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	<description>Resources for Agents selling Credit Card Processing and Merchant Services</description>
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	<itunes:summary>Resources for Agents selling Credit Card Processing and Merchant Services</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:author>CCSalesPro</itunes:author>
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	<itunes:subtitle>Resources for Agents selling Credit Card Processing and Merchant Services</itunes:subtitle>
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		<title>Getting Past the Gatekeeper in Merchant Services</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/getting-past-the-gatekeeper-in-merchant-services</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/getting-past-the-gatekeeper-in-merchant-services#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:13:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2594</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Last week I posted this video on how to handle early ob [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/getting-past-the-gatekeeper-in-merchant-services">Getting Past the Gatekeeper in Merchant Services</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last week I posted this video on how to handle early objections where the business owner is just trying to blow you off:</p>
<p>&nbsp;<br />
<iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nuvbEF84YeE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Today I got a follow up question, how do you get past the gatekeeper?  Many times a junior employee will tell you things like, &#8220;The owner wouldn&#8217;t be interested&#8221; or &#8220;I will take your card and have the owner call you if he is interested.&#8221;  Here is how I handle these situations:</p>
<p>I try to use a lot of confidence bordering on condescension to show this person that while I appreciate them doing their job they will not tell me what I can and cannot do.  This one is really, really hard to explain in a blog post or a monolog video but, I will do my best by sharing the dialog below that might be an example of how the conversation would go.</p>
<p>Me: Opening &#8230;. &#8220;Who are you using for your processing?&#8221;<br />
Employee: &#8220;I don&#8217;t know, the owner handles that.&#8221;<br />
Me: &#8220;Ok, What is his name?&#8221;<br />
Employee: &#8220;Bob, but he wouldn&#8217;t be interested.&#8221;<br />
Me: &#8220;Ok, what did you say your name was?&#8221;<br />
Employee: &#8220;Susan&#8221;<br />
Me: &#8220;And you say that you don&#8217;t handle the credit card processing or have anything to do with that decision right, I would have to talk to Bob?&#8221;<br />
Employee: &#8220;Yes, but you can just leave your card with me and I will have him call you if he is interested.&#8221;<br />
Me: &#8220;No, that&#8217;s ok, if he is the one that handles it I would rather swing back by when he is here, thanks for your time though Susan, have a great day!&#8221;</p>
<p>Then I come back two or three days later and if someone else is there I just say, &#8220;Hey is Bob in?&#8221; and if it is the same girl I say, &#8220;Hey Susan how are you doing today?&#8221;  (Response) Great, is Bob in?</p>
<p>This is one of those things that is difficult to get across because 90% of this pitch is about confidence and seeming really important.  You really have to take command in these situations and it also depends on the employee.  I would use the lines above for a younger employee but, if let&#8217;s say a 40 year old woman is at the counter feeding me these same lines, I might say something like, &#8220;Susan I really appreciate your time today, I know you are doing your job and you obviously know Bob a lot better than I do but, my job is to talk to small business owners.  I have dozens of great references out here and  I am confident that Bob and I would have a productive conversation, I know this is not a good time, so I will just swing by the next time I am in the area.  Thanks again for your time I hope you have a great day.&#8221;  </p>
<p>Either way I am still going to be very confident and almost a little condescending.  I am a boss myself and have had people working for me for years, so I sincerely feel a little put off when a part time burger flipper tells me what I can and cannot do and I guess that comes out in my pitch a little LOL  I will say that for whatever reason it usually works.  </p>
<p>One other thing, obviously this is a worst case scenario since my goal is to make them like me rather than to respect me.  &#8220;Like&#8221; is always the first step in the sales process but if I can&#8217;t get them to like me, I can at least get them to respect me.</p>
<p>Hope that helps!<br />
James Shepherd</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/getting-past-the-gatekeeper-in-merchant-services">Getting Past the Gatekeeper in Merchant Services</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Are You an Expert?</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/are-you-an-expert</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/are-you-an-expert#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:41:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2587</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>This week, we have a guest article from another top sal [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/are-you-an-expert">Are You an Expert?</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This week, we have a guest article from another top sales trainer Noah Rickun.  He travels all over the country providing live training events and I thought this was such a great article and so applicable to our industry that I just had to re-post it on our blog!</p>
<p>&#8220;It takes 10,000 man hours to become an expert. Wow. That’s a lot of time, dedication and practice, isn’t it? But just like many expert concert pianists hated practicing as children, being the best at something isn’t easy.</p>
