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Education

cent. The study also reported remote sell- A perfect combination of the two sales models is emerging in the MLS
ing was on the rise, projecting it would world as successful new tactics evolve. The ability to touch more prospects
increase 30.2 percent in the following while building solid relationships looks like the winning combination for
year. MLSs seeking to retain merchants while obtaining new business.

Here is perhaps the greatest surprise in As I get older and no longer have the energy I once had, I expect the
the evolution of inside sales (primar- ability to remotely sell and support a service will be a positive factor in
ily handled remotely) and outside sales my success as I move into my next phase of life. It's intriguing to know my
(largely done face-to-face): Using census time and energy can be used more effectively with inside sales tactics, and
data, the report analyzed how the 5.7 mil- that I won't have to sacrifice building solid relationships and retaining my
lion, non-retail salespeople in the United customers.
States were spending their time. Re-
searchers estimated salespeople focused I believe in the value of standing in front of your prospect and being
43.5 percent of their time inside, and 56.5 able to build a relationship, but I also see a need to balance this with the
percent in the field. efficiencies gained with remote tactics. I can now attest, if both tactics are
done effectively, the outcome will far exceed what I could accomplish with
Studies like this prove outside sales rep- only face-to-face interaction.
resentatives are now spending nearly half Dee Karawadra is president and CEO of Impact PaySystem, and Emily Karawadra is the com-
of their time selling remotely, which re- pany's chief financial officer. Since 2001, Impact PaySystem has been a leading provider of
flects an 89.2 percent increase since 2013.
Additionally, respondent companies re- payment processing technologies and services to merchants throughout the United States.
ported the primary purpose of inside Through alliances with payments industry leaders such as Chase Paymentech, First Data,
sales teams was to "create a model that Buypass, Sage and more, Impact PaySystem offers tailored solutions to meet the unique
more fully partners with field sales." We needs of each merchant. Dee and Emily will welcome your questions and comments at
see this also happening in the merchant dee@impactpays.com and emily@impactpays.com, respectively.
services industry, with outside sales
teams becoming more and more able to
sell remotely and cover additional terri-
tory.
From Dee

In a service industry such as merchant
services, nothing beats the personal touch
of a face-to-face sale. We all see this in our
attrition rates. The merchants we're able
to make relationships with are the mer-
chants we keep even after their contracts
expire.

However, inside sales has evolved from
telemarketing to a frontline sales process
handled remotely, which routinely in-
volves high-touch transactions over the
phone and email. Unlike old-fashioned
telemarketers, today's inside salespeople
are highly skilled and knowledgeable.

Advances in communications technology
enable inside sales professionals to give
presentations, conduct demonstrations
and perform most functions traditionally
handled by representatives in the field.
And when the approach is right, they
build strong relationships remotely and
provide the support needed to keep mer-
chants loyal.

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