Creating the ultimate customer experience from start to finish is crucial to the success of any business. This brief article is sparked by where I’m sitting right now…. I bring a mini laptop with me to ensure that I don’t waste any time wherever I go… Mini Laptops are a cheap way to ensure your efficiency…
Soooooo… Why is this article sparked? Well…. I just walked into my doctor’s office for a visit… Most likely it will be the last time that I visit this office- I am friendly with my Doc, and we each have set proper expectations for our relationship… BUT- his part of those expectations isn’t being fulfilled….

When I got into the business arrangement…. And YES- hiring a Doc is a business arrangement; I clearly explained my requirements to participate…. It was kinda interesting when we first engaged, I had explained that I didn’t think his office was a “fit” because I was looking into a “Concierge” level Doc that guaranteed no wait BUT came with a high membership price tag….. He talked me into coming to his practice and “Sold” me on the fact that I would be a “VIP” and would not have to wait… his statement was simple… He stated “when you come in, just say that – you’re in a rush- and that will be the “code” for you to be a priority….

Well if that was the secret code- it didn’t work…. I gave the benefit of the doubt the last few times… but now, it’s over the top… When I gave the secret code… the machine type response from the unpleasant and undertrained receptionist was horrible -  The receptionist checking me in, stated “Everyone is in a rush” we’ll get you back there as soon as possible….

Now… The Doc’s intentions were sincere but his staff was/is on a different quality level than he portrayed.. The leader (The Doc) has not set proper systems in place to ensure proper customer sevice… This is certainly not the only Doc like this… I have consulted with an innumerable amount over the years who have had similar issues…

SOoooo ultimately the expectation was not met…. In all businesses you must consider what your clients go through to engage your services. What is it like when they call you? What is it like when they e-mail you? What is it like when they have a problem or an issue?
If you don’t know, you need to find out! If you do know, is it consistent with every client? One of the key attributes of successful companies is consistency. Ensuring that you have systems in place for every customer experience is crucial… regardless of how insignificant the contact might be- you must be sure to remain consistent…

Create branding for your clients and referral partners to remember you by. I remember one company I did business with about 10 years ago, the reason I remember them is because of the consistent way that they answered the phone…

They always answered the phone with “It’s a great day at XXXX how can I make your day better?

WOW…. I imagine if you called several times a day it could get annoying but- I still remember it, and I haven’t had contact with them in 10 years….
Put a plan in place so that your clients will remember you for years after your services have been rendered…. Make it simple BUT make it consistent.
Your friend in the credit biz,

Mike Citron

 Regardless of the reason a client has to hire a credit repair company, all clients will have certain expectations. Making sure that you and your client have similar expectations is integral to the success of your company. A typical client doesn’t understand the rationale for the difference in price amongst credit repair companies… Clients who pay $29 a month for Credit Repair services usually think that they are getting $100’s worth of services for $29- Clients who pay $100’s quite often feel that they are paying too much when they see an ad for a cheaper price! This should not be the case BUT it is…

 If you take the time to educate your clients on what your services are, why they are priced at what they are and what to expect for service, you will find yourself in a better ongoing situation. A client will typically be ok with you calling them once every 2 months… IF YOU TELL THEM THAT UPFRONT… if you don’t, then you will probably see a complaint from the BBB on your doorstep-If you tell a client that you will call once a week- CALL ONCE A WEEK… This sounds simple but most businesses don’t have comprehensive organized strategies upfront to avoid communication issues…

 In order to ensure that you and your client are on the same page, I suggest making a simple form title EXPECTATIONS!! On this form detail what your client can expect from you and what you expect from your client!! Being upfront will minimize your refunds, complaints and unhappy clients. Being upfront will promote referrals, increased revenues and up sell potential!

Don’t make the same mistake that most Credit repair company owners make, be organized, be consistent and have a plan.

 Having a plan can be as simple as a yellow pad with some notes, or as complex as a Visio chart linking to an internal knowledgebase that is updated by a reminder system that is managed by a task management system… WOW!!  I didn’t fully understand the part after the yellow pad but… the fundamentals are the SAME!! Be organized to ensure success…

 Clients and friends have brought to my attention that “many disorganized people are ultra successful”— I could agree with them more, but the missing part of that puzzle is the internal organization… You don’t have to be the most organized; you just must understand that if you aren’t- you should delegate the necessary organizational aspects of your company. Hiring of assistants to compliment your strengths is far more important and effective than attempting to change habits that have long been ingrained in your personality-

 Having a business that is well organized is not only important for client interaction but it is imperative for the actual business practice. Your actual business practice is based on the disorganization of credit reporting agencies, banks, collection agencies, and credit card companies. Due to the fact that we thrive on their incompetence and benefit from that, it would be silly for anyone that is attempting to run a successful credit repair company to practice the same way that their adversaries do…

Til next time… I look forward to hearing your comments, keep them coming

Your friend in the credit biz,

Mike Citron

 
Keeping a team in order can be difficult…. I like to compare different life events that I have to business practices… I’m actually writing this now while Eric is driving me to my hotel… we just crossed the Williamsburg Bridge and now we’re aimed at the Long Island Expressway….

