You already know the fleet, the equipment schedule and the payroll.

What you see that a lender wants to understand

Almost every business client has an agent. In the Federal Reserve's 2024 Small Business Credit Survey, liability coverage was the most common insurance firms carried, at 91%^[1]. That makes you one of the few outsiders who sees a client's operations each year.

A lender commonly looks at time in business, revenue, the asset being bought and the contract behind the request. You already know a good part of that story. You don't share it with the lender. The client does. But it tells you when a conversation might help.

Signals worth a conversation

For example, any of these may mean a client is spending ahead of collecting:

• A certificate request for a job much larger than the client's usual work.
• New trucks or trailers on the auto schedule, or a request to price units not yet bought.
• New equipment on an inland marine schedule.
• Workers' comp payroll that jumps at audit because the client hired for a new contract.
• A new location added to the property schedule.

None of these means the client needs financing. Each is a reason to ask whether they've planned for it, and to mention the introduction if they want one.

Keep the referral separate from the policy

• Don't tie the two together. Coverage should never depend on whether a client takes a referral, and the referral should never be pitched as part of the policy.
• Don't assume your producer license covers this. A financing referral is not an insurance transaction. Check your state insurance department's rules and your agency's policies.
• Disclose that you're compensated. Tell the client, in writing, that ROK pays a commission if they're funded.
• Don't quote terms or promise an outcome. ROK and its lenders review every request and make every decision.
• Don't pass along the client's records. In California, sending a prospect's confidential data, such as bank statements, to a provider with the expectation of compensation for a referral is part of the definition of a commercial financing broker^[2].

Some states regulate paid commercial financing referrals or require brokers to register. See Know your state's rules.

What a good referral looks like

A client with a specific, current need who has asked for or agreed to the introduction. ROK's application page lists 4+ months in business and $10,000+ in monthly gross sales ($120,000 a year)^[3]. If a client is short of those, the referral isn't ready yet.

How the hand-off works

1. Apply to ROK's referral partner program. The agreement is between you and ROK, under ROK's terms.
2. When a client wants an introduction, disclose your compensation and get their permission.
3. Submit the client's name, phone number and email, which is what ROK's partner page asks for^[4].
4. ROK works with the client directly. ROK says it has access to 75+ commercial lenders^[4].
5. ROK pays commission on funded referral transactions^[4].