Before discussing aged merchant cash advance leads, let us recall what a merchant cash advance is. It is a type of financing service that allows businesses to access quick funds in exchange for a percentage of their future card sales. The repayment is deducted either daily or weekly. The total payable amount includes a fee (called the factor rate) in addition to the original amount lent.
The institutions offering this service are known as MCA providers or lenders. These may include independent finance companies, alternative lenders, and occasionally banks.
What makes an MCA lead-aged?
A lead becomes aged if it does not convert to a sale within 10-30 days after the first interaction with a lead magnet, submission of an inquiry or completion of an application. The term “aged” only refers to the time window since a prospect showed intent in the past and not the quality of the lead.
This means that if MCA-aged leads are approached with the right strategies, they have the potential to convert into qualified sales prospects. Before choosing the right approach for aged MCA leads, they need to be categorised into a relevant type to understand their specifications. Once done, variables like whether the lead is cold due to an incomplete follow-up process or the intent of the prospect has changed since they first reached out can be analysed.
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Aged MCA lead categories: 4 tiers
We can categorise aged merchant cash advance leads into 4 general tiers with respect to the time elapsed since the origin of the lead. It is important to classify the leads as such, as it gives a good starting point for MCA lenders, ISOs and brokers on how to approach them.
However, these tiers are not just theoretical; they affect the contact rate, conversion probability and the market price per lead. Across all types of aged MCA leads, the factor that decides whether it will convert to a sale is speed. Aged MCA leads are generally sold in bulk to multiple lenders. If other brokers have purchased the same list, then the first to contact them have the highest chance of conversion, which decreases as the list goes on.
| Age Tier | Price Range | Contact Rate | Close Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fresh aged (10-30 days) |
£0.25 to £0.45 |
50 to 65% |
3 to 6% |
High-velocity teams with fast underwriting and immediate CRM follow-up |
|
Short-aged (30-90 days) |
£0.15 to £0.35 |
35 to 50% |
2 to 4% |
Mid-size operations |
|
Mid-aged (90-120 days) |
£0.30 to £0.55 |
25 to 35% |
1 to 3% |
High-volume outbound teams are comfortable with long dialling sequences |
|
Long-aged (120-180+ days) |
£0.20 to £0.45 |
15 to 25% |
0.5 to 2% |
Budget-constrained ISOs working their first aged list |
Note: Pricing is according to the market rate, not ProInteractive pricing.
Fresh-aged leads
Fresh-aged leads are the ones with the least amount of time passed since the first exchange of intent of business. The 10-30 day window of fresh-aged merchant cash advance leads carries the highest contact rates and the highest prices due to the leads being recent.
Short-aged leads
Short-aged leads with 30-90 days are the most commonly sold aged MCA leads. The time window is not old enough that the business owner will forget enquiring, but it is also not recent enough to have high competition.
Mid-aged leads
Middle-aged leads range from 90 to 120 days and require more effort than fresh and short-aged leads. In this case, there is a high probability that the buying intent of the merchant has drastically decreased. It is necessary to first qualify whether a mid-aged lead has yet found an alternative because it helps you save resources from spending on a lead who is already working with another lender.
Long-aged leads
Long-aged leads (120-180 days) have the lowest cost, having the lowest conversion rates. They work best for well-established teams with the capacity for volume dialling at a consistent schedule. For small teams, long-aged leads deliver a negative ROI because of the lack of volume-dialling ability, unlike a diverse team.
Why did these leads not convert the first time?
Most aged leads are likely to fall in one of the five categories of why they went cold in the first place. It helps in understanding the ‘why’ first so it can determine the next steps and the success rate of conversion.
Here are the five reasons listed:
| Reason Merchant Went Cold | What It Signals | Re-Engagement Approach |
|---|---|---|
|
Found funding elsewhere |
Already funded. |
|
|
Timing was wrong |
Cash flow was better than expected. |
|
|
Did not qualify at the time |
Revenue or time-in-business was below the threshold at the point of enquiry. |
|
|
Bad experience with a previous broker |
Pushy outreach |
|
|
Changed their mind about MCA |
Decided the product was not right for their business. |
|
Five re-engagement strategies for aged MCA leads
The five strategies that we have compiled will help you approach aged MCA leads with authority and precision. If applied consistently, these approaches change contact rates and conversion outcomes for the better.
