Merchant Sales Podcast

Several months ago, I sent an email about the Employee Retention Tax Credit. I explained how to get even a small business $100,000+ in free money from the IRS. A few dozen referral partners signed up with a company I know and trust. They offered their business contacts a proven solution to maximize their ERC funding, while generating a referral commission. Since that time, I have seen many deals a...

Discover how Metro Payment Technologies has been growing its merchant portfolio through networking and referral partnerships. Follow-up is crucial, Joan Winnington, Director of Operations and Marketing at Metro, explains in this week's featured interview. Then James offers steps to successful networking. Plus, Patti reports on regulatory rumblings around BNPL.

How well do you understand the risks inherent in the payment processing space? In this week's edition, I partnered with Maverick Payments to take a deep dive into this topic. You will learn the three sources of risk, the three risk multipliers and the keys to choosing the right high risk provider. I really enjoyed writing this one, I hope you enjoy it!

Caleb Avery, Founder & CEO of Tilled, is passionate about software-led payments. That passion shines through in this week's featured interview, where he discusses Tilled's just-announced partnership with Aevi, and how it creates a true omnichannel approach to Tilled's PayFac-as-a-Service solution. James follows with his response to a question from the field on branding, and Patti reports on the bl...

"Selling on Value" is the big buzz word in merchant services, but many agents and ISOs still struggle to take the first steps in that direction. Today, I am presenting the easiest possible value sell for a merchant services professional. I would like to thank Valor Paytech for working with me on this one. We discuss their "Engage my Customer" feature and how to roll it into your Dual Pricing prese...

Discover how Reliable Payments is building a book of business through a network of referral relationships. "Above all else you need to be there," Reliable's Patrick Gallagher explains in our featured interview. "Nothing grows if you're not present." Continuing on this theme, James offers advice on hiring strategies for growth. Then Patti reports on the decision to create a new MCC code for gun sho...

ISOs and Agents have some serious competition from PayFacs today. One of the major competitive advantages these companies enjoy is a streamlined online application that results in instant approval and automatic integration with their technology solution. I am already talking to dozens of agents who are now boarding all, or at least a portion, of their new MIDs through a PayFac / ISV that has becom...

This week we mix it up a bit. James kicks off the podcast with a discussion of option selling, and Patti follows that up with a report on Apple Pay's lack of options. Plus, you won't want to miss our featured interview with Seshu Madabushi, Founder & CEO of MKonneKt, about the value of a data-driven approach to marketing.

There is still a lot of open road in front of the local merchant sales professional selling general solutions to merchants who are not yet ready for the software revolution. These merchants want simple payment processing solutions which still allow payments to be processed whenever and however they want. This edition is sponsored by North American Bancard. We discuss the ins and outs of selecting...

This week we interview Mike Peters who stepped in as CEO at GetBeyond as Bob Carr shifted his full-time focus to his philanthropic pursuits. We discussed the structure and strategy of GetBeyond and how integrated payments will shape the future for feet on the street sales professionals. James follows up with his take on tech companies becoming ISOs. Patti's insider's report focuses on the Metavers...

In this week's edition of the Merchant Sales Insight, I explain how payments professionals can find, contact, and sell software companies on integrating payment processing. This edition is sponsored by Tilled, who has, in my opinion, the best all around package for technology companies who want to monetize payments. Fortunately, they also partner with ISOs and Agents, allowing them to sell softwar...

"Just selling payment processing is not enough," Vijay Sondhi, CEO at NMI tells James & Patti in this week's featured interview. Then James addresses the need for ISOs to streamline merchant onboarding, and Patti reports on Senator Durbin's latest plan for regulating merchant acquiring.

If you sell payment processing or technology to retail stores, you are aware of the disconnect that often exists between the in-store and online experience. In this edition of the Merchant Sales Insight, I provide you with an introduction to the sales process and what retailers really need. I also discuss solutions from our sponsor, retailcloud.com and how they are changing the game for ISOs, Agen...

In this week's edition of the merchant sales podcast, I share a replay audio from our recent live event on B2B Payments with my special guest Eric Jenks from Paytrace. B2B payments amounted to $33 Trillion last year! (Not Billion.... TRILLION) Only a small fraction of this volume came through card payments. This is the perfect time to go after B2B accounts and generate massive residual income for...

In this week's edition of the Merchant Sales Insight, I share 3 steps that every agent, ISO and Acquirer should be following in order to multiply portfolio value by embracing software with integrated payments. I would like to thank NMI for working with me on this one. I know you will find valuable insights and my hope is that you will begin to future proof your portfolio by embracing the reality o...

Agents will shift over the next 36 months to sell specific verticals on bundled software / payments. They will all be selling for technology companies. Legacy ISOs can either embrace technology, or they can wait for technology companies to become ISOs and steal their agents. In this special edition episode of the merchant sales podcast, James Shepherd shares a roadmap to long term success and grow...

Too often, agents are losing deals to competitors like Toast, simply because these competitors offer free hardware. In this week's edition of the Merchant Sales Insight, we discuss the future of free equipment, especially with the shift towards point of sale systems and smart terminals. I would like to thank Dustin Magaziner of Paybright for his help with this edition!

Real-time payments are coming to checkouts, are you ready to sell? This week Ron Herman describes the Real Time Pay-by-Bank POS solution his firm, Sionic, has built, and the opportunities this creates for ISOs and agents. Plus, James explains the psychology of generating questions and curiosity from your openings, and Patti reports on legislation that would require more transparency in surcharging...

"Too many agents are losing deals unnecessarily," says Dustin Magaziner, Partner at merchant services provider PayBright. Discover how PayBright goes the extra mile to help agents land every deal that makes sense from a profitability perspective. Plus James shares thoughts on BNPL and Patti reports on generational differences in digital payments.

In this edition of the Merchant Sales Insight, I am covering what I consider to be a new segment of retail that consists of gas station stores, convenience stores, liquor stores and other retailers where the consumer experience should be "quick." I talk about how to approach these business types and what type of solution they really need, versus specialty retail shops such as clothing and hobby st...

Discover how MYR helps ISOs and agents position QSR clients as truly quick service options, and bridge mobile, online and in-person food ordering and payment. Plus, James discusses financial literacy and the use of capital, and Patti reports on a Visa rule change aimed at countering fraudulent charge backs.

Building an ISO is much easier than it was when I first gave it a shot 13 years ago! With technology companies and FSPs like Maverick Payments, you can now promote your own brand on the statement and throughout the entire merchant experience while remaining focused on selling payment processing and growing your book. I would like to thank Ben Griefer, COO at Maverick for working with me on this on...

If you're struggling with pitching integrated payments because deployment and support take too much time away from selling, you're going to want to catch this week's episode, as James & Patti interview Joey Marzelli, Co-Founder of Boomtown, an outsourcing firm many ISOs use for smart terminal deployments. "Our technicians can be dispatched pretty much anywhere in the U.S. within a day or two," say...

I started talking about dual pricing because of compliance concerns over Non-cash adjustment type programs. After selling dual pricing in the field, I prefer it because it is easier to explain, easier to sell and provides a better customer experience than cash discounting. If you want to see the future of passing the cost of processing on to the consumer in a way that makes sense to everyone while...

This week James & Patti interview Joshua Benedetti, CEO at Card Z3N, who is building a portfolio by catering to verticals that may not be on the radar for most ISOs and agents. His first big push was in aerospace. Then James gives a first-hand account of setting up a merchant on dual pricing, and Patti reports on P2P payment trends.