.
Core Success Factors 10:35
  • Success in leasing sales comes from three things:
    • Knowledge
    • Skills
    • Motivation
  • Knowledge grows over time.
  • Skills come from disciplined prospecting, questioning, objection handling, and closing.
  • Motivation is what keeps you prospecting consistently, even after setbacks.
Qualifying Questions and Discovery 19:48
  • Ask basic qualifying questions early:
    • How long have they been in business?
    • What equipment do they specialize in?
    • How many employees and sales reps do they have?
    • What is their average transaction size?
    • What manufacturers do they represent?
  • If they already use leasing, ask: "What is most important to you in a leasing company?"
  • That answer reveals their hot button and makes future follow-up much easier.
Voicemail Strategy 21:37
  • Expect voicemail on most calls.
  • Leave a message every time, and make it value-added.
  • The voicemail should offer a reason to call back, such as a promotion, deferred payment program, or financing idea.
  • Listen to the full voicemail greeting for clues, and use them in your follow-up.
  • Vary your message; humor or a different angle can improve callback rates.
Timing and Getting Through 24:10
  • Call at different times of day to avoid the standard 9:00–10:00 a.m. calling window.
  • Early morning and late afternoon can be better for reaching decision makers.
  • If voicemail keeps blocking you, try the operator, another extension, or another contact in the company.
  • Use LinkedIn and the company website to identify prospects and gather context before calling.
Questioning, Rapport, and Personality 26:49
  • Once you reach someone, ask open-ended questions that start with who, what, or tell me about.
  • Good questions uncover:
    • Manufacturers represented
    • Number of leasing companies used
    • Whether they sell used equipment
    • What it would take to earn their business
  • Let your personality come through; people do business with people they like and trust.
  • Rapport matters because transactions will eventually be declined or delayed, and the relationship must survive that.
Follow-Up That Moves the Deal Forward 31:43
  • Never do a follow-up that only asks, "Did you get my information?"
  • Every follow-up should reference something specific the prospect said, especially their hot button.
  • Bring new value each time: a program, article, idea, or financing angle.
  • The goal is to keep moving the conversation forward, not to restart it from zero.
Handling Common Objections 34:11
  • Common objections include:
    • Rates are too high
    • Turnaround is too slow
    • We're happy with our current leasing company
    • We don't do much leasing
    • Our customers pay cash
  • Respond by asking for comparison points and more detail.
  • For cash buyers, ask how long it actually takes them to get paid; leasing may pay them faster.
  • The goal is to give enough information for them to change their mind on their own.
Set a Primary and Secondary Objective 36:54
  • Before every call, define a primary objective and a secondary objective.
  • Examples:
    • Identify the decision maker
    • Learn what manufacturers they use
    • Discover what matters most in a leasing company
    • Get them to review a lease calculator or proposal
  • Clear objectives keep the call moving and prevent wasted conversations.
Stay in Front of Prospects 37:37
  • Follow-up frequency depends on how much leasing they do.
  • Use a mix of phone, email, and social media to stay top of mind.
  • LinkedIn is especially useful for identifying connections to your top prospects.
  • A warm introduction from a mutual contact can open doors quickly.
Closing and Asking for Commitment 39:51
  • End calls with a soft close:
    • "Are you working on anything right now that I can help with?"
    • "Are you planning to acquire any new equipment in the next 90 days?"
    • "Can you promise me a shot at your next transaction?"
  • Ask for a trial opportunity, ideally on multiple transactions.
  • The close should be simple and low-friction, but it must ask for commitment.
loom.com/share/00d9db13ce8a434d9830375732c385dc ↗
Module 03

Module 04

Leasing Benefits and Lead Sources for Equipment Finance

The main benefits of equipment leasing from the lessee's perspective, the practical sales and marketing sources used to find leasing opportunities, how to evaluate equipment (especially used equipment), and the operating habits that improve success in equipment finance.

