n the highly competitive world of merchant transaction processing, the bundling of services and equipment into a complete sales package is quickly gaining momentum. There are several reasons for this recent development.

Key factors driving the trend are the convenience and flexibility that bundling affords merchants. If you're selling card services, for example, and can bundle them with equipment and check guarantee, your merchants walk away with total coverage for all their transaction needs. As a single-source provider, this gives you tremendous advantages.

Single-package punch

First, being able to offer merchants a one-stop solution can be a powerful sales tool, since it eliminates having to deal with a different salesperson for individual products or services.

Instead, merchants can negotiate a single package with plenty of options from which to choose. Once you've established what merchants need, you can tailor solutions that fulfill individual preferences.

Another advantage to bundling is leverage. If equipment leasing is your primary source of income, configuring equipment with card and check services can help you justify the expense of leasing and possibly save your merchants money in the long run.

That's because a more comprehensive package adds value to your overall proposition. It allows you to demonstrate you have much more to offer than an individual product or service.

Systems-driven sales

Think of bundling as a systems-driven approach to sales. The more channels you have to offer merchants, the better prepared they'll be to handle daily business transactions efficiently.

As their primary contact for resources that enhance their transaction capabilities, you'll gain a position of trust and authority.

Once you've established yourself as a transactions expert, merchants will turn to you for upgrades, and you can keep them apprised of advancements in payments technology as they occur. This approach can be very successful if you're willing to do the work and keep your system current.

Private-label power

Bundling also provides an avenue for private-label opportunities, which can strengthen your name recognition in the industry. Consider implementing an integrated service agreement.

This allows merchants to check off on a single agreement the services and equipment they'll be using. More companies today are turning to integrated agreements to save time and paperwork. It also shortens legal review time at the merchants' end.

Try to work with a provider that can incorporate applicable language from all parties involved into one stand-alone agreement. If that's not available, try to personalize all the components with a single identity or company name.

You can do that by including your logo and colors on all sales materials. Many value-added providers are happy to prepare customized materials upon request.

Merchant glue

After you sign a new merchant with a bundled package of equipment, card services, and check approval and guarantee services, there's the stickiness factor.

Merchants who have solid and fairly priced packages are less inclined to switch to the competition. For one thing, it's more difficult to entice merchants who already have their processing needs merged into one.

If you handle merchants fairly, there's a strong chance they'll remain with you for many years to come. That translates into greater long-term residual income for you.

If you're new to bundling but already have a merchant base, start by upgrading your existing merchants. Established merchants will be an instant market for your new services.

As their current provider, you already have the advantage of knowing their needs and preferences better than your competitors do.

This gives you an opportunity to reaffirm merchant relationships by not only addressing any concerns they might have, but also providing them with enhanced service as you upgrade them to better meet the daily demands of doing business.

What downturn?

Bundling offers additional benefits for your business. You help protect yourself from downturns in the economy or slow periods by having several products in your arsenal, which can mean several sources of income.

Also, adding a new service, such as an accounts receivable check program, may open doors to markets and customers you might not have approached otherwise. And it helps you maximize your sales time.

Why not get the most from each call by selling two or more services in the same time that it would take to sell one? It's more efficient for you and for your customers. Bundling enables you to do that.

Remember, merchants today are confronted with ever-changing technology, which can be overwhelming.

Make it a practice to educate your merchants on new and faster methods for handling all their processing scenarios. Make it hassle free, and you could have many merchants for life.

J. David Siembieda has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of CrossCheck Inc., a national check approval and guarantee provider, for over five years. He has more than 15 years of experience in the check services field. He serves on the board of directors for the Electronic Transactions Association and the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. He is the Chairman for the ETA's Membership Committee and is also a member of NACHA's Electronic Check Council.

CrossCheck has been at the forefront of check authorization services and technology since its inception in 1983. For more information on marketing check services and CrossCheck, please call 800-654-2365 or e-mail dave@cross-check.com