 
Here’s the correlation that just popped in my head….. We were driving in Manhattan (What a Great City)… The food, the culture.. The history….. bla bla bla

 
So, we were driving in Manhattan… many people will tell you that it’s difficult to drive in the city….. I learned to drive in the city when I was young- I lived in Manhattan for a bit, and lived in Brooklyn for most of my youth….

 
Driving in Manhattan is not like the movies show it… The movies portray it as a “battle”, people yelling and screaming and in general complete CHAOS…. That is NOT the case… It is actually ORGANIZED CHAOS…. The only people that get yelled at or the horn honked at is the ones that can’t keep up!!!

 
The cabbies (Yellow Cab Drivers) are all in sync, like some extraterrestrial spirit… It’s amazing that so many identical cars with identical goals/missions could operate in the same place EVERY DAY with little to no confrontation… The cabbie that gets cut off by another cabbie, simply shakes it off and moves on… There is no grudge – there is no harsh attitude beyond the couple of second increment that it took to keep control…

 
All of these vehicles are traveling quickly to their destinations then immediately starting on the next destination with no break…. They drop a person off- then another one gets in before the door has a chance to shut… almost perfect harmony… Orchestrated in a synchronized fashion similar to a well practiced symphony…

 
Now I know it’s tough to believe that NYC is easy to drive in but it is… You just have to know how to…. More importantly (I’m finally getting to my point)… You have to understand what everyone else is doing… and what their roles are….. YOU have to be able to anticipate their moves….

 
I live in Florida… I have to take a side note for a minute to tell you a quick description of what it is like to drive in Fl… Completely disorganized, chaotic and EXTREMELY dangerous….

 
I wish I had my camera handy to take a picture of what just got out of the drivers seat of a new Lincoln Town Car-

The fraile elderly man, must be nearing 100 years old… and can barely walk with a walker…

I feel horrible for this guy… he obviously has no family to take him anywhere – but I wouldn’t want him on the road AND HE IS…. I don’t have a camera near by or I would take a shot… but you can imagine what I’m talking about… … To say that he is moving slow with his walker is an understatement…. A friend who was with me in my office when I just noticed this guy was as stunned as I am…

 Well my friend said- (and he’s probably right)… His reflexes after 10 shots of Yagermeister are probably better than this guys…

The fact of him being right with his reflex statement brings up a good point…
Does it mean that it’s ok for my friend to be plastered driving because he’d be better than this guy? Or does it mean that this guy shouldn’t be driving….

No I’m not 10 shots deep now… I’m finally getting to my point…

 
A company must run like a choreographed performance….
Similarly to the cabbies… co-workers must be able to predict each others moves, and react accordingly…

Everyone must know their destination (work) and be able to quickly complete their task on schedule and move on to the next task without losing time in transition… Just like the cabbie does,…… as he drops one passenger and picks up another without closing the door….

 
Just like I mentioned- the only ones that get honked at or yelled at are the ones that aren’t in sync… A team must be able to quickly realize their weak link and put it back in place OR CUT IT OUT!!!

 
The old man in the picture has significance too….

 
Just because my friend feels that he’d have a faster reaction time than this guy if he was drunk…

 
That correlates too… Just because someone else is inefficient doesn’t mean that you can lower yourself to a level just above inefficiency and it would be ok because you’re beating the weakest link…

 
The weakest link might not be obvious…. But once it’s found it must be dealt with fast before the entire team suffers….
I bet you didn’t think I could make that make sense…. I hope it did… but remember I’m typing this while being driven in what most people call chaos…

 
Your friend in the credit biz,
Mike Citron

Setting a designation can be broken into 3 processes:

1. Setting goals

2. Developing a plan to achieve those goals

3. Keeping track of your time to make sure your plans get executed.

When we do our mastermind groups, we ask members (without warning) to tell us what their goals are. Most look around, and rattle off something on the fly, without any real thought. Don’t feel bad..Most of us are seat of your pants, day by day operators.