0:02 — Core Benefits of Leasing Open in Loom ↗
Core Benefits of Leasing 0:02
  • Leasing is presented as a financing tool that helps companies acquire equipment without tying up operating cash.
  • The most important benefit depends on the customer type:
    • Tax benefits matter more to taxable entities.
    • Conservation of capital matters more to companies that need to preserve liquidity.
    • Tax-exempt entities may not value tax advantages at all.
  • A key principle: companies make money from using equipment, not owning it.
Conservation of Capital and Control of the Sale 2:03
  • Cash is treated as critical to business survival.
  • Leasing preserves cash for other uses or reserves.
  • Financing is always happening in some form:
    • bank loan
    • lease
    • line of credit
    • credit card
    • internal funds
  • If the vendor does not control the financing, the vendor does not control the sale.
  • The financing decision can be made by the CFO, a bank, or internal budget approval, so vendors should control the financing path early.
100% Financing and Soft Costs 5:36
  • Leasing is positioned as true 100% financing with no down payment.
  • In many cases, leasing can also include soft costs such as:
    • installation
    • training
    • delivery
    • sales tax
    • extended warranties
  • This can push the financed amount above the equipment price itself.
  • By contrast, bank financing often requires a 10%–30% down payment.
  • A first and last lease payment is not a down payment; it reduces the remaining lease term, unlike a bank down payment.
Lower Payments and Better Terms 7:43
  • Leasing can often extend to five years for new equipment, sometimes longer.
  • Bank terms are often shorter, commonly 24–36 months.
  • Longer terms generally mean lower monthly payments.
  • Lower payments help manage cash flow, which is a major concern for most companies.
Conservation of Bank Lines of Credit 8:38
  • Leasing helps preserve bank credit lines for working capital needs.
  • Companies often want to keep lines available for:
    • slow months
    • receivable issues
    • unexpected expenses
  • Using a line of credit for equipment can consume capacity that should remain available for short-term needs.
  • Banks are increasingly conservative:
    • tighter underwriting
    • shorter line terms
    • profitability requirements
    • conversion of heavily used lines into term loans
  • This makes preserving credit lines even more valuable.
How to Position Leasing Against Bank Financing 14:19
  • Leasing benefits should not be presented in isolation.
  • The strongest comparison is usually:
    • fixed payments for the lease term
    • no down payment
    • full equipment cost financed
    • preserved bank line availability
  • For smaller transactions, a mini-lease can avoid financial disclosure and simplify approval.
  • The combined effect of these benefits often makes leasing more attractive than bank financing.
Reference Sources for Leads 15:50
  • Useful lead sources include:
    • Thomas Register / ThomasRegister.com
    • trade magazines
    • the internet
    • chamber of commerce directories
  • These sources help identify industries, manufacturers, trends, legislation, and compliance requirements.
  • Trade shows are one of the strongest sources of business in equipment finance.
Using Trade Shows Effectively 17:19
  • Focus on a few industries rather than trying to cover everything.
  • Major trade shows often occur in large convention centers such as:
    • Jacob Javits Center, New York
    • McCormick Place, Chicago
    • Las Vegas Convention Center
  • Best approach:
    • partner with a vendor already attending
    • staff the booth during peak hours
    • help handle financing conversations while the vendor sells
  • Best show times are typically Friday and Saturday, roughly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Trade shows can produce immediate deals and follow-on transactions.
Personal Networking Sources 21:10
  • Insurance agents can be strong referral sources because they learn about equipment purchases when policies are updated.
  • Attorneys can refer business when clients are expanding, opening locations, or restructuring.
  • Bankers can refer deals when:
    • they are at lending limits
    • the equipment does not fit their appetite
    • the customer wants a lease, not a loan
  • CPAs often field questions about whether a client should lease or borrow.
  • Referral relationships can lead from one contact to a vendor that produces recurring business.
Working with Bankers and CPAs 23:21
  • Do not offer referral fees to bankers; instead, use fee participation where appropriate.
  • Bankers may refer business because they cannot extend more credit or do not offer the right product.
  • CPAs may be hesitant to accept referral fees because of conflict-of-interest concerns.
  • Even a single referral can lead to a vendor relationship that generates multiple transactions per month.
Transaction Size and Vendor Selection 26:31
  • Bigger transactions are not automatically better.
  • Smaller deals can be easier to approve and more profitable on a margin basis.
  • Larger deals usually require more documentation and attract more internal scrutiny.
  • Very large vendors can become problematic for smaller leasing companies because they attract larger competitors and price pressure.
  • In some cases, it is better to have multiple smaller vendors than one dominant source.
Used Equipment Guidelines 29:15
  • Used equipment can be a strong leasing opportunity and should not be avoided.
  • Always obtain a condition report, which should describe:
    • model and year
    • hours or mileage
    • options and accessories
    • condition
    • repairs or refurbishments
    • remaining warranty, if any
  • Do not confuse a condition report with an appraisal.
  • Consider the remaining economic life of the equipment when setting term length.
  • Some used equipment still supports long financing terms if its useful life remains strong.
Research and Equipment Selection 31:12
  • Research is the key to selecting equipment to finance.
  • A practical test: if you were investing $50,000 of your own money, would you do the deal?
  • Thinking this way helps identify hidden risk and avoid weak opportunities.
Keys to Success in Equipment Finance Marketing 32:05
  • Stay focused on a defined strategy and target industries.
  • Manage time carefully; time is a major constraint.
  • Make vendors follow your rules; do not chase poor-quality deals.
  • Know when to walk away from bad transactions or unproductive vendors.
  • Keep programs current and stay engaged with vendors.
  • Control your transactions from start to finish.
loom.com/share/dbd7cc7d2b09472dbf66dd876490c11f ↗
Module 04