<p>There’s another side to this expert stuff, though. People want to buy from people who are the best at what they do&#8230;&#8221; <a href="http://noahrickun.com/are-you-an-expert-yes-heres-how-to-sell-it/" target="_blank">Read the Rest &#8212; Click Here</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Here are a few of my favorite quotes from this article:</strong></p>
<p>&#8220;It will not always be in  your comfort zone to accomplish something at the next level of greatness. Whether it’s meeting new people or just learning a new skill, you have to push forward&#8230;&#8221; <a href="http://noahrickun.com/are-you-an-expert-yes-heres-how-to-sell-it/" target="_blank">Read the Rest</a></p>
<p>&#8220;You have to push push push, then push just a little more, always striving to be better, if you want an expert status.&#8221; <a href="http://noahrickun.com/are-you-an-expert-yes-heres-how-to-sell-it/" target="_blank">Read the Rest</a></p>
<p>&#8220;Ultimately, you need to find a powerful way to stand out from the crowd. Once you become the expert in an area and excel at your niche, you’ll be able to sell yourself as the go-to person for whatever it is you do.&#8221; <a href="http://noahrickun.com/are-you-an-expert-yes-heres-how-to-sell-it/" target="_blank">Read the Rest</a></p>
<p>I hope you enjoy this article from Noah Rickun!</p>
<p>Have a great week!</p>
<p>James Shepherd</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/are-you-an-expert">Are You an Expert?</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How to Succeed in Merchant Services</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/how-to-succeed-in-merchant-services</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/how-to-succeed-in-merchant-services#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2581</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>We recently started our first 10 agent team with PayPro [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/how-to-succeed-in-merchant-services">How to Succeed in Merchant Services</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We recently started our first 10 agent team with PayProTec and it is going great!  There team is called the &#8220;A-Team&#8221; and this morning I sent them a letter that I wanted to share with you.</p>
<p>Hello A-Team! I just wanted to send out a quick email because I just got off the phone with one of our top agents and he and I were talking about this new team and what it really takes to succeed. One thing I told him is that I never want to mislead our agents the way so many other recruiters do by telling them how easy it is or how much they can make with very little effort. Here are a couple facts that I wanted to share with you from my top agent friend:</p>
<p><strong>#1 &#8211; If you are spending less than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week on this business you have very little chance of succeeding.</strong> That means if you have no clients and only a few follow ups, you should be spending more than the minimum 4 hours per day in the field. The top agent I was just talking to adds 20+ new prospects per day to his Podio account and he is selling 15+ deals per month and already has a good sized customer base. If you are creating goals to shoot for, use this top agent as a goal not the minimum expectation of 10 new prospects per day.</p>
<p><strong>#2 &#8211; You are starting your own business.</strong> Starting a business takes focus, dedication and hard work. Starting a business means doing some things that you don&#8217;t like to do or working longer than you want to work in order to make your business become a reality. Once your business is large and growing, you will be able to delegate some of those tasks and I will be here to walk you through that process but, right now you are your business so your effort and work is the only factor in your business success.</p>
<p><strong>#3 &#8211; This business is awesome!!!</strong> There is nothing else like it. If you put in the hours and effort over the next 6 months, you will build a business that will seriously change your life. Both this top agent and myself were talking about how nice it is to know we could take off for 6 months or a year and hardly even effect our income. How nice it is to know that if something came up and we needed $50,000 in a couple weeks we could just sell a tiny portion of our portfolio back to the processor and have $50,000 in cash in a couple weeks. How incredible it is to see your monthly income increase by $500 or more every single month which is basically like getting a $6,000 per year raise every month. My personal residual from March to April increased $1,400!</p>
<p>This is an amazing business and one that can create the kind of income and lifestyle you want. However, I want to make it clear to each one of you that it isn&#8217;t easy. It takes hours and hours of time in the field walking into businesses even when you don&#8217;t feel good or want to use a personal excuse to take the day off. It means keeping track of every prospect and working every prospect as if it was your only one. It means caring about the local businesses in your market and recognizing that you are providing value to them to help them save money.</p>
<p>This is your business, are you passionate enough to work 8 hours today? Are you passionate enough to walk into 10 more businesses after you already achieved your goal of 10 new prospects per day? Are you passionate enough to go back the 5th time to get a statement from a prospect because you know that you have the ability to put a few thousand dollars a year back into his pocket to pay the bills and maybe pay for a family vacation?</p>
<p>I have seen dozens of agents succeed in this business and I have seen dozens fail and the common denominator among the successful agents is not sales ability or charm. It is not business experience or sales experience. It is not connections or huge networks of business friends. The common denominator is simple. Hours = Income Work the hours, have the passion, put in the effort and you will have the income.</p>