IBM’s plan for achieving their goals consists of three simple things

      1) Respect everyone you do business with 

      2) Pursue excellence, and

      3) Provide outstanding customer service.  

Sound too simple?

Well believe it or not, goals don’t have to be complex.

The best goals are realistic-the ones that can be achieved. How about a goal like adding 50 customers this month, or hiring 2 new people, or ranking higher in the search engines? 

One of my friends gave me a great definition of a goal “A goal is a dream with a deadline.”  Write yours down and force yourself to execute them.

Your friend in the credit biz,

Mike Citron

There was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs.

He was hard of hearing so he had no radio

He had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers.

BUT he sold good hot dogs!

He put up signs on the highway- telling people how good they were!

He stood on the side of the road and cried: “Buy a hot dog mister”!

And People Bought!!

He increased his meat and bun orders and bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade-

He finally got his son home from college to help him out

But then something happened.

His son said, “Father, haven’t you been listening to the radio?

Haven’t you been reading the newspapers?

There’s a big depression!

The European situation is terrible.

The domestic situation is worse!

Whereupon the father thought, “Well, my son’s been to college, he reads the papers and he listens to the radio, and he ought to know”

So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders- took down his advertising signs and no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell his hotdogs.

And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight!

“You’re right, son” the father said to the boy,

“We certainly are in the middle of a great Depression” !!!

WOW! … was that something!! The bottom line is- Ignore what everyone else says… You can profit greatly during tough economic times…

Remember Warren Buffet says: “Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful” Basically “Don’t follow the herd… LEAD the herd”

We are living in historical times; it’s time for you to make history. The credit repair businesses is one of those few businesses that allows you unlimited profit, prosperity, and growth in even the toughest economies..

If you want to be a part of history, being at the The Credit BootCamp will certainly be one of the ways the event allows you to network with the brightest minds in the credit industry!  www.CreditBootCamp.com

This industry has never gathered in an environment like this- Now is the time to make history…

We have an awesome line-up of industry experts, that range from credit law to Harvard marketing experts… This is going to be incredible…

Check out the details here www.CreditBootCamp.com

And shoot me an e-mail with your thoughts on “the man who sold hotdogs”
Your friend in the credit biz,
Mike Citron

Most of my travels have to deal with helping others in some business fashion- whether it be marketing, sales, operations or otherwise- companies and individuals from around the globe have hired me to assist their business.

Now- traveling a lot can have an impact on the amount of time I spend with my family so, anytime I can make my business trips fall on a weekend, I try to do it… this way I can bring the family along and get some time to spend with them after work… this trip, I was able to bring my wife, son and nephew…
There are always things that you can learn by visiting new places and meeting new people, I will pick and choose the various events that illustrate important business and personal messages and share them with you…

To start- I recently went on a trip to Puerto Rico, for business. I didn’t know exactly what to expect but – regardless of what I expected I was WRONG….

Subsequent to my trip, I spoke to several colleagues about the visit- all of which had worse misconceptions than I did about the island…
I know that the Latin American market is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. Speaking and understanding Spanish is going to be an integral part of any business in the future… Now, I knew that already… But I was still floored by my visit…
We stayed at an amazing small resort- nestled in the middle of a very poor area of Puerto Rico. The if you blinked your eyes, you would easily miss the entrance to this truly first class establishment… check out some of the pics…

Now – notice… the Villa style suite that they gave us had an amazing old world, relaxing feel… There were no radio’s or televisions in the Villa… They make it so you have to relax… Each Room get’s their own private dipping pool to quickly cool you off after being outside in the heat… And the staff at the resort were amazing… My wife told me, she asked the beach attendant if they had any boogie boards or something to keep the kids busy…

 She then waited for him to return from what she thought was the supply shack… but it took a bit longer than she expected… Then suddenly the attendant appeared with 2 brand new boogie boards and an apology for taking so long… he then explained, that it took so long because he had to go into town to get it…

WOW, now that was service…
But the underlying message is this… I could have stayed anywhere- and I will be back in Puerto Rico again… now that I stayed there, I will never stay anywhere else again… Regardless of the business that you are in, you can make an extraordinary impact on clients to make them lifelong part of your business…. You just always have to be cognizant of their needs, and willing to go above and beyond the norm for them….
NOW… .That wasn’t the only above and beyond of the weekend….