Module 05

Soliciting End-Users and Vendors: Originations Playbook

A full originations playbook: working both end-users and vendors, generating referrals, handling the five common objections, positioning against bank financing, and building a durable personal value proposition and business over time.

1:23 — Core Origination Model Open in Loom ↗
Core Origination Model 1:23
  • The business is simple: move capital to clients buying equipment.
  • The best originators work both sides of the market:
    • End-users lead to vendors.
    • Vendors lead to end-users.
  • Use your network of complementors to leverage relationships and reduce friction.
  • Compete by building a strong personal value proposition, not by trying to outcomplicate the process.
Personal Value Proposition 2:59
  • Your value proposition is personal and should be explicit.
  • Weaknesses can become strengths when they make you memorable and authentic.
  • Do not underestimate what your background, personality, and communication style can contribute.
  • The goal is to understand what you uniquely bring to clients and use that confidently.
Referrals and Lead Generation 6:30
  • Every transaction should lead to another transaction.
  • Ask for referrals directly and consistently; this is one of the easiest ways to grow.
  • End-users can refer other end-users and vendors.
  • Vendors can refer other vendors and end-users.
  • Conversations that seem like dead ends often contain hidden leads if you listen for them.
Cold Calling and Opening Statements 15:40
  • A cold call has about 30 seconds to answer: who you are and what is in it for them.
  • Avoid weak openers like "Do you have a deal for me?" or generic company intros.
  • A stronger opener should include:
    • Your role.
    • The industry you serve.
    • A specific amount of capital or a specific capability.
    • A clear benefit to the prospect.
  • Use the word "I" and use numbers early; both increase engagement.
Easy, Sleazy Fridays 20:59
  • Friday is the best day to get callbacks.
  • Call people you left messages for earlier in the week and give them a specific callback window.
  • Use numbers in the voicemail to increase the chance of a response.
  • Have a hook ready when they call back; reference a relevant transaction or example, not just a request for a deal.
  • This approach can become a meaningful source of business when done consistently.
The Five Common Objections 24:08
  • Every objection falls into one of five buckets:
    • We pay cash.
    • We are not buying right now.
    • Rates are too high.
    • We already have a finance company.
    • We finance through our bank.
  • Prepare a response for each one.
  • The goal is not to argue; it is to reframe the objection into a conversation about structure, timing, or opportunity.
Handling Cash and Timing Objections 25:09
  • "We pay cash" is usually a false objection.
  • Reframe cash as a choice, not a requirement, and show how financing preserves working capital.
  • "We are waiting for rates to come down" should be answered by focusing on:
    • The cost of waiting.
    • The risk of rates rising.
    • The value of having the equipment now.
  • Push the conversation toward business impact, not just price.
Handling Rate and Existing-Finance Objections 32:13
  • When rates are too high, ask what monthly payment or structure would work.
  • The winning factor is often structure, not rate alone.
  • If the customer already has a finance company:
    • Respect the relationship.
    • Offer to compete on a specific deal.
    • Look for niches their current provider does not serve.
  • Existing relationships are often an opening, not a barrier.
Bank Relationships as a Referral Source 40:06
  • Banks are not just competitors; they are a major referral source.
  • Many businesses already have bank relationships, but still need equipment financing outside the bank.
  • Position yourself as an alternative that preserves bank lines of credit.
  • A bank line is short-term money; using it for equipment can create a cash-flow problem.
  • The right message is: you are helping the customer keep their parachute intact.
Why Equipment Finance Exists 42:15
  • Equipment finance exists to fill the gaps left by bank lines.
  • When businesses use bank lines for long-term assets, they weaken working capital.
  • During downturns, banks often reduce lines, which creates demand for alternative financing.
  • Your role is to provide a simpler, more flexible source of capital that supports growth and liquidity.
Process, Bottlenecks, and Pre-Qualification 50:25
  • The origination process is: prospect, build relationships, bid on deals, get credit approval, negotiate, document, fund.
  • If a deal is stuck, look one step earlier in the process for the real bottleneck.
  • Pre-qualify and pre-sell the structure before you submit the deal.
  • Better upstream qualification improves downstream funding.
Vendor Relationships and Persistence 53:28
  • Vendors are often less loyal than end-users and may switch finance partners quickly.
  • Do not accept a vendor's first rejection as final.
  • The best vendor relationships often come from the hardest doors to open.
  • Keep returning with a better understanding of their business and a clearer value proposition.
  • One vendor relationship can expand into many sales reps and many opportunities.
Documentation and Communication 58:31
  • Read the funder's documents.
  • Do not assume terms such as prepayment penalties, insurance requirements, or funding conditions.
  • Communicate clearly between the funder, vendor, and end-user.
  • Small documentation errors can create major legal and financial problems.
  • If you do not know a term or condition, ask before committing.
Building a Business Through Structure and Service 1:08:29
  • Strong originators build more than one-off transactions.
  • Growth can move from brokering to discounting, servicing, and holding paper.
  • Better structures include: skip payments, step-up payments, deferred payments, FMV structures for flexibility and residual value.
  • The goal is to create repeatable solutions that fit the customer's business and lifecycle.
Leadership, Talent, and Scale 1:32:39
  • Bigger is not automatically better.
  • Smaller independents often move faster, adapt better, and innovate more.
  • Strong systems and strong people matter more than size.
  • The best companies invest in internal education and leadership development.
  • The industry rewards people who become better partners, not just larger firms.
Industry Economics and Opportunity 1:37:55
  • Equipment finance is a highly profitable industry for both firms and individuals.
  • Originators who understand their value and focus on the right clients can build significant personal wealth.
  • The market is expanding due to: new capital entering the space, better technology and scoring, more embedded technology in equipment, AI and automation driving new equipment demand.
  • The opportunity is large, but success depends on positioning, relationships, and execution.
Ethics and Integrity 1:41:01
  • The industry depends on trust and quick action when fraud is discovered.
  • If you discover fraud, act immediately; do not become part of it by staying silent.
  • Integrity is part of long-term business building.
  • Protecting the ecosystem benefits everyone in the industry.
Personal Strategy and Database Focus 1:47:59
  • Define your personal value proposition.
  • Build a personal strategy that aligns with the clients you can truly help.
  • Maintain a meaningful database and rank prospects by fit.
  • Focus on the relationships and opportunities that match your strengths and capacity.
  • The best producers are deliberate about where they spend their time.
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Module 05