1. Personalise outreach using record data
Most MCA pitches open up with a common approach of introducing their MCA product as soon as the merchant picks up and waiting for a positive response. However, the same might not work with aged MCA leads, as these prospects have already interacted with such generic approaches before. To provide businesses with an improved experience, personalise the approach using the data from the record. This information includes:
- The business industry and niche
- Business location
- Original funding amount
- Purpose of lending capital in the original enquiry
In the UK specifically, mentioning the local area of the business differentiates it from high-volume cold calling that businesses have heard prior. Another important point is to continue with the personalisation even after the opening line. The entire conversation should reflect that context or refer to it at least once.
2. Use a structured multi-channel sequence
One thing we have already established is that the aged merchant cash advance leads’ conversion rate is very low on the first call. Because if that were the case, the leads would not have gone cold in the first place. Instead of a single call and calling it a day, your outreach needs to meet multiple touchpoints across diverse channels in the span of 10 to 14 days. This approach is called a structured multi-channel sequence. Here is how it usually progresses over 2 weeks:
| Day | Channe | Action | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Day 1 |
Phone |
Call the merchant |
Open contact and establish a live conversation |
|
Day 1 |
Voicemail |
Leave a voicemail if no answer |
Give the merchant a reason to call back |
|
Day 2 |
SMS |
Send a short text follow-up |
Easy for the merchant to respond |
|
Day 3 |
|
Follow up by email |
Provide context in writing |
|
Day 7 |
|
Send a connection request and a short message |
Re-engage merchants who have stopped answering calls |
|
Day 14 |
Phone |
Final call |
Last attempt to set up for future conversation |
Throughout the 14 days, if a merchant goes unresponsive at any touchpoint, do not treat it as a dead end. Implement the complete 14-day multi-channel sequence because aged MCA leads conversions happen after the third or fourth touchpoint and not the first.
3. Address the original objection directly
Use the lead data from the original record to open the conversation with the merchant and follow up directly about why the business did not see through the MCA product. Most business owners will tell the reason that held them back the first time. This will give you a roadmap of what to do next and what approaches to avoid altogether.
For example, a merchant who dropped out because of the MCA factor rate needs a surety that your product does not have any hidden fees or regulations. Another business that avoided MCA because they were not sure about whether it was the right choice needs clarification that your product does not have regulations that will trap them in a long-term contract.
4. Provide value before the product pitch
Business prospects appreciate useful content from a lender, broker or an ISO before a product pitching call. The content does not need to be lengthy or complicated. However, it needs to be relevant to the business industry, its location, size (whether it’s an SME or an established corporation) and revenue patterns. Content that references a specific UK industry or a specific regulatory condition has a higher probability of generating a response than standard content that could apply to any business in any country.
Here are some examples of content that provides value to business owners without being pushy:
- A one-page sector funding review and highlighting general revenue patterns within the sector.
- A short note about current market rates within the relevant business sector
- Guide to MCA under UK regulatory conditions.
- Tailoring the content accordingly for businesses in different sectors (logistics, hospitality, IT & tech, retail, and manufacturing).
5. Prioritise leads showing re-engagement signals
Businesses display a variety of factors that re-trigger the need for capital, even if the original lead went cold at first. If the business conditions have changed since the last time the enquiry was initiated, the lead conversion rate also changes. That is why not all aged leads should be treated the same. Depending on the extent of such changes, aged MCA leads can be arranged in a priority order for businesses that need funding right now.
The question arises here about how and where to check these signals and what they mean:
| Where to Check | Signal to Look For | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
|
Companies House |
New leadership or change in registered address |
Business is growing or restructuring |
|
Companies House |
Recent confirmation statement or accounts filing |
Business is compliant and actively maintained |
|
LinkedIn Company Page |
New content has been posted recently, or new employees have been added |
Management is engaged, and the business is in an active growth phase |
|
LinkedIn Company Page |
Job listings posted in the past 30 days |
Hiring signals expansion |
|
Google Business Profile |
Recent surge in customer reviews |
Often indicates a new location or a seasonal opening |
|
Google Business Profile |
Updated business hours or new photos added |
The owner is actively managing the profile |
Each of these signals means the same thing: that the business is in its active growth phase, which triggers the need for working capital at any time. Using this information during a re-approach also builds credibility, as it communicates to the business owners that you have done research and are interested in the business.
Where Are Aged MCA Leads in the Sales Funnel?
The lead generation process is often visualised as a funnel; wider at the start and narrower toward the end. Typically, aged MCA leads have already made it through the top of the funnel (TOFU), since they are familiar with the service. Most of them are positioned in the middle of the funnel (MOFU).
This means these prospects have already provided basic details such as their:
- Contact number
- Business name
- Basic funding requirements
That’s why they’re called “aged”, meaning they’ve previously interacted with a lead generation campaign but never converted.