The group that I went to visit on the island completely floored me with their operation… From marketing, to sales to organization as a whole they are true champions…. In Puerto Rico, they are governed by CROA federally and they have additional laws that restrict them even further… The application process for licensing in PR can take as long as 4-6 months as well… The typical Credit Repair operation in PR is run out of a retail storefront… Very different than in the states… I have helped and advised many people in the past to establish retail storefronts for the credit repair biz – but none have taken it to the level that this group has…
They showed me their internal numbers and processes, of which they have created an amazing proprietary system that is EXTREMELY effective… What it boils down to is organization and accountability… They have multiple retail operations- of which all had a uniform look and feel… They created a brand and an image that is universal… The systems that they created to manage prospects, leads and clients is second to none!
One of the most amazing parts of their business, is the fact that it is all direct to consumer based…- The most difficult to launch type of business procurement for the credit repair industry and they succeeded at it…. YES – they actually have virtually no referral partners, and virtually no online exposure…. Nor do they do a lot of print advertising…

They created a great telemarketing system, which is followed by an effective and compliant sales process… Not only is it effective, it helps people by properly educating them, right from the start of their experience. The process has been proven and tested and they do it right… All clients are consulted with and closed FACE TO FACE!!!

What a CONCEPT…
NOW… I understand that everyone cannot meet a client face to face, but you can create a similar meaningful experience for client… But the key is you must have a UNIFORM client experience to be successful.. Every client is unique but the systems to mange and procure them should be consistent.
Now the group is amazing… and in more ways than one they made this trip a memorable one…
To start with- when I got to the island they treated me like royalty… Everyone welcomed me with open arms like a long lost family member… They treated my family amazing as well… I am proud to now call this group my friends…
Another memorable part of the trip was driving through the winding mountain roads to get to another one of their locations… on the way, I had to find a bathroom quick- which wasn’t an option… but we finally did… I didn’t realize I was messing up their plans by needing to stop- they had a surprise planned that was time sensitive- BUT they fixed it….
Shortly after I got back into the car- they told me to listen to the radio (which was all in Spanish) I understood a few random words … but I didn’t know why they wanted me to listen… UNTIL I heard “Bienvienido a Mike Citron”, “Bienvienido a Mike Citron ala DisputeSuite.com” repeated 4-5 times… I couldn’t believe it… that was truly a royal welcome… Once again, going above and beyond makes for an life long relationship every time!
Now, I visited every one of their locations and can say that they definitely have it going one… they have greater than 2500 active clients and are growing exponentially… They also have very few complaints and are actively looking for ways to improve their business….
I applaud them for looking for ways to improve a company that is great already… That is the sign of true champions…
One of things that make this company great is measurement… they measure EVERYTHING… The amount of phone calls in/out… The amount of people walking in the doors… What techniques work best… and how to constantly test and improve sales and operations techniques…

I hope what you get out of this article is realizing however big or small your market is – YOU decide whether or not you make your business a champion in it… You decide how your business is perceived by others, and perceived by consumers…
Make your business stand out from the crowd… I am working on putting together a program to help you automate the processes to make your business stand out from the crowd… We will work with this group to bring you the step by step materials needed so you can learn from the systems that they developed how you can develop your own similar success story!
Keep an eye out for the details!
Mike Citron

P.S. This visit inspired me to expand the latin market tremedously… That is why we are now offering Spanish Credit Repair Software– The entire client portal has been made multi-lingual for the latin american markets!

SOOOOO what that means is … even if you are the best at what you do- and consumers are happy and you think everything is going well… in an instant the rug could be pulled out from under you by the regulators!

The Credit Repair Organizations Act commonly known as CROA is Federal legislation that governs ALL credit repair organizations. NO ONE is EXEMPT from the act…. INCLUDING ATTORNEY’S !!!!

The Act has many consumer protections contained therein… as well as provisions that could inhibit certain businesses… The act was born out of necessity – due to the overwhelming amount of complaints from consumers being defrauded by credit repair companies….

My TRUE belief is that people don’t get into the credit repair business with the intentions of defrauding consumers… Maybe I have visions of grandeur and I am living in a fantasy world… BUT I truly believe that the “Bad Guys” in the credit repair industry are born out of ill execution, not ill intention…

As you will learn soon, there are an abundance of credit repair business laws. But the credit repair business laws are not always commonly known! The business has virtually no self regulation, and until recently has not organized itself at all… now with the emergence of CreditBootCamp information about the industry is being circulated much more!

