As sales agents, we know that you have had to adjust during the global crisis of COVID-19, and even though we haven’t reached a place of “business as usual” yet, there are a handful of important things you can do to go above and beyond for your merchants. These simple tips are easy to implement without foregoing social distancing protocols and are highly recommended by our team to make the most out of this unprecedented time.
Check In With Your Merchants
First up, call your merchants to check in. Calling them up to say, “I’m just calling to see how you’re doing during all of this craziness” sounds simple but shows that you prioritize intentional human connection. This check-in method is a great, soft lead-in which merchants will appreciate more than you think.
Educate Customers About Our Resources
Help Merchants Innovate & Adapt
Next, help your merchants innovate and adapt to the new economic environment. This includes everything from online ordering for restaurants and POS systems to gift cards and loyalty programs. Merchants may not know about these resources, and it’s important that you’re doing your part to educate your people on best practices for how to keep their doors open for business.
Leverage Social Media
Another small thing you can do is share merchant’s business information on social media pages and within your close networks. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to inform the masses about business they may not know exists in their own neighborhood.
Practically, here’s how it works: when you tag a business on social sites using their handle (ours looks like @rev19payments) they will be notified and appreciate the public recognition. Other than social media, don’t forget you have a network you can leverage to drive more sales to your merchant which, in turn, creates more residual revenue for you!
In the same stream of creating social awareness, you need to be aware of those customers who may not be taking advantage of social marketing. You can help them set up an online presence and give them practical ways to leverage its influence. Most merchants do not truly take advantage of the benefits social media marketing can offer. If you don’t know how to do this, there are a lot of resources online. Take this time to educate yourself or talk to your RM.
A few ways to leverage social media include posting coupons, adjusted business hours, specials, community support and more. Facebook is one of those all-encompassing platforms where every business should exist. Teach merchants how to boost their posts through paid ads and other ways of driving more traffic to their page. For more information on how to boost posts, check out this resource.
Create Networking Opportunities
You can also set up a networking group for your customers. Facebook groups is a great place to start. It’s important not to use this resource as a selling tool, but as a place for your merchants to gather and share what’s working and what isn’t. Check out this link to learn more about setting up groups.
Promote Your Referral Program
This is a great time to promote your referral program as well. If you don’t have one, seize the opportunity to establish one now! Merchants need the extra money during this time, and it’s a great time to offer them simple ways to provide more income for their families.
Create an Email Campaign
Finally, generate an email campaign with a summary of everything we mentioned above. We know this is a lot of information to absorb all at once, so lay it out visually in a way that engages with your customers and give them clear action steps to take once they’ve read through their options.
Love what you read here? Then you’ll love this Webinar we put on for our Agents that dives even deeper into this. Watch HERE