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Education

StreetSmarts SM

SHARING WISDOM
SHARING WISDOM

WITH JEFF FORTNEY WITH JEFF FORTNEY

Gain confidence, grab opportunities

in the new normal

By Jeff Fortney people believe we are facing another challenging year.
The Strawhecker Group I would argue the opposite. I believe the year presents op-

n the past, when a new year began companies portunities we haven’t seen in the past two years. Why?
would set new goals and targets and develop plans If you have read any of my articles over the past sever-
for growth. And optimism was palpable—even if it al months, you can probably answer that question. Yet,
I was a recessionary period. C-suite executives and when I converse with ISOs and MLSs, I can still hear fear
merchant level salespeople (MLSs) alike took part in plan- and loss of confidence. Thus, I think it's time I discuss op-
ning and devising action steps to meet new targets. tions to overcome this loss of confidence, and adapt to the
new normal.
In my many years in the professional world, I never expe- Amplify what you've already done
rienced a period even remotely comparable to the one we
endured from the end of 2019, throughout 2020 and into Try this 15-minute self-assessment. Begin by looking
the beginning of 2021. No recent history can provide us inward. To be successful, you need to realize that what
with direction for this time, which remains unsettled a worked in 2017 simply won't work today. That doesn’t
year after widespread COVID vaccination efforts got un- mean you abandon the skills and experience you have
derway. The last pandemic that had an impact of similar gained. In fact, if you look close enough, you will realize
consequence was back in 1918 and 1919, when the world you've already started to adapt that experience to today’s
was ravaged by a virulent strain of flu. new normal. Whether or not you intended to, you've had
to make changes to address our new normal conditions to
Opportunity awaits those who look survive. You just need to amplify those changes.

So, how do you plan at a time like this? In 2020, I dare say,
we planned to just survive. During conversations with col- Next, choose one immediate step to take that is based on
leagues in the payments sphere, I found the majority felt the new normal conditions, and execute that step. Here
the same way. We defined long-term planning in months, are a few options:
not years. In early 2020, I talked about my 100-year-old • Add different merchant types to your targets. Exam-
uncle, whose philosophy was to live day to day. I encour- ples include service industries like HVAC, plumbing,
aged agents to think day to day, since potential merchant towing and others of this nature. Change your ap-
clients were not even sure they could survive the year. proach to address their specific needs.
Improved conditions in 2021 allowed for some long-term • Add a pricing model and approach to your toolbox.
planning, but again, the uncertainty of the pandemic If you have been pure interchange-plus pricing, con-
lingered. And as the year drew to a close, just when we sider adding a surcharge, or tiered pricing model.
thought we were settling down, we became flooded with Whether or not you like these models, merchants
Omicron. Now, as we approach the end of January, some are hearing about them, and some have these pric-

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