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Put Me in Coach: I’m Ready to be a CrossCheck ISO

Posted by Joe Gargiulo | Mon, Mar 06, 2017 @ 10:39 AM

ISO

You can take the coach out of the training room, but you can never take the training room out of the coach.

As the national sales trainer in the Partner & ISO Relations department, Todd Little’s primary function is coaching independent sales organizations (ISOs) about CrossCheck services by demonstrating how they can help merchants increase sales revenue.

Little transferred to Partner & ISO Relations in 2003 after working in another department for seven years. He has also been the offensive line coach for three college football programs: Sonoma State, Portland State and Santa Rosa Junior College.

In addition to training ISOs, he represents CrossCheck at tradeshows, provides customer service to merchants working with ISOs, and finally, helps them close deals with merchants.

“We’re a support group,” said Little, “sometimes we help sell, sometimes we instruct, and sometimes we provide specialized customer service.”

No matter which hat he is wearing, Little is committed to helping ISOs understand the basics of CrossCheck services so they can suggest payment solutions that address merchant needs.

He works in a department that has a penchant for figures of speech. When it comes to tradeshows, Little and his colleagues like to “fish where the fish are.”

“We try to get the attention of ISOs by demonstrating how they can earn lifetime residuals through the establishment of customer retention,” he said.

CrossCheck’s policy of paying lifetime residuals is quite unique and is a big draw for the entrepreneurial spirit of most ISOs. In fact, some ISOs from the early 1990s are still collecting CrossCheck residuals nearly 30 years later. “That’s part of the sizzle,” said Little.

Training

Little trains with a comfort level achieved by applying his Communications background from Sonoma State University in conjunction with his football coaching experience.

He used to spend a lot of time on the road presenting training sessions to ISOs and merchants (100,000 miles in 2007), but now conducts most of them via phone, email and multimedia channels.

For example, he generates instructional PowerPoint presentations that are often individualized for particular ISOs, and has been conducting weekly webinars via GoToMeeting.com since 2010. He also presents monthly webinars on specific services, industries or trending news for ISOs.

Tradeshows

Tradeshows specializing in the acquiring industry are an excellent source of finding suitable ISOs and partners. Payments 2017 (formerly ETA) is the largest industry event attended by Little’s department. They also drop anchor at other tradeshows produced by the Western States Acquirers Association, MidWest Acquirers Association and more.

Customer Service for ISOs

Little and his colleagues also invest considerable time in customer service since most merchants secured by ISOs prefer the familiarity of contacting Partner and ISO Relations rather than the Customer Service department used by other merchants.

Sales

The department accepts incoming sales and customer service calls between 7am and 5pm Pacific Time. Everyone in the department is involved with the sales function, including Little and VP Travis Powers. Many of the leads originate from CrossCheck’s solid reputation among ISOs across the country. That distinction is predicated on CrossCheck’s “big four product differentiation” — training, support, merchant retention and lifetime residuals.

CrossCheck’s unwavering commitment to proper training in conjunction with superior customer service stimulates a level of merchant retention that fosters even greater lifetime residuals for ISOs.

Furthermore, many merchants are longstanding customers because they understand the positive relationship between CrossCheck’s payment processing solutions and increased sales revenue:

  • One of the highest approval rates in the industry
  • 24/7/365 assistance via the Customer Service department
  • No cost loaner equipment
  • Authorizations via phone, terminal or the web
  • Innovative premium programs
  • State-of-the-art technology and equipment

Finding reasons for approving checks versus declining them is what CrossCheck does best. Learn how it can provide your ISO with tools that generate prosperity by downloading our free guide.

choosing check service provider

Topics: CrossCheck, Independent Sales Organization (ISO)

Written by Joe Gargiulo

Marketing Specialist Joe Gargiulo has 25-plus years in marketing, communications and copy writing. As a writer, he enjoys connecting story leads to all aspects of the human experience.