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Education

StreetSmarts SM

Adapt or fade away

By Marc Beauchamp 4. Increase outbound activities. Examples include
Bankcard Life phone calls, email outreach and customer interactions
centered on targeted product offerings that add value
e are knee deep into the economy's reopen- to prospects' businesses.
ing, and I hope your local market is show- Sales approach
ing signs of economic activity. I don't know
W what the future holds, but I do know one With face-to-face sales slowing, pivot to a more productive
constant in life and business is that shift happens. And approach. This means selling remotely utilizing current
current circumstances will require you to adapt your technology and frictionless boarding processes to convert
business model and sales tactics or risk fading into the and activate more merchants. Explore tools like these:
abyss of failed business ventures.
1. CRMs with automated dialing features. These
To assist with this, I want to share several insights and hot allow you to increase your contact ratios.
topics I've been discussing with members in the Bankcard
Life community. 2. Smart marketing campaign sequencing. This
enables you to set up multiple email/phone/SMS
Lead generation text marketing sequences with in-depth analytics of
customer engagement. Customize and personalize
Lead generation is the lifeblood of any business. For now, marketing activities from lead capture to closure.
cold calling, setting appointments and meeting face to
face, and in-person networking have been upended. Until 3. Online presentation tools. Webinar and screen-
the novel coronavirus is neutralized, business owners share programs have taken the world by storm. Set up
and salespeople may be hesitant to interact at the same a free Zoom account for face-to-face meetings, demos
levels they did previously. It is imperative to devise new and sales calls. It's surprising how much rapport you
strategies to generate high-quality leads. Here are four can build through this technology.
tactics to test:
4. Online application and boarding processes.
1. Conduct more cross selling. It's always easier to Most ISOs have easy to use, customizable online
make an offer to an existing relationship than initiate applications and boarding systems. Use any of the
a new one. numerous e-sign programs to board merchants
electronically.
2. Leverage B2B social media platforms like
LinkedIn. Join targeted groups, add value and foster Product offerings
new relationships.
Focus on great products and programs that reduce
3. Advertise on internet platforms like Facebook and overhead, improve efficiency, provide security, increase
YouTube. Paid advertising is extremely affordable cash flow and help merchants deal with consumer
right now. concerns. Evaluate your product lineup and determine
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