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We all know that cold calling is the hardest yet potentially most rewarding way to succeed in our industry. It can be frustrating trying to get in touch with the decision maker - but - it does not have to be. There are resources available to you that will allow you to make your approach much more successful.

Did you know that many merchants are overpaying for their EBT transactions?  We can save them thousands of dollars a year just by adding their accounts on to our processing account files!

EBT ( electronic Benefit Transfer cards) includes food stamps, WIC, cash benefits, etc…that are issued on a plastic card that looks just like a credit card.  In order to accept these transactions a business owner must register with their state and get assigned a 7 digit EBT number.  Once they register they have a few ways they can accept these transactions:

1. Pay a $75 a month flat fee including a separate terminal to run the transactions. 
2. Provide us with their EBT number and we add it on to their account on file with us.  All they pay is a per transaction fee of $.10  ( For clients running over 750 EBT transactions per month we can negotiate even lower to still get them savings!)

You can clearly see that accepting EBT transactions through our account can be significantly cheaper.  A small convenience store running 200 EBT transactions per month will save $55 a month on their EBT sales alone – before we even negotiate their merchant account fees!   In addition you eliminate a second terminal from their counter.   Use this as a new approach for any  store that may still be accepting EBT on a separate terminal! 

To learn more about EBT and what businesses can accept these transactions in your state follow this link. 

social media has emerged as another outlet in which to generate business. If you are not using any social media websites to help grow your business than you need to start doing so…..today.

New sales people often come to us asking how some of our top producers have done so well.  We end up talking about how to work your territory, asking questions, joining networking groups, and the usual steps you need to take to succeed…but…what is often overlooked and is more important than any of these is building relationships.  This means building a strong network of clients and referral partners throughout your area.  How do you do this? 

1. Take care of your clients and build trust.  One of the biggest issues new sales people have is that they sign a deal and then they rarely or never talk to the client after setting them up.  This is a huge mistake.  In the first 6 months after signing a client up you should check in with them often.  This could be walking in the door to say hello, calling  them, or even a friendly email to see how everything is going.  The client needs to know that someone is looking out for them and cares about their business.    When another sales person walks in the door you want that client to say”   I don’t care what you say – I’m not leaving my person.”  I am sure you have heard this from potential clients before – this is 100% due to their salesperson taking care of them and creating a solid relationship. 
2. Talk to people who work in similar businesses.   Think about the type of businesses you want to work with…whether its restaurants, auto repair, or any of the hundreds of business types we work with, someone else is selling something to them.  Who are their suppliers?  Who is their accountant?  Who do they turn to for financial help?  These are the people you need to meet and start to work with.  Call on them.  Invite them out to lunch or drinks.  One accountant or restaurant sales person could ending up sending you dozens of leads.  You need to send them back to them as well – but that’s how a good mutually beneficial relationship works.  Treat people the way you want to be treated by sending business their way and what you send will come back to you tenfold.

Remember  - working in credit card processing is a marathon – not a sprint.  You make your money over a long period of time.  The longer your clients are with you and the more of them you have then the more money you will make.  The stronger your relationships are with your clients then the longer they will stay with you and the more referrals they will give you.  The more you work with other people in similar industries then the more you will have the opportunity to help grow each other’s businesses.   

We often have new outside sales people ask us this:  What do I wear when I go out to sell merchant services?  The simple answer would be a suit – but it’s not always the right answer.

The easier answer is to tell you what NOT to wear.  Wearing any of the following is a sure way to NOT succeed when it comes to selling credit card processing:

1.  Anything with rips or holes.  No matter how much those ripped jeans cost and no matter how fashionable they are – they are NEVER what you want to wear in any outside sales job.
2. A t-shirt.  It could be the nicest t-shirt in the world ( even one of those super expensive ones sold by famous singers)  It is just not appropriate to be a sales person wearing a t-shirt.
3. Flip flops.  Save em for the beach and Jimmy Buffett concerts.  ( Hawaiian shirts fall under the same category.)
4. Pretty much anything would make your mother ask you if you are really leaving the house dressed like that.

That essentially covers the what not to wear.  So how should you dress when you are going out to sell credit card processing?  It really depends on your audience and who you are selling to.  Here are some of the RIGHT things to wear.

1. A suit.  The obvious choice. BUT….if you are selling to a farmer or a mechanic it may be a bit too much for them.  This is a better choice to wear if you are talking to retail customers , doctors, lawyers, or any other white collar profession.
2. Khakis and a button down or polo.  You can never go wrong with this outfit – especially if you throw a tie on as well.  You are showing that you can dress like a professional but also be just a little bit laid back as well.  This is a great outfit for every type of business you are talking to – including those mechanics, farmers, etc.
3. A blouse and skirt or a nice dress.  Try to keep it a little bit dressier and not too summery.  You want to look like a professional and not like you just walked in off of the beach.

The most important take away for you is that you need to dress the part.  You are working in the financial services field and you need to show it.  Remember to dress for your audience  - that suit might be over the top for some of your clients  - but not all of them.  Keep it clean – use an iron – and look professional and you should be just fine!