It’s getting harder and harder to attract and keep the best talent, especially in the business credit card processing industry. The competition is stiff. New companies are sprouting up every day, and each is working hard to sell themselves as the best place to work for talented agents and merchant level salespeople.
What makes the arena even more competitive is the fact that agents and salespeople play such a pivotal role in determining the success of a business credit card processing company. In many aspects, merchants can have a tough time telling one credit card processing company from another. Consequently, every company fights hard to recruit, cultivate and retain the best salespeople possible.
One way they do this is through bonuses and high splits. This works well, especially for young salespeople who haven’t had time to build their savings accounts. However, experienced agents often choose their partners for other reasons. As they say, money can’t buy happiness.
So here are four tips to recruit and maintain talented agents without resorting to monetary means.
Cultivate a team atmosphere.
Yes, it might be cliche, but it works. If you make your agents, or anyone for that matter, feel like they’re part of the team, they will be happier. So encourage honest and open communication. Make sure everyone knows how their job contributes to the overall effort. These are the first steps in making your company an attractive place to work.
Have a wide array of products and services.
Little could be more frustrating to your agents than having to repeatedly tell potential customers that you just don’t offer what they need. Merchants have a variety of needs, so make sure you offer a variety of products. It’ll make things much easier on your agents.
Update your platforms and systems.
Working with outdated and clunky systems can be a pain, but imagine trying to sell it. It’s no fun. Make sure your platforms and systems are up-to-date. The best credit card processing companies do, and it helps them retain the best salespeople. Make signing merchants easy When your agent has a deal that’s ready to be sealed, make it easy for them do it. Offer fast, easy applications, clear and short underwriting policies and fast merchant approvals. After working hard to make the sale, the last thing your agent wants is a tedious, complicated process for bringing on new merchants.
Those are four tips for recruiting and retaining the top sales talent. Do you use any of them? Do you have your own ways to make sure your agents are happy with their jobs? Let us know.
As a Vice Presicent of Business Development, Terry Nawara’s focus is growing supportive partnerships with ISOs and financial institutions. Terry brings nearly 20 years experience in the merchant services industry -- experience that makes Clearent one of the best credit card processing companies. With an abundance of business credit card processing services, Clearent can provide clients with the necessary tools to really make a difference.
