Merchant Sales Podcast

Get a behind the scenes look at how Stax (formerly Fattmerchant) worked with NMI to build a next-gen ISO, as James interviews Jacques Fu of Stax and Jen Sherman from NMI. And stick around after the interview for Patti's report on new small business formations in time of Covid.

Discover how Rate Tracker, built by Adam Niec, helps ISOs and agents generate lists of quality leads. Then stick around for James's advice on considerations that should precede decisions around rate increases, and Patti's reporting on Covid-related changes in payments that have staying power.

Discover how TableCrunch helps ISOs and agents boost margins with an automated email marketing platform for Clover, Pax and Poynt merchants. You can also download a free ebook at ccsalepro.com/tablecrunch. Plus, James takes a question about generating leads through online marketing, and Patti reports on a security flaw involving Apple Pay wallets.

It's simple. Just swap at the printer cable, says Dickson Chu, CEO at Copper Inc. Plus James explains option selling, and Patti reports on a lawsuit involving ATM surcharges.

Discover how Visa has boosted transaction costs for some restaurants without actually raising interchange. Kyle Morgan, CEO at MPI, explains how his company is doing to help restaurants deal with the seemingly subtle shifts in interchange pricing. And don't miss Patti's report on gift card trends, and James's tips for getting past gatekeepers when calling on prospects.

Discover an innovative program, SimplePay Restaurant Revitalization Plan, that empowers ISOs and agents to help restaurants come back stronger from pandemic slowdowns. The program offers cash discounting, along with cash grants and marketing support, explains Ray Zak, SimplePay's CEO. Plus, Patti reports on consumer spending plans, and James discusses cash discounting and surcharging compliance.

B2B is a HUGE market opportunity, but if you're selling just on price, "your hitting singles, not grand slams," says Roger McNamara, President, Guide2Interchange. Discover how Guide2Interchange trains agents to be power hitters selling B2B. Plus, James has a tip for grabbing a merchant's attention when cold calling, and Patti reports on potentially ominous stirrings in Washington.

As demand for contactless commerce grows, text-to-pay has become a must-have for every ISO and agent toolkit. The upside is a new source of recurring revenue, explains Larry Talley, Founder & CEO at Everyware. Plus, Patti offers new consumer spending insights, and James explains why Apple Pay is poised for growth.

KastenBerry COO Carrington Fisk describes steps this newcomer ISO has taken to succeed as a start-up in a time of Covid. For starters, all sales agents are W2s. Also, "We treat our agents as professionals, rather than as bonus mules," said Fisk. Plus, Patti and James discuss debit card trends, and some misinformation out of Visa about surcharging.

"Card not present is what got us through Covid," says Jaron Rice, Founder and CEO of Magothy Payments. Also this week, James offers additional insights on effective delegation, and Patti reports on how the global chip shortage threatens new card issuance.

There are 200,000-plus independent convenience, tobacco and liquor stores in the U.S., and the vast majority still rely on 20th Century cash registers. Discover what National Retail Solutions is doing to harness that opportunity with its all-inclusive POS bundle. "We're giving them everything they need," says Eli Katz, President & CEO. That includes connectivity to wholesale distributors and a cas...

The agent today asks James, “What is your opinion of giving written proposals?” Many people in our industry don’t agree with the practice of giving merchants a written proposal. There is always the possibility that a written proposal might be used by prospects for other vendors or to go to their current processor for negotiation. (Read to the end to find answers to two more questions!)

Learn how MetisPro has built Quantic, a multi-channel and customizable POS solution that empowers ISOs and agents to compete with Toast for restaurant accounts. "We're reseller driven and processor agnostic," explains Vigyan Kaushik, Co-Founder & CEO. Plus Patti discusses the latest news on the buy now pay later (BNPL) front, and James offers some insightful marketing tips.

This week James and Patti explore important considerations for agents - new and experienced - from compensation models and agreements to scaling up your business and branding. Then stick around for Patti's reporting on consumer spending trends.

The question today comes from an agent asking how to decide which pricing to use for merchants. Will interchange or tier pricing be the best option for the agent? How does the size of the business influence this decision

This question comes up a lot when ISOs are building out their sales teams, and this week Patti interviews James about considerations that inform the best answers. Then, stick around for Patti's reporting on a new push by PayPal into the brick-and-mortar merchant space.

Learn how Enroll & Pay, a card-linked loyalty service, helps merchants drive sales and ISOs and agents grow their portfolios. "It's a real churn killer," says Brian Booth, CEO and Founder. Plus, James has advice for choosing the right processor to sell for, and Patti reports on how "weaponized content" is driving the fraud economy.

ISOs and agents that aren't selling online merchant solutions risk obsolescence. Danny Mikhail Founder & CEO of Zuza, explains why in this week's featured interview. But don't abandon terminal sales just yet, James adds during his segment, and he offers a formula for evolving your business. Download the free ebook, Evolve of Die, at ccsalespro.com/zuzaebook, and discover how you can become an amba...

Discover how Quincy McKnight is creating a referral network to help his company, Covenant Pay Partners, build a book of big business accounts. And stick around for Patti's report on the latest developments in crypto payments, and James' take on the 3 pillars of effective training.

The question this week is from a director of client services for a processing company. He also partners with marketing companies to create very personalized, niche specific cold email campaigns to generate appointments. He asks, “What kind of messaging or angle could be used in a cold email message to encourage a 10-15 minute conversation with business owners in the payment processing industry?”

Learn how and why Phil McCuiston, President of Wholesale Payments Direct, sold his portfolio of Canadian merchants to build a book of U.S. businesses, relying solely on telemarketing. Hint: cash discounting plays a role. Then stick around for Patti's report on upcoming PayPal fee hikes, and tips from James on firing up agents to sell more.

The agent’s question today involves a big account - a 45 location fast food chain doing a few million per month and as many as 200,000 transactions per month. An irate customer felt there was extra tax charged. How do I explain that to satisfy the customer and the merchant?

Did you know that 8 in 10 SMBs outsource payroll processing? This week, Robert Heinrich, VP of Sales at Simpay, explains why and how MSPs should pitch payroll processing to their merchants. "It's a lifetime residual opportunity," he says. Plus Patti reports on the latest state to greenlight surcharging, and James has some pointers for accessing capital to grow your portfolio.

The agent today is newer to the world of cash discounting. He has a car dealership client seeing more customer dissatisfaction than expected toward cash discounting. What advice can James give to make easier implementation of the program and offer better training to business staff?

To get the attention of any merchant and close the sale, a salesperson must be a good STORYTELLER! Here's why...