Soooo the problem starts with accessibility of information and people willing to help and share… Until the credit boot camp, there was no “non self-serving” education available for those who operate a credit repair business. Credit repair training still is not a widely known or accepted function in the industry. Most industries have formal methods to train and educate about the business…

BUT this business has not… That is one of the reasons for my blog… I want this industry to rid itself of the stigma’s and become a respectable industry to be a part of… I know- if you are reading this article this far… You do TO!!! So…. Read on and help to make the industry better… share information that can help consumers… and be a part of something that you can be proud to be a part of…

This starts with making sure that you are compliant with all state and federal statutes and understanding how to maintain compliance… Compliance doesn’t start and end with the law… You should always have higher standards for your company… I analogize it with the building industry… In the building industry- if a contractor were to state “I build everything exactly to County and State construction CODE” ….. ultimately what he is saying is he builds it to the minimum standard allowed by law to be built… and he is doing the minimum to get by….

I always believe in standing out from the norm… There are many ways that you can in this biz… first is to understand what the “Minimum” standard requirements are… Then… find ways to ensure that perception is correct… because even if you are doing things perfectly legitimately, if it is perceived or could be perceived that you aren’t… you might as well be guilty… because PERCEPTION IS REALITY!!!

So be sure to do a “Perception Test” of all your materials … this test should have higher standards than a simple compliance test…

So… here’s some of the details of the law:

#1 – Don’t make deceptive claims
Do not make false representations or guarantees. It is important to understand there are no guarantees involved with Credit Repair. Just like in a court of law, an attorney could never guarantee a client that the judge or jury would find in their favor. It is also important that you do not lie or misrepresent your credit repair services. Honesty is the best approach. If you want to make claims about how successful your services are, give actual statistics and examples of what your other clients have experienced. “Our average clients see 4 – 10 items removed in 90 days” is a great way to pitch your service. Remember, you don’t have to lie or deceive to sell your service. The largest credit repair organizations out there are still in business because they are truthful.

#2 – Ask you clients which items to dispute
The second biggest violation credit repair companies make is disputing items that are known to be accurate. Although it is a rare thing to find credit reports “completely accurate” across all three credit bureaus, if the client indicates that “yeah, that is right” then you better leave that item alone. As Brad Elbein, Director of the FTC’s Southwest Regional Office says “no credit repair company has the right to remove accurate, current information from a credit report.” Stick with disputing items the client instructs you to. This is as simple as taking 10 minutes to run over the credit report with your client. Using DisputeSuite.com, you can input customer instructions, such as “My payment was never late”, into the software for each item.

#3 – Provide consumers with their rights
As a credit repair organization, you must provide a copy of the “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” before you have your client sign a contract. You must also inform your client that they have a right to cancel your contract. Visit http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/croa/croa.shtm to get a copy.

#4 – Make sure you have a contract in place
If you don’t already have one in place, you must get a contract in place immediately. Make sure your contract hits these talking points:

• The payment terms for services, including their total cost
• A detailed description of the services to be performed
• Any guarantees or refund policies (if offered)
• Power of attorney
• The expected time it will take to achieve results (use estimates)
• A copy of the FTC’s “Consumer Credit File Rights”
• A cancellation notice (in bold font). Clients have 3 business days afterwards to legally cancel.
• Your company’s name and business address

You can find tons of sample credit repair agreements on the internet by Google’ing “credit repair agreement”. However, I recommend you have a lawyer look over the contract to ensure its legality. Make sure you have the client sign and date it (in ink). Make 2 copies of the agreement, one for the client’s records and one for yours. It is a MUST to keep copies of your clients’ contracts for a minimum of 2 years.

#5 – First perform then collect payment
That’s right, perform credit repair services then collect money. Seems like a backwards way of billing but the CROA states a credit repair organization is not allowed to collect payment for any services that have not been performed. The organization can only collect payment after they have performed their end of the deal. This is why I recommend monthly billing. (See my article on fixed vs. monthly billing.) With monthly billing, you are billing for work previously performed.

Now… that may seem like a bit harsh to some of you…. But the reality is – you can’t change it…. And you can still make a fortune staying within the boundaries of it..

Ok… as I mentioned – you don’t want to be like the contractor who does the minimum standard… you want everything to be above and beyond the requirements of the law…

So…. Here are some tips for your credit repair business:

Prepare yourself for an audit or investigation… The fact is this…. If you run a business that is successful, at some point you will have a complaint with a regulator… I know what you’re thinking… “If you do the right thing- no one will complain”…

BUT this blog is about reality not FICTION…

Reality is- there are unreasonable people and stupid employees out there…. Along with BAD DAYS… Everyone has a bad day… Sooo… if you do enough business you will run into a problem with a bad employee doing the wrong thing, a customer who is wrongfully dissatisfied, or you simply messing up… It will happen… BUT- you must be able to prove that this complaint was an isolated incident….