<p>Sincerely,<br />
James Shepherd</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/how-to-succeed-in-merchant-services">How to Succeed in Merchant Services</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>5 Short Sales Tips for Merchant Services</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-short-sales-tips-for-merchant-services</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-short-sales-tips-for-merchant-services#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:18:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2572</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>-By Jon Ruiz Tip #1: GET GOING There are many reasons w [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-short-sales-tips-for-merchant-services">5 Short Sales Tips for Merchant Services</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>-By Jon Ruiz</p>
<div><strong>Tip #1: GET GOING</strong></div>
<div>
<div></div>
<div>There are many reasons why we should get moving and keep moving!  I like to stay actively prospecting, looking for leads on the Yellow Pages, Google, New business directories and all places that might get me an interested prospect.</div>
<div></div>
<div>It is a Fact: Most Merchant Service sales agents are comfortable and or lazy.  They are looking for the next big sale and once they achieve it.  It is time to relax!  Don&#8217;t get caught in this trap, get going every day and keep your sales pipeline full!</div>
<div></div>
<div>Here is a video from James that talks about the enemies of success:</div>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4uHqVj5llJE" height="300" width="400" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<div></div>
<div><strong>Tip #2: Change or Die</strong></div>
<div></div>
<div>Successful businesses must <strong>Change or Die</strong>.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Best Buy has big problems: It is the type of store that gets lots of lookers who wind up buying items seen at Best Buy online for less money.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Target has the same problem, but to a lesser extent. Target has changed its model by adding very cost effective groceries to its stores. Customers who buy their groceries there likely to purchase other Target items that yield a higher margin.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Staples is relying more on their online website. People who used to buy in the store are now buying directly from Staples online.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Best Buy is changing its model to better compete with <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> and other online stores with more competitive prices and more services (such as repair and installation).</div>
<div></div>
<div>These businesses all accept the reality that you must <strong>Change or Die</strong>.  Just like these big players you must be willing to adapt in order to stay competitive.</div>
<div></div>
<div>I&#8217;ve seen too many great agents refuse to change or just die.  They were great sales agents at one time, they opened doors and closed deals, but they never moved to the next big thing or looked on the Horizon.  They had a great market, sales were great but,  five years later, they were still doing the exact same thing.  No change, no improvement.</div>
<div></div>
<div>When they stop to think for a minute, they were basking in success and then got lazy. They had confidence that they could keep doing the same thing and keep growing, until one day they stayed the same too long and rather than closing deals they were closing doors to opportunity.</div>
<div></div>
<div>So here is what I am suggesting:</div>
<div></div>
<div>Meet with your spouse, significant other or family member and come up with <strong>FIVE </strong>ideas to improve your sales or lead generation.  Listen to your Family, Friends (Only if its positive) and your Trainers of course.  Also Listen to your customers and change your approach.</div>
<div></div>
<div>If you are serious about this business, make sure you hit all avenues to make you money, Advertising, Email marketing, SMS, Facebook presence, website (Your mirrored one, there is no need to spend $)  and so on.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Improve your website.  Just like Macy&#8217;s and Wal-Mart, you need to start selling and displaying more items on the Internet.</div>
<div></div>
<div>See what additional services you can offer your customers to add value to the items you are selling.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Work with other Business owners to cross promote your businesses.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Share advertising with other businesses in your area.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Find items that are unique and get customers to return to you for Business.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Make your business into a fun thing to sell.   It should be enjoyable to talk with you, don&#8217;t make prospects and clients dread your visit.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Above all, <strong>Change or Die</strong>.  Being lazy is a sure way for your business to Die.  You must always have an avenue for <strong>Change and Improvement</strong>.</div>
<div></div>
</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong>Tip #3  Don&#8217;t forget the Details</strong></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div>What do you think will happen if you buy a brand new phone at a kiosk and they tell you how much you have to pay monthly for your calls&#8230; but they forget to mention that you also have to pay for the insurance fee, messaging and data plan, for the taxes and prorated charges&#8230; Were you fooled? Those are charges that are technically obvious but because they were not mentioned when the agreement was made, most of the time you&#8217;ll feel that they were not transparent with you and probably wouldn&#8217;t refer their business to a friend.</div>
