Delegating Merchant Support without Losing Trust

One of the biggest issues that agents face in the field today is the time investment they make after the sale to install terminals and support the merchant.  While some agents use these activities as a way of developing long-term relationships with the merchant, the truth is most of this work can be handled over the phone by the processing company.  Most processors want to do this for the agent, leaving the agent free to focus on the next sale.

I am in a car right now heading back from a sales meeting at one of the largest ISOs in the country.  One of their top reps focuses on Clover.  Whereas you might spend thirty minutes setting up a VX520 for the merchant, imagine how quickly your prospecting time would be eaten up if you were installing Clover systems.  There are two concepts this rep shared that I wanted to pass along to our audience.

#1 – After closing sales, make sure you inform merchants of their responsibility to learn new systems.  Confirm that setting up the terminal or POS System themselves is part of their learning process.

The line this top rep used with merchants is this thought, “When you get your new iPhone or Android device, you want to go through the process of downloading the apps and setting up your phone.  Although getting used to the new phone may take time, there is a reason you upgraded.  To get the most out of the technology and learn how to use it, the best way is to start with the set-up.”

#2 – Explain your responsibilities “post sale.”  He had a great line for this with which I was very impressed.  He tells his merchants this idea, “I am like your car salesman. I sell you the car, but you don’t bring the car back to me for repairs.  Instead, you take it to the mechanic.”  And then he highlights the great support offered by Clover, the processor, and the experts who are standing by to help them maximize the effectiveness of their new device.

Developing a relationship with the merchant is very important.  However, I believe technology and support in our industry has come far enough that we should be able to delegate a good portion of the tech support without losing the trust of the merchant.  

I hope these tips will help!  I didn’t name the agent here because I did not get permission to do so, but you know who you are.  You did a killer job with your Clover presentation; thanks for the tips!

Make it a great day!
James Shepherd

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