If you don’t prepare for this complaint and remain proactive- then you will not have the ammunition needed to win the audit and stay in business…. In the eyes of the auditor/regulator you are guilty until proven innocent and this “first” complaint is just the first time you were caught… most likely they will think that you fracture the law repeatedly, lie, cheat, and steal like many of the people that they investigate…

WOW… you have a lot to overcome… and many people will have to adjust their business and that’s ok… Many people have asked me, what to do to convince the regulators that you are one of the good guys…

The only thing that can do that is PROOF…. You must be able to provide proof of your intent to do the right thing… now proof of your intent to do right, does not necessarily excuse you of doing wrong in the credit repair business, but it will help!

Now, how do you prove it….
One of the problems of the credit repair business is accepting clients into a credit repair program that cannot benefit from the program. Some consumers are better served with debt settlement as alternatives to credit repair. Many successful credit repair companies forge relationships with bankruptcy attorneys and debt settlement companies so they have a means to refer clients who are better served with those resources… But… you must have the proof…. What I suggest is keeping a companywide log of the clients that you do not accept into the program….. Mark the reason for not accepting the client, along with the clients name and contact information.

Advanced credit repair software, or credit repair management software is not needed for this- a simple spreadsheet will do the trick for most credit repair companies. NOW… once you have this company wide list- you can easily show PROOF to a regulator that you do what you say…

Saying that you don’t approve just anyone for your program means nothing…. BUT showing proof of all of the people that you have denied access to your program will mean a lot!

Keep an eye out for upcoming posts on successful habits of legal, moral and ethical credit repair companies.
I hope this article helps shed some light on credit repair business laws. Be sure to stay in compliance for business longevity. Also, you can check out an almost 2 hour webinar that I did with an industry compliance expert here:

AWESOME WEBINAR CLICK HERE

Please comment on your thoughts of the article and share this with others in the industry

Your friend in the credit biz,
Mike Citron

One of the methods used to prevent people from changing the document has been to change it into a PDF document.

However, that hasn’t always been easy.

First there is the cost. Using Adobe Acrobat Professional can run you a few hundred dollars and for most of us, all the extra bells and whistles just aren’t necessary.

That’s why I was excited to see that Armand Morin’s  Generator Software has just released their latest version of Instant PDF Generator.

It was an excellent program before but now with the new features, it’s proving to be the best bang for the buck.

For example, they just updated…

>> Quick Toolbar Button Access

It’s now even easier to find all the features you want to use with their redesigned toolbar.

>> Page Orientation Portrait and Landscape

Now you can flip the orientation of the page and still turn it into a PDF document. That’s real handy if you have any documents that look better on a landscape view.

>> Font Embedding and Substitutions

Using your favorite fonts is a cinch now that they’ve added the font embedding and substitutions. That means your options are completely under your control!

>> Image Embedding with Compression to Reduce File Size

This was probably one of the biggest annoyances with creating PDF documents and the folks at Generator Software have solved it perfectly.

Now adding your favorite images to any document is a breeze and with the compression feature, it won’t make your file size enormous which is a plus for people downloading it from the internet!

But Most importantly it gives you the ability to password protect documents! Sending client sensitive information via e-mail is a violation of the GLB Act! E-mail IS NOT Secure!!! One way for you to ensure that you are looking out for your clients best interest and saving yourself from $1000′s in fines is to password protect any document that has client sensitive info-

>> Security Password Access for Both Owner and User

This little extra security feature will probably be the most overlooked of all but it certainly gives you a lot more control over who has access to your documents.

By adding both owner and user security features you instantly eliminate anyone trying to read your documents who doesn’t have permission.

>> Disabling of Printing, Modification, Extraction and Form-filling

These features give you that little bit extra control over the way people interact with your documents.

>> Digital Signatures

Let’s say you are sending confidential information and you want to ensure that it’s safe and hasn’t been modified after sending it to the person you wish you recieve it.

That’s where the digital signature comes into play which gives the reader the assurance that the information has not been altered since it was sent.

Instant PDF Generator really has raised the bar as far as it’s functionality and ease of use.

CHEAP AND GOOD PDF SOFTWARE CLICK HERE!

Here are FOUR BIG ADVANTAGES of Instant PDF Generator:

1. Simple to Use: If you can click your mouse button, you can create a PDF document.

2. Low Cost: Other PDF creation software can run you as much as $249. You’ll save over $150 with Instant PDF Generator and it will be more simple and easier to use.