<div></div>
<div>This is the same thing that happens when you forget to mention about simple details at the time you close a deal. My experience is that agents have even lost account for &#8220;chump change&#8221; details for the processing. Here is a list of the most common details that amateur agents forget to mention before leaving the business with a completely filled out application:</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong>-Pin Pad encryption charges (Usually $15.00)</strong></div>
<div><strong>-Shipping Charges (Ground is Free with NAB and PPT and 2nd Day air is free with TMS)</strong></div>
<div><strong>-Monthly/ Daily discount deposits</strong></div>
<div><strong>-Funding times (Don&#8217;t let them think we are doing next day funding if we are not)</strong></div>
<div><strong>-Scheduled installs (When do they expect the terminal to be installed?)</strong></div>
<div><strong>-PCI Compliance fees ($99 after 60 days with NAB / $4.95 per month after 12 months with TMS)</strong></div>
<div><strong>-Equipment compatibility </strong></div>
<div><strong>-Cash advance funding and charges details (when applies) </strong></div>
<div><strong>-Terminal file builds</strong></div>
<div><strong>-Paperwork explanations<br />
-Cancellation details (Did you have them fill out the month to month agreement?)</strong></div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>Tip #4: Perception is Reality</strong></div>
<div></div>
<div>What is heavier: A pound of Feathers or a pound of Lead?  At first glance you probably thought &#8220;Obviously Lead&#8221; but, that is not the case.  A pound of feathers weighs exactly the same as a pound of lead.  Perception is reality and you need to be careful how you present charges to your merchants.  The charges above do need to be mentioned but you need to be careful to prepare a great description of each fee that does not derail your sale and also don&#8217;t go through all of these charges one after the other.  So, make sure to compose a simple sequential order that splits up the mention of these fees throughout the closing pitch instead of a bulk of details that makes it look like a lot of charges. That way, the merchant will perceive that the surcharges are small fees that makes sense just like the &#8220;pound of feathers&#8221; rather than presenting them as a big list of fees that sounds like the &#8220;pound of lead.&#8221;</div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>Tip #5:Follow the Core Values of our Company CC Sales Pro:</strong></div>
<div>
<p><strong><strong>Always Learning: </strong></strong>Knowledge comes from experience.  There are people that have more experience in your field because of their time and experience in that area so it is good to know what they know. Most of us learn the bad way, with mistakes and with situations that appear all of a sudden. It is very important for you to always learn, not only from the experience and mistakes but, also to read about your field of work. We don&#8217;t have to earn a bachelor&#8217;s degree in Credit Card Processing, but studying about it is as important as taking a chemistry class for a Pharmacist. Reading is not going to substitute the day to day experience, but will minimize the errors you make and will also help you to think faster when the situations occur. On the other hand, there are lessons that you can&#8217;t learn if you don&#8217;t take action. Learn how to make a balance of both so you don&#8217;t fall either because of lack of knowledge or lack of experience. Don&#8217;t be scared of slipping, read and study as much as you can but, don&#8217;t let that keep you from taking action even if it means you learn by making a mistake.  Always Learning means learning every single day, through your own experiences and the experiences of others.</p>
</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong>Always Living<br />
</strong></div>
<div>Being your own boss is a big advantage, but it can also be a big disadvantage.  You could find yourself waking up late and taking your time to start working when you feel like it because you are your own boss and nobody is rushing you to start your tasks at a certain time.  On the other hand, you could be fixing paperwork late at night, but (other than your wife) you have nobody to remember you are working after normal business hours.  You decide whether being your own boss is a benefit or a disadvantage.  If you truly want to be your own boss, be your own boss, set a schedule and make yourself accountable.  One thing that has helped me is that I like to work hard for four hours at a time, really concentrating to get as much done as possible rather than getting a little bit done and working at 30% of my capacity for 8 hours.  The great thing about being your own boss is that if you only have 4 hours of work to do one day, you can get it done in 4 hours and then be done!  You are not a corporate employee who must be at work 9 to 5, sometimes you only need to work 3 or 4 hours and some days you need to work 12 hours.   Don&#8217;t be afraid to take the afternoon off to spend with your family even if you are not making a lot of money, many agents I know feel guilty like they must work all day because they are broke so they get 3 hours worth of work done in 10 hours and then trudge home in a bad mood.  Don&#8217;t delay life!!!!  If you only have 3 or 4 hours of work to do, get it done and then come home and tell your spouse you did all the work you could do that day and you are ready to spend time with the family.  Be honest with your family and if you are broke say, &#8220;We don&#8217;t have money to spend tonight, but I did clear up some time in my schedule so let&#8217;s have fun here at the house together.&#8221;  Just remember to work hard like a boss, but you also play harder, like a boss.</div>
<div><strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>Always Leveraging:  </strong></div>
