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What makes a good boarding partner?

After analyzing her two experiences, Karawadra began talking with her sales agents, canvassing them on what they felt
were the key qualities that great merchant services partners should have during the account boarding process.

As she surveyed, the following three factors were mentioned over and over again by everyone on her sales team, providing
invaluable information to what she could review and apply within her own company:
Communication – “Above all else, communication is the highest priority,” urged Karawadra. “Even if you don’t have
an answer, communicate this honestly to the selling agent boarding the business, so they can update the merchant
and give them a realistic timeline.” According to Karawadra, frustration often comes in when a merchant asks for a
status update on their application, but the sales person can’t answer because they aren’t receiving quality feedback or
guidance from the MSP.
Reliability – Every frontline sales person needs to be able to rely on what their MSP is telling them. The information
given should also be factual, and predicted timelines should be met, so your sales force feels comfortable enough to
continue bringing business to you. Karawadra believes a sales person that feels confident and can comfortably rely on
what you tell them about the deal, timeline and account provisions will almost always bring their new business to you
first. “Simply answering the phone goes a long way too,” she said. “It can be tremendously challenging to be in the field
with a merchant, only to find out the MSP is not reachable by phone to answer a simple question.”
Follow through – “We all know the follow through is the hardest part of providing service,” Karawadra stated.
“Identifying the problem is the easy part, but it is finding the resolution and seeing the fix through to the end that is
the real key to keeping a customer happy.” Karawadra feels this is where MSPs often get lost and start losing agents. “If
a sales person brings attention to an error, or any problem that needs resolving, and the matter never gets resolved,”
she continued. “It is just as negative as telling them their business isn’t important to you.” Karawadra urges every MSP
to have a system for documenting concerns, escalating them when needed, and holding the company accountable to
providing every sales person with the best possible solutions.
Sell for a company that cares

Karawadra also urges sales people in the payments industry to do an analysis of their own on the company or companies
they board business with. Is the process cumbersome? Is someone always available to answer questions when you need
it? What kind of ongoing communications occur during the application review process? Does the company ever ask what
they can do to provide better service to you?
If any of these questions leave you pondering about the quality of a partner relationship, or you are wondering if
there could be a better option for you, Karawadra invites you to visit Impact PaySystem at https://impactpays.com, or call
877.251.0778 or contact the company via email to discuss the potential of starting a selling relationship.

lectronic Merchant Systems (www.emscorporate.com),
has been helping small and mid-size business owners
realize their full potential since 1988. Headquartered in
E Northeast Ohio, with sales offices across the country,
EMS provides trouble-free deployment of customizable payment
applications to increase business profitability. EMS serves tens of
thousands of retail, internet, and start-up businesses nationwide,
processing over $3 billion in annual payment card transactions.
EMS, a recognized payments industry leader and brand, increases
its clients’ financial wellbeing through its innovative suite of busi-
ness solutions, high-quality service and professional employees.
What’s New:

Profit as you grow in merchant services

elling merchant processing systems can be rewarding in many ways. In addition to having the freedom to
decide when and where you work and how much compensation you receive, there's the satisfaction that comes
with being personally involved with your community. Each new day brings new opportunities to help small
S business owners stay ahead of their competitors. If you're not feeling challenged in your current role, maybe it’s
time to consider a change. The merchant services profession offers many tangible benefits: the ability to earn competitive
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