Field Playbook

USA First Select — Dealer Outreach Script & Playbook

This is the script, in order, ready to run on a real call. It's built directly from the training above, so if any step feels unclear, the matching module is right up the page.

1 · Mindset before you call — dealers don't know what they don't know

Dealers need more education and support than they realize, and a lot of what they tell you on the surface isn't the full picture.

Example: a dealer will say "our customers pay cash." What they don't realize is the invoice just came back marked paid in full, and they assumed that meant cash. In reality, a third-party finance company paid that invoice on the customer's behalf. The dealer got paid, on time, in full, and never saw the financing happen behind the scenes. They genuinely don't know how many of their own deals are already being financed by someone else.

The lesson: never take a surface-level answer at face value. Dig in. Ask questions. You're often not just selling financing, you're informing the dealer about their own business.

2 · Pre-call prep

Before dialing, check the dealer's website. This tells you which tier they're in before you ever pick up the phone.
Do they have a website at all, and is it modern or outdated?
Is there a financing option visible on it?
If financing is visible, is it clearly theirs, or does it look outsourced / white-labeled?

3 · The opener

"I'm [NAME] with USA First Select. We're a tech and commercial equipment finance company. We partner with companies like yours in [INDUSTRY] to help you sell more equipment, either by building you a financing program or strengthening one you already have in place. I'd like to learn more about how you handle financing now and see if there's a mutual fit to partner together."

PAUSE. Let them respond.

4 · Handling what they say back — the five objections

The first two and the last two can come up right here, during initial prospecting. Objection #3 only comes up later, after a specific deal has already been quoted, since the dealer has no rate to react to until we've given them one.

"Our customers pay cash."

Most cash purchases actually come out of the customer's own bank line of credit. So the customer is already financing, they just don't think of it that way, and as covered above, the dealer may not even know how many of their "cash" deals were actually paid by a third-party lender behind the scenes. From there, ask to at least quote their next transaction, since 90% of equipment ends up financed one way or another.

"Our customers aren't buying right now" / "waiting for rates to come down."