<div>How are you using procedures to make your work simpler and more efficient?  If you find yourself typing out the exact same email 10 times per week, use technology to save the text of the email as a &#8220;Canned Response&#8221; (in gmail) so you don&#8217;t have to type it out again.  If you are spending hours doing your schedule every week, make recurring appointments for the main events in your week so you don&#8217;t have to think about what you are going to do during those times and so your weeks are more predictable.  You can only make so many decisions each day so do you really want to use up one of those decisions trying to figure out where your stapler is or if you are going to take the same day off this week as you do every week?  Make procedures and use technology to make good decisions one time and then automatically repeat that good decision or action over and over again.</div>
<div></div>
<div>I hope you enjoyed these tips!</div>
<div>Jonathan Ruiz</div>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-short-sales-tips-for-merchant-services">5 Short Sales Tips for Merchant Services</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Avoid the Price War</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/avoid-the-price-war-2</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/avoid-the-price-war-2#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:35:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2570</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I get this question a lot from agents, &#8220;What shou [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/avoid-the-price-war-2">Avoid the Price War</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I get this question a lot from agents, &#8220;What should we do when a prospect is going to  show our estimate to their current competitor and see if they will  match our rate?&#8221;  Let&#8217;s use a specific example where the customer had been with their  current provider for 3 years and we were saving them $180 per month.   Here is how I handle that.  I say something similar to this every time I  leave an estimate with a merchant even if they didn&#8217;t say they are  going to show it to their current processor because if you leave and  don&#8217;t close the deal, there is a really good chance they will show your estimate to their current provider.</p>
<p>Bob, I showed you that I could save you $180 plus per month over what  you are currently paying XYZ Processing.  That means  one of two things.  It could be that their cost structure doesn&#8217;t allow  them to match my price which makes sense because I am a direct provider  rather than a third party and in that case you would obviously want to  switch over to me if they can&#8217;t match the rate, correct?  They say  &#8220;Yes.&#8221;  You say, The other  possibility is actually much worse, they may immediately agree to match  my price in an effort to keep your business, in  which case you would know that for the last three years they have been  overcharging you for these services by $180.00 per month!  That means  they have literally taken ($180 x 36) $6,400 in excess profit for their  service when they could have easily saved you that money.  If this is  the case, and if they  are not willing to refund you the $6,400 in overcharges, I&#8217;m sure you  would never consider staying with a company like that would you?</p>
<p>I hope this short tip helps you in the field!</p>
<p>James Shepherd</p>
<p>james@ccsalespro.com</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/avoid-the-price-war-2">Avoid the Price War</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Frequently Asked Questions from Merchant Services Agents</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/frequently-asked-questions-from-merchant-services-agents</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/frequently-asked-questions-from-merchant-services-agents#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Mar 2013 17:15:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2565</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p></p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/frequently-asked-questions-from-merchant-services-agents">Frequently Asked Questions from Merchant Services Agents</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7-7Hzt9AeTg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WMPvPDRQ_cw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dJB9fB3aFVA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YEmg82DKxrQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dWrG93Rg450" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/frequently-asked-questions-from-merchant-services-agents">Frequently Asked Questions from Merchant Services Agents</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>What to Say and When to Say it</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/what-to-say-and-when-to-say-it</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/what-to-say-and-when-to-say-it#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Feb 2013 23:39:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2559</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>My recent blog article &#8220;5 Prospecting Tips&#8221; [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/what-to-say-and-when-to-say-it">What to Say and When to Say it</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My recent blog article <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-prospecting-tips-how-to-prospect-for-small-business-clients" target="_blank">&#8220;5 Prospecting Tips&#8221;</a> was probably one of the most popular posts I have posted at CCSalesPro but, <strong>it generated a lot of questions</strong> from my agents about what to say after the opening.  So,  start off by reading <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-prospecting-tips-how-to-prospect-for-small-business-clients" target="_blank">&#8220;5 Prospecting Tips&#8221;</a> and then continue reading to get some tips on what to say and when to say it.</p>
