LSC25 | Precision Customer Acquisition
🧩 Right Customer, Right Time, Right Price
Optimizing Lead Acquisition with Data, Tech & Timing
Presented in the Great Room| Wednesday March 12, 2025
TL;DR: Experts from Tekambi, TransUnion, and Round Sky unpack how lenders can optimize customer acquisition by leveraging real-time data, machine learning, smart pricing strategies, and collaboration with partners. The goal? Better leads, lower defaults, and a higher ROI.
🎯 The Power of Timing
While “right customer” and “right price” are common topics, timing is often overlooked. As panelist Izzat of Cambi explained:
Consumers search for loans 24/7, not just during business hours.
Off-peak leads may be cheaper and still high-intent.
VIP campaigns for returning customers can capitalize on overnight traffic and off-hours browsing.
If your call center is closed, auto-funding flows can help convert leads round-the-clock.
📊 The Tech Behind Better Targeting
TransUnion’s Brett Taylor introduced the idea of “data democratization”—giving lenders real-time access to dynamic, centralized data warehouses. This empowers:
On-demand business intelligence
Faster pivoting during natural disasters or economic shifts
More adaptive modeling for underwriting, fraud, and marketing
In short: tech + data = precision.
🤖 ML-Powered Pricing Strategies
Tekambi's Ryan McDonald broke down the rise of machine learning in underwriting and lead pricing:
90%+ of lenders now use risk-based pricing or price reject logic
ML tools help forecast conversion likelihood, default risk, and potential profit
Dynamic bids optimize lead buying down to the individual level
Start with static pricing, then evolve into more flexible, data-informed models as your lead volume and confidence grow.
📉 How to Reduce Cost per Funded (CPF)
Lenders often aim to “cut bad sources,” but smarter optimization includes:
Analyzing conversion vs. cost
Adjusting price points instead of cutting leads altogether
Collaborating with providers who offer performance forecasting and real-time filters
Pro tip: The same lead may work at $40 but fail at $80—context matters.
🔁 Tools, Testing & Turnaround Time
Speed matters: Waterfalls taking more than 8–10 seconds can lose the lead.
Too many data calls? Stack wisely—focus on identity, fraud, contactability, and credit risk.
Balance cost per lead with conversion, and watch your tech latency.
The best lenders are using A/B testing, split-testing CRAs, and real-time decisioning to stay competitive.
📈 The Evolving Buy Box
Your “buy box” isn’t static—it should grow with your confidence in your data. Start with broad pricing, but as you collect performance results, refine with:
Price reject
Cost-per-funded models
Tiered underwriting logic per price point
Higher-priced leads may yield higher conversions—but only if your process is fast, your underwriting tight, and your positioning with lead vendors strong.
💡 Final Takeaways
From storefront lenders entering online to enterprise fintechs scaling intelligently, the key message was clear:
“Be where your customer is—at the right moment, with the right offer, and a smooth experience to back it up.”
✅ Use omnichannel strategies: Email, text, direct mail, and retargeting
✅ Leverage real-time decision engines and cloud data access
✅ Collaborate closely with vendors to test, tweak, and grow