Ask how long they think their customers will actually wait. Then walk through the cost of waiting: if equipment prices go up while the customer sits on the sidelines, or if they lose months of productivity and revenue the equipment would have generated, that gap is usually bigger than whatever they'd save on rate. It also helps to mention that USA First Select is actively financing other businesses in their industry right now, so the dealer knows the market isn't standing still either.

Only comes up after a specific deal has been quoted

"Your rates are too high."

Don't argue the rate. Ask what monthly payment actually works for their customer, and structure the deal around that number. This is a structure problem, not a rate problem. Once the target payment is known, there's usually a way to get there without giving away the yield.

"We already have a leasing company we send deals to."

This is actually the best objection to hear, because it tells you the dealer is finance-friendly, not that the door is closed. Acknowledge it genuinely, that's great, they've got a relationship that works. Then look for the gap. Every incumbent has one: an industry niche they don't touch, a credit profile they don't take, a transaction size they pass on. Position USA First Select as the answer for that specific gap, not as a replacement for the whole relationship. Chip away at the edges, and sometimes that grows into the whole thing down the road.

"Our customers already go through their bank."

Reframe this one completely: USA First Select isn't competing with the customer's bank, it's protecting it. That bank line is meant for short-term needs, payroll gaps, receivables, emergencies. If the customer uses that same line to buy a piece of equipment, they're putting holes in their own parachute. Then if they actually need that line for an emergency, it's already tapped out on a forklift. Financing the equipment separately keeps that line open for what it's actually there for.

5 · Once they're engaged — which tier are they

Tier 1

Has a website with a financing button

A take account

  • Evaluate their sales materials.
  • Evaluate their website, note anything that could be modernized.
  • Evaluate what data they actually have on their own transactions, financed, declined, cash.
  • Approach: work 5–10 declined deals from the last 30–45 days first, then new applications, then ask to become primary.

Tier 2

Has financing, but it's not visible or integrated

Also a take account, underdeveloped

  • Use the Tier 1 approach above.
  • Ask why financing isn't built into the website, brochures, or sales conversation.
  • Offer to build that out: a financing button, sales-material language, a talk track for their team.

Tier 3

Has a website, no financing at all

A make account

  • Position USA First Select as the primary finance partner from the start.
  • Offer the full program: application flow, website integration, sales team talk track.
  • Moves faster since there's no incumbent, but needs more hand-holding.

Tier 4

No website, or it's unusable

Biggest lift, biggest opportunity

  • Offer to build a free website with a financing application link built in.
  • Build the entire financing program from scratch alongside it.
  • Confirm with ops before promising this, it's a real build commitment per dealer.

6 · What happens to a file, start to finish

This is the part that's felt like a black box before. Here's exactly what happens once a vendor is signed and a file comes in.

Account Executive

Gets the vendor signed up

Application submitted

Via dealer upload or direct online application

USA First Select — Operations

Talks to the applicant & evaluates the credit profile

Operations works the lender network

Packages the file correctly, gets it to a fundable point

Lender decides

Approves, declines, or asks for more

Approved

Documents go out, deal funds

Declined

Operations tries the next lender in the network

↻ a decline routes back into the lender network
Account Executive

One job

Get dealers on board, and get their applications submitted. Once a file is in, it's off your desk.

Operations

Everything after intake

Credit evaluation, packaging, lender matching, and re-routing on a decline. Direct engagement with the business applicant is case by case, at operations' discretion.

7 · Discovery questions — get to know their deal flow

How many applications do you get a month?
How many get declined?
How many new start-up businesses vs. businesses established 2+ years?
What percent of your applications are good credit vs. B and C credit?
At what point in your sales process do your sales people first discuss financing? (Before or after the customer states intent to buy?)
What's the average price of equipment that gets financed?
Does your bank require a down payment?
Does the bank allow for a 5-year lease, or only 2–3 years?

8 · Why businesses should finance — the case underneath every objection

01

Protects the bank line

That line exists for emergencies and growth opportunities, not for tying up capacity on equipment that could be financed separately.

02

Conserves cash

Whatever cash isn't spent on equipment stays available, for growth when it shows up, or to stay afloat if things get tight.

03

Fixed, predictable payments

Easier to budget around than a large one-time outlay, and lets the business plan cash flow with a number that isn't changing.

9 · The long game — moving the vendor up the ladder

A

Get the declines

Ask to run their declines first, low risk, easy yes, gets you in the door.

→
B

Get the new files

Once you've proven you can perform, ask them to start sending new applications your way.

→
C

Become primary

Once you're consistently outperforming whoever else they use, ask directly to become their primary financing partner.

Field Playbook