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Education

StreetSmarts SM

Learn. Connect. Engage.
Lear n. Connect. E ngage.

With Natasa Cvijanovic
vic
W

ith N
atasa Cvijano

Stay relevant – reinvent your selling style

By Natasa Cvijanovic and their needs are the focus of selling, not the sellers or
Tesla Payments the features of their products.
he continued transformation of the payments Even if they are unaware of some of their problems,
industry is visible in every sector of our sphere, merchants want and need your help finding solutions.
but what about the evolution of selling? What, This can be accomplished by implementing consultative
T if anything, have you changed about your sales selling techniques. Before prescribing solutions, merchant
approach? Is anything different in light of changes in our level salespeople (MLSs) must do their research, ask
industry? compelling and clarifying questions, and listen even
more intently than they may have thought necessary
Maybe you haven't thought about it, but I'm willing to previously.
bet that your sales techniques have evolved over the last
10, 15 or 20 years, otherwise you wouldn't be here. New This sales strategy is intended to result in a sale by
and additional regulations, such as PCI, EMV, etc., new completing the four requisite steps listed below:
services, and reinvention of POS systems and pricing
structures as we moved from 60 interchange rates and 1. Develop merchants' trust in you: Would
tiered pricing to over 600 card types (to name only a few you follow the advice of a salesperson you don't
influencing factors) compelled everyone to pivot and trust? We've all been annoyed by a salesperson or
reinvent their sales strategies to survive. telemarketer who cared more about making a sale
than solving a problem their product was meant
The competition has increased threefold, with new ISOs to solve. Be sincere and honest to avoid becoming
popping up around every corner. All challenges have one of these salespeople. Develop a rapport and
been exacerbated by the pandemic, exposing flaws in keep the conversation about what's best for the
current sales techniques and product offerings. customer before making a sales pitch. Whatever
approach you take, establishing credibility and
The end of the cookie-cutter approach trust will improve your ability to sell effectively.

Although a lot has changed, for the most part, it has been 2. Determine merchants' needs: When a
for the better. ISOs and processors alike are emphasizing a patient visits a doctor, the doctor reviews the
more accommodating and flexible sales strategy. Ongoing patient's medical records, asks about symptoms,
changes in our dynamic industry continue to require stress, exercise, nutrition, etc., and then makes
adaptation in countless ways. Customization has replaced recommendations. The appointment is tailored to
one-size-fits-all as the new standard. Each merchant faces the patient's needs to help them get better instead
a unique set of problems, and each one would prefer not of assuming what's wrong. Merchant meetings
to be addressed by a generic band-aid solution. Merchants
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