text: Two Michigan-based business partners – Xtend, Inc., a Grand Rapids-based multi-owned cooperative CUSO, and Member Advantage Mortgage (MAM), an Ada-based CUSO, recently teamed up to help credit unions go after mortgage opportunities based on the national HARP2 initiative. The campaign was designed to provide a turnkey solution for credit unions that leveraged Xtend’s contact center (Xtension) to drive member awareness and MAM’s loan officers to handle the underwriting process.
  According to CUSO President Scott Collins, the project was not the first joint venture between the two CUSOs. “Over the past couple years, we have executed projects for MAM and several of their credit union clients to help build the mortgage application pipeline,” said Collins. “When Tom Davis (MAM CEO) approached us about this latest project, I think we were both confident that it would generate some solid activity, but on this first pass we experienced a lead rate of 40%. Needless to say we were pleasantly surprised, and our team is excited to build upon this momentum on future collaborative projects with MAM.”
  Collins concluded by noting that lead ratios for outbound call campaigns have increased over the past year. “I think it is a combination of multiple factors,” Collins noted. “First, our agent team is getting better at their craft. Second, credit unions, and especially their Boards, are warming up to the idea that topical and timely calls can generate big results. And finally, members are responding positively to hearing more from their credit unions.”