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 blowback over plans for an MCC code for gun shops.
Sep 23, 2022•51 min
"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 presentation.
Sep 21, 2022•12 min
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 shops.
Sep 16, 2022•48 min
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 become an ISO, in order to leverage the distribution of the 1099 agent channel. It is time to wake up and...
Sep 14, 2022•14 min
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.
Sep 09, 2022•47 min
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 the right solutions and crafting the right presentation for these local SMBs.
Sep 07, 2022•24 min
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 Metaverse and what payments professionals should know about it.
Sep 02, 2022•56 min
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 software companies that add new MIDs to their portfolio every month on auto-pilot.
Aug 31, 2022•14 min
"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.
Aug 26, 2022•42 min
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, Agents and Retailers
Aug 24, 2022•12 min
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 the long term. These merchants generally need a simple virtual terminal to get up and running. They ...
Aug 19, 2022•39 min
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 of payments today and preparing for the shift to mobile payments.
Aug 17, 2022•20 min
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 growth through the agent channel. If you are an Agent, ISO, ISV, or Acquirer, this episode is for you....
Aug 12, 2022•31 min
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!
Aug 10, 2022•17 min
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 and cash discount programs.
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr 1 min
"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.
Jul 22, 2022•47 min
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 stores that a different set of needs.
Jul 20, 2022•12 min
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.
Jul 15, 2022•57 min
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 one!
Jul 13, 2022•12 min
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," says Joey. Then James explains the importance of understanding opportunity costs when scaling up yo...
Jul 08, 2022•55 min
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 remaining compliant with card brand rules, and generating the same margin as cash discounting, this...
Jul 06, 2022•22 min
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.
Jul 01, 2022•50 min
This week we have a special, expanded edition of the merchant sales insight that will tell you everything you need to know in order to pitch interchange optimization to B2B merchants and to understand how optimization and padding in general can be used in your sales process. I originally wrote an eBook with Eric Jenks of Paytrace several years ago on this topic, but some of the information was out of date and I felt it was time to make an updated version. This eBook was a joint production of bot...
Jun 29, 2022•33 min
High risk processing can be extremely profitable if you target the right verticals with the right approach. In this week's episode, Josh Ewin the President & COO at Helios Payments lays out their approach to the high risk space and how they are building their portfolio. James follows up the interview with a segment on how to sell dual pricing where he shares his experience from the field and then Patti finishes up this episode talking about Crypto payments, a hot topic at this time.
Jun 24, 2022•51 min
Toast has 48K+ restaurant clients as of the fall of 2021 when they filed for their IPO. This is a huge number, but only represents about 5% of the total restaurant segment. In this week's edition of the Merchant Sales Insight, I worked with one of my favorite, truly processor agnostic POS systems, Quantic to provide a road map of what you need to offer in order to compete with Toast and win in the restaurant space.
Jun 22, 2022•14 min
In this week's episode, James covers 3 important trends that represent the biggest threats and opportunities for merchant sales professionals and ISOs in the next one to five years. This is a special, shorter episode with James focusing on what he sees in the market place and providing practical tips. He also focuses on taking your payment processing business to the next level while avoiding the risks.
Jun 17, 2022•36 min
In this week's episode, we talk with Erik Nicholson from Card Connect about the challenges facing ISOs / Agents as business owners seek integrated payment solutions. We also explore how Clover has leveraged the direct sales channel to win big. James talks about mapping your own version of success in the payments industry and what it will take to get there. Then, Patti talks about Fed Now, the new push by the Fed to provide instant payments to bank accounts.
Jun 10, 2022•50 min
There is an interesting trend happening in restaurants. As we become more comfortable ordering food from our phone through Door Dash, GrubHub and Uber Eats, many restaurants are having us order food and pay from our phone at the table as well. In this week's edition, we explore this trend that would potentially eliminate point of sale systems long term. We will also discuss the unique, smart QR Code solution created by Retail Cloud called Tickt that is both processor agnostic AND POS Agnostic, m...
Jun 08, 2022•13 min
Learn how Beyond identifies and trains new sales agents to succeed in merchant services. Continuous, one-on-one communication is crucial, says Logan Peters, Senior Director at Beyond. Plus James discusses the nexus of compensation and finances, and Patti reports on what the Federal Trade Commission is up to.
Jun 03, 2022•42 min
There are 3 trends on which everyone should be focused this summer while balancing time off. #1 - Dual Pricing Regardless of your beliefs about this pricing structure, the market is moving. You can capture new merchant accounts by getting a jump on your competition. #2 - Integrated Payments Is your portfolio secure from software / technology competitors? Use this summer to reposition yourself as a solutions expert. #3 - B2B Payments This is a 33 Trillion dollar opportunity! Are you going to take...
Jun 01, 2022•13 min