<p><strong>One agent just emailed me a few minutes ago with this question</strong>, <em>&#8220;<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Just got finished with 5 prospecting tips blog and thought it was great. Wondering if you could help out with a few questions on prospecting? I&#8217;m in a very competitive market and my opening line either gets me to the next step or shut down immediately.  I love your opening, &#8220;I have a quick question for you, I wasn&#8217;t sure if you are a large corp or a small biz.&#8221;  What do you say when they tell you, &#8220;I&#8217;m a small business owner.&#8221;  Where do you go from there?</span></span></em></p>
<p><strong>Here is a sample conversation</strong> / pitch when I walk in to a small business in a highly competitive market:</p>
<p><strong>Me:</strong> &#8220;Hi, my name is James Shepherd, I am a local business owner offering touch screen point of sale systems, merchant services and a few other things but, I wasn&#8217;t sure if you guys were a single location / small business or if you were a big corporation?&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Prospect:</strong> &#8220;We are a small business.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Me:</strong> &#8220;Ok, so you have the one location here, do you have any other locations?&#8221;  or I might say, &#8220;Ok, great, I have a lot of small business clients out this way but, I don&#8217;t really work with the big corporations so that&#8217;s why I asked.  So, how long have you been in business?&#8221; or if it is a unique business I might say, &#8220;So, who do you sell your products to?&#8221; or some other specific business question because I genuinely want to understand their business model.</p>
<p><strong>Basically I move the conversation forward,</strong> breaking the ice and then I say, &#8220;So, do you know who you guys are using for your credit card processing right now?&#8221; or I say, &#8220;So, what kind of marketing are you doing right now?&#8221;  I use that second line if I still don&#8217;t feel I have cracked the ice.  This is my lead in to our web design package.</p>
<p>By the way, <strong>if they say, &#8220;We are corporate.&#8221;</strong>  I follow up with, &#8220;Ok, are you regional here in XYZ State or is it a big national brand?&#8221;  If they respond &#8220;National Brand&#8221; I say, &#8220;Have a nice day.&#8221;  But, if they say, &#8220;We have 5 locations&#8221; or something like that I respond, &#8220;Ok, so do you have a main corporate office?&#8217; / &#8220;Who would I talk to about bidding on your merchant services?&#8221;</p>
<p>The key tip I want to get across here is that <strong>you need to get into a conversation with the business owner about their business before you really start into your pitch</strong> especially in a competitive market.  I hope these short follow up lines have been a help to you!</p>
<p>James Shepherd</p>
<p>814-515-9526</p>
<p>james@ccsalesproc.com</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/what-to-say-and-when-to-say-it">What to Say and When to Say it</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Great Actions Follow Great Convictions in Sales and Business</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/great-actions-follow-great-convictions-in-sales-and-business</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/great-actions-follow-great-convictions-in-sales-and-business#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2013 16:21:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2552</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I have a big task sitting in my inbox and it has been t [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/great-actions-follow-great-convictions-in-sales-and-business">Great Actions Follow Great Convictions in Sales and Business</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>I have a big task sitting in my inbox and it has been there for over a week.</strong> This is pretty unusual for me and so this Monday when I was about to place it in the &#8220;Tuesday&#8221; folder again, I thought to myself, &#8220;Why haven&#8217;t I taken action on this?&#8221; It really isn&#8217;t that difficult of a task or even something that I don&#8217;t want to do. <strong>The reason I haven&#8217;t taken action is that I really don&#8217;t know for sure if I am committed to this particular project.</strong> I have already made the deal, and in practice, I have already made the decision to move forward with this particular task but, in my heart, I don&#8217;t have a strong conviction that this is the right thing to do.</p>
<p>A pastor that I know made this statement during one of his podcasts and it really stuck with me, <strong>&#8220;Great actions follow great convictions.&#8221;</strong> The reason people take great action is that they have a strong conviction or belief that this is the right thing to do. You can get by on character and discipline to do the daily tasks that need to get done, but for the big actions in your life, <strong>you must have a strong conviction that you are doing the right thing.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Many of you are thinking, why can&#8217;t I make sales? Why don&#8217;t I get out and prospect more?</strong> You want to get out in the field, you want to make more money, you want to accomplish more, so what are you lacking? You are probably lacking a strong conviction. Truth be told, you are still waiting for a &#8220;better&#8221; job or business opportunity to come along.  Truth is, you still have a stack of resumes on your shelf and you are looking for a way out of your current industry or position. If that describes you, and if you do not have a strong conviction that you are doing the right thing, this lack of conviction is keeping you from success.</p>
<p><strong>Here are a few tips to help you take big action today.</strong></p>
<p><strong>#1 Take a moment and think through your options and then make a solid, concrete decision.  </strong>Follow this up by writing down your decision and put this decision in a place where you will see it every day.</p>
