Merchant Sales Podcast

I've seen thousands of credit card processing statements during my eleven years in this industry. Reading and understanding them is a bit easier for me now. Allow me to give you some keys to interpreting statements on tier pricing. There are some ways to know if the prices are competitive...

Reading and understanding credit card processing statements is difficult. But today I’m offering good news. This episode will give some simple solutions.

The road to success is paved with well-established relationships. This week's episode features a conversation with Hawkins Siemon, Founder and CEO of Elevate Payment Alliance, on building long-term value through well established relationships. Frequent contact with merchant clients is key, he says. Plus, Patti reviews things to watch out for when negotiating contracts with upstream partners, and James explains the pros and cons of surcharging.

The merchant sales process has changed a lot over the last few years. To stay on the cutting edge in sales, changing your own sales process is crucial. The number one key to developing the sales process is...

Insights on building a successful business, merchant-pricing and consumer payment preferences Marc Beauchamp talks with James about is book How to Survive & Thrive in the Merchant Services Industry, which he describes as a blueprint for elevating an MLS's business. James continues his ongoing explanation of pricing models, this week focusing on the concept of passing along merchant processing costs to cardholders. And, Patti provides an update on consumer payment preferences.

For merchant sales professionals one habit is more important than any others! This is a common theme for experienced or brand new agents. Here are some unique tips to help you develop that all-important habit.

Helping merchants tame the charge-back demon Merchants lose billions of dollars a year to unnecessary charge backs. In this week's episode, Gary Cardone describes how Chargebacks9-1-1 leverages data and analytics to drive down charge backs, and by extension card declines. Plus, Patti discusses how the Internet of Things could change payments, and James explains the pros and cons of subscription rate pricing.

In this week's episode, Vijay Sondhi, CEO of NMI, explains how NMI works with ISOs to help small & mid-sized businesses compete with the big guys through omni-channel enablement. James describes the pros and cons of flat rate pricing. And Patti reports on the latest trends in credit and debit card payments and acquirer rankings.

Compliance is always a challenge! There are regulations and rules which apply to surcharging fees. Today I’ll discuss some interesting trends regarding these as related to the use of debit cards.

I'm finally publishing five keys for selling merchant services on the phone. This is probably the most requested topic I've ever had. There's a very good reason I've never published an episode on it before...

Learn how one ISO minimizes churn with merchant options for passing along costs to customers Phil Ricci, Vice President of Sales Operations at Clearent, describes how Clearent supports different paths to success in helping merchants pass along card processing costs to customers. Options include cash discounting, surcharging, and a combination of the two. Plus James explains tiered pricing and Patti reports on Apple's credit card gambit.

Help merchants boost revenue by up to 11% with intelligent reconciliation Troy Zentner, CEO and Co-Founder of Gold Star Payments, describes a revolutionary approach to reconciliation; that helps merchants realize revenue bumps upwards of 11%. James explains the pros and cons of Interchange Plus pricing. And Patti reviews the latest trends in corporate payment frauds.

There is an underlying cost structure for every ISO and processor in the merchant services industry. To make a profitable book of business, making sure fees are covering costs is crucial. And saving merchants money is the methodology of the industry. Let me help you understand this vital topic…

Mastering the art of relationship building The key to building lifetime relationships is in keeping it super simple, RJ Horsley, President of SpotOn Transact, explains in this week's featured interview. Plus, James discusses urgency killers and ways to overcome these in order to close deals, and Patti describes the latest trends in e-commerce sales.

I have some interesting experiences when traveling and consulting. I also see many trends in our industry. One illogical one I've noticed lately is...

Learn why cash discounting is a win-win & how to close deals when selling on value This week's podcast features an interview with Adam Ackerman, head of the ISO Sales Channel at Merchant Lynx Services. Adam explains how cash discounting is driving value for MLSs and their clients. James offers more insights for selling on value, specifically how to close a value sale. And Patti provides an update on crypto-currency trends.

The big question in our industry right now is, “should we switch from cash discounting to surcharging, or should we add surcharging?” There are 3 problems with going to all surcharge right now. Here are some tips to help you through this transition time in the industry.

Making case for surcharging, instant funding; plus value-selling roadmap Robert Maynard explains how his firm, SurchX, partners with ISOs and MLSs to support compliant credit card surcharging. James provides a roadmap for selling on value. And Patti describes merchant demand and willingness to pay for instant funding options.

I've talked to thousands of agents and ISOs through my years in the industry. That has resulted in exposure to many different approaches for selling merchant services. I've found three main categories of prospecting strategies which are most successful...

Learn about selling on value, managing e-commerce risk James offers insights for selling on value. Le Ann Power explains how G2 Web services help ISOs and acquirers, manage e-commerce risk and card brand compliance. And, Patti discusses what recent acquirer mega-mergers could mean for ISOs and agents.

There’s been much transition in the industry the last year! Cash discounting isn’t dead, but it has changed. Jump into the episode with me today while I discuss the current trends on this hot topic.

Making sense of crypto-currencies, phishing & cash discounting This week's podcast features Steve Eazell, SVP for Partner Sales at PayVida, who discusses the ins and outs of crypto-currencies. Plus, James answers a question on the minds of many agents these days: should I still sell cash discounting? And Patti offers tips for fending off phishing attacks.

Engender merchant loyalty & profitability, even if you can't always say "yes". This week, industry veteran and Paysafe President OB Rawls explains, how selling solutions that enable merchants to grow; helps ISOs and MLSs grow their businesses. Patti discusses balancing merchant demands for less friction and greater security in payments. And, James offers insights on what to do when you can't say, "yes" to a merchant.

What distinguishes cash discounting from surcharging programs? Compliance and Margins With Visa making clear its disdain for cash discounting programs, more ISO's and MLS's are looking into surcharging programs. In this week's featured interview Jonathan Razi, Founder of CardX, describes markets and verticals where surcharging works. "The winners in this space will be those that make compliance automatic," he says. Plus, James explains distinctions between cash discounting & surcharging, and Patti discusses results of the first-ever JD Power analysis of merchant services providers.