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Education

• What is the first thing you ask merchants when you If you have led with statement reviews, it will be difficult
first talk with them? to lead with system improvement if you don't have a good,
• Who does most of the talking? general understanding of various POSs, for example.
• Do you examine the current ways they process early You will find that the disconnects are obvious, but the
in the conversation or after price conversations? solutions are more difficult to identify. Reach out to your
• What are the three most common key decision processing partner or trusted adviser. Seek out training.
factors you identify? If your partners aren't offering anything of this type,
consider examining those relationships to see if they fit
Don't judge your answers; just list them. Then, set them your new approach.
aside and answer these questions about your knowledge
base: Ultimately, it's up to you. Merchants today understand
• What different POS solutions' basic functionality that they get what they pay for. The good ones are willing
to spend to improve and grow. Are you prepared to
are you comfortable describing? meet their needs (which increases your profits) or chase
• What industries are best served by the solutions? statements?
• Does your knowledge of POS solutions fit your Jeff Fortney is senior vice president of business development and part-
target market? nerships for TouchSuite LLC, a fintech company providing POS systems,
• What are you missing in knowledge? payment processing, SEO solutions, working capital and marketing
services to small and midsize businesses. A long-time payments industry
Taking action professional and mentor, Jeff focuses on strengthening and developing
Once you have those answers, set them aside, too. Don't corporate partnerships and evaluating new business to drive strategic
try to analyze anything until you complete the growth. He can be reached at jfortney@touchsuite.com.
next step, which involves one more question:

• What is your mission statement for 2020?

This statement should be your overall marketing
plan for the year. It is not a count of new merchants
signed, but instead, it is a plan of action. Here are a
couple of examples:

• In 2020, I will spend a minimum of 10 minutes
identifying how a merchant processes today,
how they are planning to grow in the year,
and what pain they have with processing –
all prior to structuring an offer.
• In 2020, I will concentrate on the solution as
a significant part of the process.
Your statement can be short. It can be general. But
it must be a statement of intent – and something
you can execute.
FORGET PRODUCTS,
Now, compare your responses above to you
mission statement. Identify areas that are contrary OFFER BUSINESS SOLUTIONS
to your statement. Do you spend too little time
probing? Is the first conversation about cost? Do
you have sufficient information on POSs to allow Give merchants the comprehensive business solution they need
you to offer solutions? with Electronic Merchant Systems’ complete suite of mobile and
POS devices. Contact us today for product information.
When you find a disconnect, stop and determine
a solution. It's easy to say you won't talk cost until
you understand a merchant's systems and needs,
but it's another thing to actually do it. You must 866.887.8907 | emsagent.com
stop and develop an alternative approach.

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