Common challenges of aged MCA leads
Prospects of aged MCA leads are already familiar with what it is and how it works. This familiarity can be both beneficial and tricky for MCA providers. The actual challenge lies in figuring out how to deal with aged MCA leads effectively.
- Some leads might have dropped out involuntarily because they didn’t qualify, wanted a higher percentage of funding, or had availed the service earlier and are now seeking a new provider. When your service reaches them, you can approach these prospects with attractive features that suit their business needs.
- However, some leads might no longer require MCA, couldn’t find a reliable provider, or decided the service wasn’t suitable for them. Re-engaging such prospects can be difficult.
This is the main task at hand: to identify which leads are at which stage of their buying process and approach each type with relevant strategies.
In this blog, we’ll explore lead generation and re-engagement strategies to help you streamline your aged MCA leads and directly connect with qualified prospects.
Strategies to Approach Aged MCA Leads
| Strategy | Main Point |
|---|---|
|
Differentiate leads by geographic location |
|
|
Differentiate leads by credit score |
|
|
Cold calling |
Re-engage prospects through direct personal interaction. |
|
Content marketing |
|
|
Social media retargeting |
|
|
Pay-per-click (PPC) |
|
Let’s now explore the major strategies that you can implement to attract, classify, and re-engage aged MCA leads effectively.
1. Differentiate leads by geographic location
The best approach to classify the lead generation process is to target businesses based on their location. That is because different parts of the UK might have distinct merchant funding regulations or local business practices. When you adapt your outreach to these regional factors, your service appears more reliable, professional, and aligned with specific market needs.
2. Differentiate leads by credit score
Merchant cash advances don’t rely heavily on credit scores. The factor rate (the additional fee payable on top of the funds lent) depends on a business’s sales history and financial stability. Still, you can also classify aged MCA leads by their credit scores, which gives you information about their financial history and potential funding requirements.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how leads can be classified based on their credit scores:
- Higher credit score: Businesses with such a credit score likely seek competitive factor rates and higher advance percentages.
- Medium credit score: Such businesses might prefer stable, long-term contracts with industry-competitive terms.
- Lower credit score: Businesses with a low credit score prioritise accessibility and seek providers that can accommodate them, even with poor credit. If you cater to any of these categories, classifying leads early helps you focus on the ones most worthwhile to pursue.
3. Cold calling
Cold calling is a direct approach with which merchant cash advance providers can interact with the leads over a call. This personal interaction is important to analyse the prospect’s current situation and business needs. After taking into account their unique circumstances, it is time to propose the MCA solution from a fresh perspective. This way, they can be re-engaged with a solution that may not have been available when they first interacted.
4. Content marketing
Content marketing on a website is the most common channel for B2B lead generation. MCA providers create and share valuable content that offers a solution to a problem most commonly faced by their clientele. This content could be blog posts, case studies, or checklists to educate and build trust. Here are some important factors to keep in mind when posting content:
- Your content should contain the relevant keywords and queries that people in your customer base commonly search for on search engines.
- Your content should be SEO optimised, with meta headings, proper sections, images and original writing.
- Content should be consistently posted to build a database over time.
5. Social media retargeting
This strategy keeps your brand visible to businesses that have previously shown interest in your services. Even a website visit without engaging with any lead magnet can still indicate a level of interest. You can follow up with such prospects by showing targeted ads on platforms like:
- Linkeldin
- Youtube
- Google ads
This way, you can remind them of your services and present new offers to re-engage them.
6. Pay-per-click
Pay-per-click campaigns can be highly targeted to reach businesses which are actively searching for funding solutions. For aged MCA leads, you can use relevant keywords like “second chance MCA”, “alternative business funding” to directly attract those who may have previously dropped out of the process at any point in the sales funnel.
Like social media marketing, PPC campaigns can also be run on any social media and search engine platforms like Google, Meta, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn or Reddit.
Who Are Aged MCA Leads For?
Merchant cash advances are different from traditional loans because they do not qualify as a liability and are instead considered selling future assets (sales revenue). That is why MCAs are specifically important for certain types of organisations in the funding sector who are familiar with their unique nature. Aged MCA leads are valuable for:
- MCA providers: Aged MCA leads are highly suitable for MCA providers who aim to expand their customer base and increase their conversion efficiency. These leads consist of a pipeline of businesses that are already familiar with the funding product, so providers can solely focus on closing the deals.
- Independent financial institutions: They can also benefit significantly from this approach to provide non-traditional finance solutions in addition to traditional bank loans and provide a variety of services.
- MCA brokers: They do not directly provide financial services but connect potential clients with MCA providers. A broker can use aged MCA leads to reactivate their interest as a reliable advisor that the businesses may have been missing.
