onventional wisdom says that good salespeople need only their wits to sign merchants. Many excellent books have been written on the subjects of successful sales pitches and can't-miss closing strategies, including Paul H. Green's "Good Selling!" and "Good Selling! 2," two books that every new merchant level salesperson (MLS) should read.

But sometimes a solid sales pitch simply isn't enough to win over merchants. When words alone fail to convince them to sign on the dotted line, it's time to bring out the big guns: printed marketing materials.

Printed materials, from brochures and rate sheets to promotional slicks and customized presentations, will open doors, make you as an MLS stand out, add credibility to pitches and dramatically increase your closing ratio. But too many sales agents simply don't use them; instead, they prefer to rely on verbal selling techniques.

The truth is that time and money invested in creating and using printed marketing materials will come back to you many times over. Think of it this way: It doesn't take long to eat a dozen holiday cookies, but the effects will linger long after New Year's has come and gone.

Similarly, a small investment of time and money to create a library of personalized print materials will swell your portfolio dramatically and help you to sign the merchants that will earn you hefty residual checks for years to come.

Gain Credibility: The Corporate Brochure

Most merchants are used to having their work interrupted by walk-in salespeople pitching a variety of products and services. Of course, an MLS's visit isn't an interruption; it's an attempt to save merchants money. But, can you blame store owners for their skepticism when they encounter a steady stream of salespeople with can't-miss offers?

A corporate brochure that clearly and succinctly explains what your company does, summarizes your history and background, and contains accurate contact information will add tremendous legitimacy to your sales pitch.

Empty-handed sales agents who tell merchants that they want to save them money will arouse suspicion; salespeople who back up their claims with easy-to-understand information about their company have more credibility and are more likely to win prospective merchants' trust.

The corporate brochure can be an expensive item to create in terms of design and printing costs, but it's also extremely versatile. Carry a stack of brochures for walk-ins and appointments, and mail some out to merchant prospects to introduce yourself and offer your services.

Make Your Message Clear: The Rate Sheet

Sellers of credit card processing face an obstacle that many other salespeople don't have to worry about: Your target market frequently doesn't understand exactly what you sell, why they need it or how switching processors will possibly save them money.

The rate sheet is a crystal-clear way to show merchants who you are and how you will help them. It's also simple to create: Obtain a copy of the merchant's current processing statement, and you have everything you need to create a compelling rate sheet that will guarantee a closed sale.

First, create a template listing common fees and processing rates. When you obtain a processing statement from a prospective merchant, fill out the template with new information that shows exactly how much money they will save by switching to your processor. (Almost every company uses different names for some fees; you may have to adjust the template slightly to make it match the statement type that merchants are used to seeing.)

Return to merchants with your rate sheet and a copy of their current statement. The difference, and potential savings, will be clear. When you lay your rate proposal out clearly and simply before merchants, they will be foolish to turn down an opportunity to save money.

Give Them Time: The Leave-behind Slick

Credit card processing is a confusing issue for many merchants, and special promotions, terminal leases and specialized services such as gift cards or cash advances can be even more baffling.

The best way to win over merchants who only have a few minutes to talk, particularly when the issue is somewhat complex, is to leave behind sales materials for them to peruse at their leisure. Leave-behinds can either focus on your core products and services or go into detail about seasonal promotions, equipment options or additional services.

Regardless of the message being communicated, keep the materials very simple. Remember, you won't be there to explain anything that's unclear if merchants read it after business hours. Anticipate questions and answer them in the text. Keep messages as succinct as possible. Merchants will only read so much, and no one likes to feel that they've been assigned homework. If it's too long, it will certainly be left behind (in the trash can as soon as you walk out the door).

Stand Out: The Customized Presentation

The most persuasive way to win over high-level merchants is to show them that you've made an extra effort to gain their business. A customized presentation demonstrates that you've done research on how their business works. It also shows that you're willing to go the extra mile to give them service geared to their specific needs.

Merchants with a fairly sophisticated setup and some time to spare may be good candidates for a face-to-face PowerPoint presentation, but you even can persuade merchants without computers by using a printout of a detailed presentation. Of course, the same rules about brevity apply: Don't incorporate dense blocks of text or use hard-to-understand terms unless you'd prefer to make your pitch to the bottom of a recycling bin.

Keep the presentation focused on their business, your business and how the two work together. Taking a cookie-cutter approach to presentation design could backfire, so include enough relevant details and proposals to show that this is an exclusive offer for their business.

Of course, the best marketing materials in the world are no substitute for good selling. An ineffective salesperson with a portfolio of outstanding brochures, slicks and presentations will still receive more than his share of rejections. But for strong sellers looking to take their portfolios to the next level, strategic deployment of marketing materials will greatly enhance the one print material every MLS loves: the residual statement.

Sam Neuman is the Communications Specialist of Cynergy Data, a merchant acquirer that distinguishes itself by relying on creativity and technology to maximize service. Cynergy offers its ISOs: VIMAS, a cutting edge back-office management software; Vimas Tracking, a ticketing system that makes responses to customers fast, accurate and efficient; Brand Central Station, a Web site of free marketing tools; plus state-of-the-art training, products, services and value-added programs, all designed to take its ISO partners from where they are to where they want to be. For more information on Cynergy e-mail Nancy Drexler at nancyd@cynergydata.com .