Page 8 - GS131201
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ReadersSpeak
ChapterTitleTitle
Chapter
How do I take action? • How to nail the pitch: "Street Smarts: Lessons from
that first call," by Jeff Fortney, The Green Sheet, Feb.
There's been talk in the industry for years now about 11, 2013, issue 13:02:01
how us ISOs and MLSs need to do far more than just sell • How to develop the right selling strategy:
payment processing and a few value-added services. We "Thriving in a disruptive market - MLS strategies,"
shouldn't sell on price anymore either. We need to become cover story, The Green Sheet, Jan. 28, 2013, issue
consultants to our merchants. That sounds good, even 13:01:02
necessary, but, you know, I think it's mostly talk, talk, talk. • How to close leads: "Leads, leads, leads - Part 3:
It's hard enough these days just to get a merchant's ear Lead nurturing," by Peggy Bekavac Olson, The
for a minute or two. How in heck can I become a trusted Green Sheet, April 11, 2011, issue 11:04:01
adviser in these little snippets of time I get face to face or
on the phone with these guys? Can you point me to some Editor
resources where I can get good ideas on how to really put
the talk into action?
Todd Benson
Todd,
Correction:
The first thing to understand is that becoming a trusted adviser
is a process, not a slogan you slap on your website. While ISOs To optimize, not authorize
and MLSs employ vastly different selling strategies to arrive at The Planet Group Inc. company profile,
that ideal designation of trusted adviser, it is safe to say that "Processing autonomy for ISOs," The Green
establishing yourself as one takes three things: focus, persistence Sheet, Nov. 11, 2013, Mark Spurgeon,
and product.
Planet Group Senior Vice President, was
misquoted in the "Controlling your own
When you engage merchants in person or over the phone, realize system" section. The quote stated, "We
that your pitch has to be razor sharp and focused on how your have interchange authorization …"; it
services will benefit the merchant. It is true that you have a very should have stated "We have interchange
short window of time before a merchant tunes you out, so make optimization …" instead. The error has been
sure you deliver the goods when you have the opportunity.
fixed in the HTML version of the issue.
You also have to be relentless. If you get the cold shoulder from a Also, the company's product Acquire360
merchant on first contact, that's not necessarily a life sentence. was referred to as Acquirer360 in several
Reach out on a periodic basis after that initial contact to touch mentions within the profile. This has been
base and gauge whether the prospect may have changed his corrected, as well. The Green Sheet regrets
or her mind. And always remember, it takes time to develop the errors.
relationships with merchants, so don't give up.
Of course, you also need to deliver the goods when merchants
come calling. If you talk about the highly reliable performance
of your mobile payment solution, but that solution fails after the
merchant bites, you have probably lost that merchant for good.
We're here for you
On the other hand, when sellers fulfill the above points, they
build trust with merchants over time. Only then can you become If you have an opinion on a hot button issue that affects
a trusted adviser. It is a moniker you cannot grant to yourself − the payments industry, or you just want to sound off on
it must be earned. something you found disagreeable in the pages of GS, send
it to us via email at greensheet@greensheet.com. Hearing
The Green Sheet has published a vast and unprecedented directly from the feet on the street helps us better serve
amount of material on all topics related to how sellers become you.
trusted advisers, so take advantage of the resource by searching
through our archived material. Here are a few examples of what
you will find:
8 8
ChapterTitleTitle
Chapter
How do I take action? • How to nail the pitch: "Street Smarts: Lessons from
that first call," by Jeff Fortney, The Green Sheet, Feb.
There's been talk in the industry for years now about 11, 2013, issue 13:02:01
how us ISOs and MLSs need to do far more than just sell • How to develop the right selling strategy:
payment processing and a few value-added services. We "Thriving in a disruptive market - MLS strategies,"
shouldn't sell on price anymore either. We need to become cover story, The Green Sheet, Jan. 28, 2013, issue
consultants to our merchants. That sounds good, even 13:01:02
necessary, but, you know, I think it's mostly talk, talk, talk. • How to close leads: "Leads, leads, leads - Part 3:
It's hard enough these days just to get a merchant's ear Lead nurturing," by Peggy Bekavac Olson, The
for a minute or two. How in heck can I become a trusted Green Sheet, April 11, 2011, issue 11:04:01
adviser in these little snippets of time I get face to face or
on the phone with these guys? Can you point me to some Editor
resources where I can get good ideas on how to really put
the talk into action?
Todd Benson
Todd,
Correction:
The first thing to understand is that becoming a trusted adviser
is a process, not a slogan you slap on your website. While ISOs To optimize, not authorize
and MLSs employ vastly different selling strategies to arrive at The Planet Group Inc. company profile,
that ideal designation of trusted adviser, it is safe to say that "Processing autonomy for ISOs," The Green
establishing yourself as one takes three things: focus, persistence Sheet, Nov. 11, 2013, Mark Spurgeon,
and product.
Planet Group Senior Vice President, was
misquoted in the "Controlling your own
When you engage merchants in person or over the phone, realize system" section. The quote stated, "We
that your pitch has to be razor sharp and focused on how your have interchange authorization …"; it
services will benefit the merchant. It is true that you have a very should have stated "We have interchange
short window of time before a merchant tunes you out, so make optimization …" instead. The error has been
sure you deliver the goods when you have the opportunity.
fixed in the HTML version of the issue.
You also have to be relentless. If you get the cold shoulder from a Also, the company's product Acquire360
merchant on first contact, that's not necessarily a life sentence. was referred to as Acquirer360 in several
Reach out on a periodic basis after that initial contact to touch mentions within the profile. This has been
base and gauge whether the prospect may have changed his corrected, as well. The Green Sheet regrets
or her mind. And always remember, it takes time to develop the errors.
relationships with merchants, so don't give up.
Of course, you also need to deliver the goods when merchants
come calling. If you talk about the highly reliable performance
of your mobile payment solution, but that solution fails after the
merchant bites, you have probably lost that merchant for good.
We're here for you
On the other hand, when sellers fulfill the above points, they
build trust with merchants over time. Only then can you become If you have an opinion on a hot button issue that affects
a trusted adviser. It is a moniker you cannot grant to yourself − the payments industry, or you just want to sound off on
it must be earned. something you found disagreeable in the pages of GS, send
it to us via email at greensheet@greensheet.com. Hearing
The Green Sheet has published a vast and unprecedented directly from the feet on the street helps us better serve
amount of material on all topics related to how sellers become you.
trusted advisers, so take advantage of the resource by searching
through our archived material. Here are a few examples of what
you will find:
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