Types of Aged MCA Leads
Let us now discuss the two main types of MCA leads. This helps classify the leads, recognise the unique needs of businesses belonging to each type and provide relevant solutions accordingly.
Time-specific aged MCA leads
Aged leads are often classified based on how long ago they engaged with your MCA offer. The lesser the ageing period, the higher the chances of success, but outcomes differ for each lead. Common categories include:
- 30-day leads: These have the highest chance of conversion due to recent interaction with your lead generation process. These are also more expensive to acquire.
- 60-day leads: These have a moderate difficulty in re-engaging with your lead generation process. Such leads can still be converted with consistent and relevant efforts.
- 90-day leads: These require the most effort to re-engage because of the long inactivity period, meaning that they last interacted with or showed interest in an MCA service almost 3 months ago.
Industry-specific aged MCA leads
Certain business industries are more likely to require merchant cash advances repeatedly, especially those that operate throughout the year. Some of these are:
- Food and beverage sector: Restaurants and cafes. These businesses regularly face cash flow fluctuations and need urgent cash capital to cover unexpected and seasonal expenses. MCA doesn’t restrict spending, so businesses can cover any type of expense, like buying inventory, repairing equipment, etc.
- Hospitality industry: Hotels, motels, and service-based lodging businesses. This sector requires constant capital for renovations, staffing during peak times and marketing campaigns to maintain competition.
- Tech industry: MCA offers access to rapid capital to companies with high R&D expenses, product development costs, and niche marketing needs without lengthy approval processes like those in bank loans.
- Manufacturing sector: They need ongoing funding for operations and supplies. Manufacturers need an advance payment to purchase raw materials in bulk and cover large costs before even getting paid by their customers.
Benefits of Aged MCA Leads
Focusing on aged merchant cash advance leads can improve your return on investment and overall sales process because of the following advantages:
Cost-effectiveness
One of the major benefits of aged MCA leads is that they are generally far cheaper to acquire than fresh leads. When you have a lower cost per lead, it automatically reduces your customer acquisition cost. It allows you to distribute your marketing budget more efficiently and target a higher volume of potential customers.
Capitalise on prior interest
Aged MCA leads had already shown an active interest in merchant cash advances. This means you can shorten your sales cycle and speed up the sales funnel process.
Less competition
Many providers focus only on the highly competitive fresh leads market. By focusing on aged leads, you can operate with less competition and streamline your presence in the market. If done smartly, you can navigate an audience that is mostly overlooked by others.
Gather and Convert Quality Aged MCA Leads with ProInteractive
As a merchant cash advance provider, you play an important role in the financing industry by offering working capital to UK businesses. However, approaching and converting aged MCA leads can be challenging, especially when they are 30 days or older.
ProInteractive simplifies this process by directly connecting you with decision-makers seeking funding solutions. We filter out unqualified prospects and focus only on businesses that match your services, so you spend less time chasing cold leads and more time closing deals.
Register today and start turning aged, qualified leads into predictable growth!
FAQs
Aged MCA leads are prospects who previously showed interest in a merchant cash advance but didn’t complete the process or receive funding. They may have dropped out before becoming marketing- or sales-qualified leads.
Aged MCA leads are cost-effective to acquire, have already shown interest in funding, and face less competition than fresh leads. This allows providers to shorten their sales cycle and improve ROI.
No fixed cutoff can determine whether an aged MCA lead should not be contacted after a certain time has elapsed. But for a general criterion, leads after the 180-day time period have close to zero contact and conversion rate. Leads older than six months require very high volume to produce profitable ROI per lead, and this is not possible for all MCA brokers and lenders.
Conversion rates vary by age tier. Fresh-aged leads (10 to 30 days) convert at 3 to 6%. Short-aged leads (30 to 90 days) convert at 2 to 4%. Mid-aged leads (90 to 120 days) convert at 1 to 3%. Long-aged leads (120 to 180+ days) convert at 0.5 to 2%. These are market estimates, and exact rates depend on the respective strategies used to approach the aged leads.
Aged merchant cash advance leads typically fall in the range of £0.20 to £1.50 per record. The exact cost depends on multiple factors like their age tier and qualification criteria. The highest prices are attracted by fresh aged MCA leads, and long-aged leads have lower prices.
The best way to re-engage with aged leads is to use a multi-channel sequence over 10-14 days, which meets several touchpoints. Call on day one; follow it with voicemail, SMS, and email and then add the merchant on LinkedIn. The goal with this strategy is to use multiple platforms to reach out to the businesses.