<p><strong>#2 Share your big decision with as many people as you can.</strong> Post it on your facebook wall and update your LinkedIn profile to say, &#8220;Today, I really decided that this business is the one I should be in. I am exciting about this new venture and I need all my friends and connections to hold me accountable to this decision because I know it will get difficult at times but, this is the right business for me and I am in it for the long haul.&#8221;  This will increase your conviction to succeed.</p>
<p><strong>#3 Dream big!</strong> Imagine what your business will look like in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years and 10 years and then get excited about it!  Share your dreams with your spouse or friends and sell them on the idea.</p>
<p><strong>#4 Break down your dream into action steps</strong> and milestones that start today! Here are a few milestones that I think are great ones to have in the merchant services industry.  Try to achieve these in order:</p>
<ul>
<li>Walk into 100 businesses</li>
<li>Talk to 100 business owners</li>
<li>Activate 30 accounts</li>
<li>Collect 100 email addresses</li>
<li>Activate 50 accounts</li>
<li>Activate 100 accounts</li>
<li>Delegate the Installation Process</li>
<li>Receive your first $3,000 residual check</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>These are some great milestones for your business and if you achieve all of these, you will be committed to this business!</strong>   Remember, if you are not taking action, you probably do not have a strong conviction about that action.  Conviction is more than a fluffy, &#8220;I believe I can do it.&#8221;  Conviction is you saying, &#8220;I am going to do it!&#8221; or &#8220;I know this is the right thing to do!&#8221; and these thoughts will lead to action every time!</p>
<p>If you are looking for a team with strong convictions about what they are doing and you want a career path with some serious upside, give me a call and I would be glad to discuss the merchant services industry with you.</p>
<p>I hope these short tips help you today!</p>
<p>James Shepherd</p>
<p>james@ccsalespro.com</p>
<p>814-515-9526</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/great-actions-follow-great-convictions-in-sales-and-business">Great Actions Follow Great Convictions in Sales and Business</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>5 Prospecting Tips &#8211; How to Prospect for Small Business Clients</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-prospecting-tips-how-to-prospect-for-small-business-clients</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-prospecting-tips-how-to-prospect-for-small-business-clients#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Feb 2013 19:39:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2545</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I have been out in the field the last few days in a new [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-prospecting-tips-how-to-prospect-for-small-business-clients">5 Prospecting Tips &#8211; How to Prospect for Small Business Clients</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have been out in the field the last few days in a new market for me that is much more competitive than the rural market where most of my current clients are from.  I really had to make some changes to the way I prospect and so I wanted to share those changes with you.  Also, since my schedule is so tight now and I only have a few hours per week to build this processing business in a new market I have had to adjust my procedures and my partnerships so I can delegate more of the work.   You can watch the video below, listen to the podcast episode on iTunes or reach my 5 prospecting tips below this video.</p>
<p>If you enjoy this article and video, make sure you check out &#8220;<a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/what-to-say-and-when-to-say-it" target="_blank">What to Say and When to Say It</a>&#8221; which I published as a follow up article.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EtFvM5NzXek" height="225" width="400" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>#1 &#8211; Walk into every business.</strong>  Many agents I talk to are far too selective and so they miss out on some large sales that could make.  In the video I talk about one business that I almost didn&#8217;t walk into because I knew it was a larger business, but after walking in and speaking with the owner on the phone, I found out it was a franchise and it will probably turn into a very nice sale since this prospect owns two franchises and a couple of car washes.   The idea is, you don&#8217;t want to miss any opportunities and you want to keep your route tight so you can get a lot of prospecting and follow up done in a short amount of time.</p>
<p><strong>#2 &#8211; Open carefully.</strong>  In a highly competitive market, you can&#8217;t just walk in and launch into a pitch.  You need to have a way to open more carefully and build towards your opening pitch which I talk about in this video.  The line I like to use the most is this.  &#8221;Hi, my name is James Shepherd and I just have a quick question for you.  I am a local business owner and I offer credit card processing, point of sale systems and a lot more, but I wasn&#8217;t sure if you guys were corporate or if this was a small business?&#8221;  This will open up a great conversation and it allows you to tell them what you do without a risk of being shot down right away.</p>
