Page 17 - GS241001

Insights and Expertise

How well do you know your competition? You need times a week. Your blog and social media posts will help
fundamental knowledge of technology to go head to head establish your thought leadership and industry knowledge.
against big, impersonal platforms. What can you offer that Plan to attend at least one regional show a year to learn,
would stop a merchant from saying no and filling out a network with fellow professionals and meet vendors in
tech provider's no-brainer online application? You don't person. The Southeast Acquirers Association, Northeast
have to be an engineer or software developer, just someone Acquirers Association, Midwest Acquirers Association,
who knows the basics, such as the difference between an and Western States Acquirers Association host annual
API and a fully embedded application. regional conferences that are valuable for MLSs.

Beware of processor-agnostic solutions that are agnostic In an industry where technology is first and processing
today and a competitor tomorrow. These companies are is second, it's time to up our game. Our business used to
getting acquired at breakneck speed and guess what? All change one or two times a year. Today it changes monthly,
bets are off when ISOs, processors and investors buy these weekly, even daily. Technology moves fast, and we need
companies and begin to go after your hard-won merchant to stay current with products, companies, regulations
accounts. and trends. The game is no longer about price or free
equipment; it's about technical capabilities, value and
After losing millions in processing to companies that reach.
forced our customers to switch to their processing or have
their equipment rendered useless, we only work with POS Want to know more? Keep reading The Green Sheet and
companies that own their technology. consider joining my Facebook group, where we can
share ideas and support each other, at www.facebook.com/
Bring your 'A' game nationwidepaymentsystems.

My advice for competing with big tech is simple: Allen Kopelman, a serial entrepreneur, is co-founder and CEO of
don't bring analog tools to a digital game. Read trade Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. and host of B2B Vault: The Payment
publications like The Green Sheet, attend shows and spend Technology podcast. Email him at allen@npsbank.com nd connect on
30 to 60 minutes a day on social media. Have an internet LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenkopelman/ and Twitter @
presence, at minimum, with an attractive website. Update AllenKopelman.
your LinkedIn and Instagram profiles, and post several

17
17