Getting the most out of your sales channel

Tips from Jason Putnam, VP of Sales, SignaPay
At the MWAA conference, July 2014

Kim Fitzsommons, ETA President
Jason Putnam, Vice President Sales at SignaPay
Marla Knutson, Transfirst Executive Vice President

1. Hire wisely.
   1. Have your first interview on the phone.Since this is the way the sales person will be communicating most of the time, you want to be sure his or her telephone presence is professional and engaging.
   2. Look for consistency in a resume.You’re going to invest your time and resources in your new hire.Someone who has a history of changing jobs probably won’t be with you long enough to justify that investment.
   3. Make sure a candidate can speak convincingly about previous sales success.Some things can be trained, but an inherent ability to sell speaks for itself.
2. Train adequately but not overly.
   1. Payments is a complex and complicated industry.Productive salespeople should have a good overall grasp of the basics and feel confident that they can communicate effectively with prospects and customers.But getting overwhelmed with information or bogged down with detail will not only dilute the sales pitch, it will likely be terribly boring to the customer.Selling depends on establishing mutually productive relationships.
3. Incent good behavior.
   1. Make sure to notice and reward behavior that reinforces or furthers the goals and objectives of the organization.
   2. Invest in “brag items” – awards or notice boards or donuts on the desk in the morning are all simple and inexpensive ways to brag about, and incent, any action that goes above and beyond.
   3. Give each member of your sales team a clear and on-going sense of what a successful future at your organization might look like, and the steps he or she would need to take to get there.
4. Structure compensation plans to keep your team engaged and energized.
   1. Set goals that are attainable but not easy.
   2. Create sales contests.
   3. Restructure your compensation plan on a regular basis to keep it interesting.