<p><strong>#3 &#8211; Follow up religiously.</strong>  Learn to use next action steps after every visit.  In other words, when you walk out of a business, don&#8217;t just make a note that says, &#8220;I talked to Bob, he likes golf&#8221; you need to add to this, &#8220;I told him I would call him on Friday to schedule an appointment next week&#8221; or &#8220;he was busy, I need to come back on Tuesday.&#8221; or &#8220;nice guy, but I don&#8217;t see myself making this sale right now because they are very happy with who they have, I need to add a note to my calendar to follow up in 3 months.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>#4 &#8211; Track everything.</strong>  The more information you have for a follow up the better.  I had one guy yesterday that I went back to and about 6 months ago I pitched him and he said that he would never switch processors again.  My wife was with me and she doesn&#8217;t really love it when I turn on the sales magic because it is a little embarrassing as I talk and talk to get someone to change their mind so I let it go at that and left him my card.  I also wrote down his name, the name of the processor he is using, the issues he had the last time he switched, etc.  When I went back in yesterday and called him by his first name, we were able to start up a great conversation and he emailed me his statement.  I will probably close this deal next week and I promise that if I didn&#8217;t have that information from 6 months ago I would not have had a chance.</p>
<p><strong>#5 &#8211; Delegate procedures.</strong>  I have seen dozens of agents start out selling 15 or 20 per month and then slowly drop off because they get overwhelmed by installations and customer service.  This is so sad to me because it is so, so easy to delegate these simple tasks to someone else who would appreciate the work and who would allow you to get back to the work that you know how to do so well.  This Friday at 11am EST our webinar is going to cover, &#8220;How to Delegate Procedures and Grow Your Business&#8221;  I am going to teach you how to build a team with minimal risk and in order to maximize your cash flow.  <a href="https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/739563558" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to register for the webinar</p>
<p>I hope these tips help!</p>
<p>James Shepherd</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/5-prospecting-tips-how-to-prospect-for-small-business-clients">5 Prospecting Tips &#8211; How to Prospect for Small Business Clients</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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<enclosure url="http://www.ccsalespro.com/20_day_jump_start/podcast/Tips.mp3" length="8368731" type="audio/mpeg" />
		<itunes:subtitle>I have been out in the field the last few days in a new market for me that is much more competitive than the rural market where most of my current clients are from.  I really had to make some changes to the way I prospect and so I wanted to share those...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>If you are trying to prospect for small business clients, you may get quickly frustrated if you do not understand how to introduce yourself and the keys to organizing your prospecting so that you can be efficient.  I hope you enjoy this Podcast episode where I share 5 tips for those prospecting small business owners.  These 5 tips were learned in the field and I hope they are a help to you!</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>CCSalesPro</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:duration>17:26</itunes:duration>
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		<title>How to Build Your Sub-Agent Merchant Services Team</title>
		<link>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/how-to-build-your-sub-agent-merchant-services-team</link>
		<comments>http://ccsalespro.com/2013/how-to-build-your-sub-agent-merchant-services-team#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Feb 2013 01:51:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>James Shepherd</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ccsalespro.com/?p=2506</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>A long time ago I published a webinar playback that I o [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/how-to-build-your-sub-agent-merchant-services-team">How to Build Your Sub-Agent Merchant Services Team</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A long time ago I published a webinar playback that I only did for a few select agents who were interested in building their own merchant services team. Today, I wanted to re-publish that along with the sub-agent forms you need. Keep in mind that we now have our own Payroll provider so for about $100 per month, you can have a payroll service take care of all the details for you.</p>
<p><em>Let me also say I am not an attorney and this is not legal advice, you should seek the advice of a competent attorney to help you ensure that the documents I mention and provide below are your best option.</em></p>
<p><strong>Let&#8217;s start with the webinar playback below:</strong></p>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uNFSVWOMVV4" height="253" width="450" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>I mention some documents in this video and here they are so you can review and edit them:</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://ccsalespro.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Local-Team-Sub-Agent-Agreement.docx" target="_blank">Local Team Sub Agent Agreement</a> - This is the form you and the sub-agent need to sign.</p>
<p><a href="http://ccsalespro.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Additional-Docs.pdf" target="_blank">Additional Docs </a>- These are the compensation and background documents NAB needs to approve the sub-agent.</p>
<p><a href="http://ccsalespro.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Schedule-B.docx" target="_blank">Schedule B (Compensation)</a>- This defines a &#8220;Qualified Merchant&#8221; and it shows the quarterly bonuses</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://ccsalespro.com/2013/how-to-build-your-sub-agent-merchant-services-team">How to Build Your Sub-Agent Merchant Services Team</a> appeared first on <a href="http://ccsalespro.com">CCSalesPro</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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