The primary responsibility of every originator is to drive new business and let prospective vendors and end-users know about the products and services that they provide. Most originators need to spend more time prospecting. More importantly, they must focus on the "right" prospects. In the words of Larry S.,  "It is easy to find a deal, but it takes talent to find deals that can be won, approved, and funded."

The commercial equipment finance and leasing market is as strong as ever. Now is the perfect time to be effectively prospecting; there are plenty of potential transactions to be won by every originator who is engaged in the market, calling the "right" vendors and end-users. Recently, an originator prospecting in the small-ticket market asked what he should expect from a full day of calling efforts. My response was:

• A strong originator prospecting for a full day should find two to three solid leads in the morning and two to three solid leads in the afternoon, translating into five strong leads for the day. 

• Those leads should translate into two to four applications over the coming week (to four weeks) and one to three approvals over the same period resulting in one funded transaction. 

• In this example, the originator's average transaction is $65,000 and his weighted average commission is 2% of the equipment cost. 

• One full day of prospecting will create $1,300 of income for this originator. If an originator prospects three days a week, he would create $200,000 in annual income.  

What are you waiting for? Use your time wisely. Spend time every day touching more customers.