3. Convert ANY type of document to PDF: If you can print it. You can convert it to PDF thanks to the powerful conversion technology within Instant PDF Generator.

4. No Learning Curve: If you can print a document, you can use Instant PDF Generator.

It really is the most affordable and powerful solution for personal and business use.

My recommendation is to click on the link below because you’ll also be able to see a screen shot of the product in action.

Click Here to get the PDF Software I Use

Your Friend in the Credit Biz,

Mike Citron

P.S. The GLB Act has fines of up to $10,000 per page for violations… One occurrence could put you out of business! DON’T RISK IT!

P.S Last time I checked, Instant PDF Generator also came with “Lifetime Upgrades” which means you’ll never have to pay any additional charges when the product is updated or new features have been added.

Small claims courts proceedings can be very effective. The concepts many companies have conjured is that the data furnisher will probably not show up in court…

I agree this is a great possibility BUT- you must be prepared for the worst… Many will use this theory without preparation and proper knowledge, this would be like “taking  a knife to a gun fight”… you’d know a bit and have a chance of slipping through and winning but your opponent has an EXTREME advantage.

When preparing for a small claims strategy it is imperative to understand the details and concepts of the various laws and acts. Some of the obvious laws and acts to understand are the FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act), FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act), FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act)— some of the not so obvious but very useful are the FCBA (Fair Credit Billing Act), HIPPA (Health Information Patient Privacy Act), SSRA (Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act), TILA (Truth In Lending Act) and general legal procedures…

One of the key elements that I elaborate in “Credit Biz in a Box” is the way to turn your small claims necessity into a profit center and a marketing center…

Knowing all of the details of the laws and learning how to set traps for the data furnishers is important BUT understanding that there is a FINE line between friendly advice and legal advice is CRUCIAL…. Unlicensed practice of Law is a serious offense that is typically enforced by the Bar Association in the state of your practice.

In many cases the relationship that you have with a client when you are in the Credit Repair business can easily be perceived as “Unlicensed Practice of Law”—

Although perception is not always true- I always teach that “PERCEPTION IS REALITY”//// you can however use this to your advantage….

Learn the laws in and out, study them, understand the concepts and ways to set booby traps for creditors, collection agencies, credit card companies, banks and credit reporting agencies….

Once you understand them fully- find a local attorney or 2 (I prefer 5-6 but…)… Once you find a local attorney that is looking to expand his practice, get a consultation. During your consultation explain your dilemma… Explain that you are an expert in FCRA, FDCPA, FACTA, FCBA, TILA violations… .Explain that- although you understand the complexities and intricacies of the procedure in court you have a greater understanding that Unlicensed Practice of Law is a serious offense… Explain that you want to help consumers and your clients, let the attorney know about the free education that you offer to various groups (I’ll talk about that in another message)….

Then ask the attorney if he is willing to become a strategic partner with you— A proposal could be structured in many ways but I suggest the following… Do all of the research, compile all of the traps, put together a detailed summary of the violations then present a complete package for the attorney to file a small claims case….

Most attorneys do not specialize in these laws and many don’t care to know anything about them… If you make the attorney’s job easy- he will likely be willing to take these additional cases.. the monetary settlements on theses cases is usually small BUT… if the attorney has little work to do on them and they are looking to expand their practice, then this is a win- win for everyone…

Having an attorney do the small claims will help in 2 ways- 1) It will keep you out of hot water with regulators/violations and Most importantly 2) Will allow you to partner up with a professional that is likely to give you more referrals that you will give him…. You will quickly become the “credit expert” in their eyes which will go ALONG WAY!!!!

Side-Note… Make sure you know your STUFF before attempting to form a relationship… it’s not easy to “Fake it til you make it” with attorney’s… they’ll see right through it…

The client may have to come up with a small retainer but- it is much better than them trying to do it themselves. Most attorneys will work without a retainer for clients in need when they know there will be a monetary award- the typical award is $1000 + so the attorney’s money is usually secure…

Detailed info on how to set the “Mouse Traps” and what the most common violations to look out for are a part of “Credit Biz in a Box”…. If you are interested in finding out more about that take a peek here CLICK HERE TO SEE “CREDIT BIZ IN A BOX”

A quick explanation of it is- The complete resource for starting running andn managing a credit repair business… How to guides for all situations along with employee training manuals and marketing materials… There are several books, audio CDs, DVD Presentations etc… Enough stuff to fill up a box…  A bunch of marketing material too….

Your friend in the credit biz,

Mike Citron

P.S. These are REAL TIME Real world tactics…. This idea is not theory it is fact… When I was still actively practicing credit repair, at any given time I could get 30+ attorneys on the phone within minutes… (Because I had their Cell #’s) and they would ALWAYS ANSWER the PHONE!!! I still provide continuing education for the Florida Bar- Several of the courses that I created have been presented to groups of all sizes… I’m not telling you this to brag.. I’m sharing my experience so you can benefit from it… If I did it- so can you!!!

P.P.S. I still want you to check out the latest updates to our website www.DisputeSuite.com

P.P.P.S. I’m starting a small campaign… it’s called THREE AND ITS FREE-Three and it’s free is this… If you know 3 people in the credit repair business that can benefit from our software- send them our way… When three people sign-up, I will give you a month for free… Your THREE friends will get their first month free as well…. This is Hard to keep track of so— I’m not publicizing this on our site- just e-mail me the 3 names of your friends once you know that they signed up!!

P.P.P.P.S. If you can think of other unique promos like THREE AND ITS FREE- and you’d like me to think about implementing.. I’d be happy to listen!

But most of us forget to focus on the most important part of our business… marketing and client retention…

In a couple of days I will share some marketing tips that came to me on a recent trip to L.A.

For today, I’d like to talk about creation of systems and delegating activities to increase your income.

First, I need you to stretch and take a deep breath, because what I’m about to say is going to be tough for many to grasp and agree with… It took me a lot to realize that some of the thoughts and statements of the Guru’s is right… no matter how much I wanted to fight that my way was right….. I continued to learn that it wasn’t—

First, take accountability! Make a “short” list of the things that you do best… Then make the LONG list of things that would be better for other people to do….. Then categorize the items based on the dollar per hour that you would have to pay someone to do that task. Whether it be mowing the lawn, dropping the deposit at the bank or getting a cup of coffee at Starbucks… calculate how much you would like to make per hour, then realize how much it would cost you to do a certain task if you were making that much…

The example that I heard several years ago is what opened my eyes… An attorney was talking to one of his friends and was instilling this same advice- The attorney explained to his friend that he had to have a talk with his assistant… His talk had to explain the importance of her new duties.. her new duties included:

Getting coffee at Starbucks every morning
Taking his car to the car wash
Picking up his dry cleaning
Etc…..

He had to explain to his assistant the value of time, and that it was better for him to give her a raise and a car allowance than it would be for him to spend the time doing it….
In his example he said, a cup of coffee cost him about $229… Wow… How could it cost that… the answer is simple- his billable hourly rate it $450 (+ $4 for the coffee) and he would have to spend about a ½ hour to park his car, get out, and wait in line for his coffee….

WOW!!! What an eye opener!!!

Now most of us, don’t expect our hourly wage to be $450 BUT— if you want to make $100k per year – that coffee will cost you $29 for your ½ hour….

The real problem lies in a recent study of executives… The study found that a high percentage of executives “Actual Work time” is less than 1 hour per day…

So if you’re actual work time is < 1 hour … then how much is that coffee really costing you?

Find a team and work it!!!

Find the strengths of the players and work their strengths, don’t try to make yours or your team member’s strengths into what you want them to be. Focus on the important aspects; trust, commitment and loyalty… The other skills are useless if you can’t count on them….

With these statements in mind, mold your day around your strengths. Mold your day around the activities that are income producing activities. Don’t try to find busy work, revert to your list of strengths and delegate the list of weak points….

Marketing and client retention should be at the top of the list, because without that you won’t have much else to worry about… now don’t say that you don’t need marketing because your business is based on referrals…

A business that is based on referrals is probably the most intensive marketing task… you must continue to WOW your referral partners and continue to provide excellent service to keep that flow of referrals coming….

Provide your clients with options that keep their best interest at heart… Find complimentary revenue generating opportunities… After all most of us didn’t tell our mom’s and dad’s “I want to own a credit repair restoration company when I grow up”
Many of us are transplanted from another business that has changed, and to many Credit is a tool for other sales…

It has been proven that it is far more cost effective to retain a client than it is to procure a client….. so, focus on ways to provide a valuable service to all of prospects that you come in contact with…. I certainly don’t want to stray you away from credit repair!!!!
I suggest having the answers to your client’s financial needs… that may be as simple as writing an article- or making a referral for another service….

The bottom line is- structure your time to focus on the tasks that create income for you. Delegate the tasks that cost less to complete than the hourly wage that you choose to earn…

Calculate your desired hourly earnings by taking the annual salary divided by 2080
Ex. $100,000 / 2080 = $48.08

Your friend in the credit biz,

Mike Citron