Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Expert Series: The Changing Landscape of Payments: How Coaches Can Keep Pace with Technology, Part 1 of 4

The Changing Landscape of Payments: How Coaches Can Keep Pace with Technology

Part 1 of 4: How You’re Getting Paid

You’re on the move; you’re going from city to city and client to client.

You’re making sales, but how are you getting paid? What’s the best option for you to accept payment – especially when payment methods are constantly being changed?

Staying on the cutting edge of changing technology is important. You want to make sure you are getting paid in the most effective and efficient way possible.

In this Expert Series, we’ll discuss why it’s important for coaches to stay current with the ever-changing payment landscape and explore the different types of mobile wallets, mobile swipe options, and new chip technology. Adopting new payment options can help coaches stand out as progressive and modern.

Part 1 of 4: How You’re Getting Paid

You’re working hard to make these sales and you want to get paid – fast.

You’ve closed the sale and want to accept payments in the easiest way.

Do your research; figure out what will work best for you. Are you making regular, low-price sales or big-ticket sales only a few times a year?

As a coach and a business owner, making the best decisions for you and your business is vital. Coaches deal with a vast variety of people and personalities. You want to prove that you are staying current but keeping things simple for everyone. Make every step smooth for all parties involved in the purchasing process.

So, how and why should you do all of this?

Are you utilizing automated recurring billing (ARB)? It enables you to automatically process installment-based payments without having to store sensitive payment data. ARB allows for your clients to feel safe knowing their information is not being stored or shared and it allows you to feel confident that you are going to get paid regularly.

ARB is a wonderful tool for coaches to use. When it is set up and your clients are in your system you can “set it and forget it.” Set up a subscription with your clients’ information or allow your online clients to choose from your custom payment form. Easy for you, easy for them and you are getting paid regularly.

Consider the following:

  • Is your billing system efficient? Do you need to go back into your system often to make sure invoices are going out so you get paid on time?
  • Is your system secure? Do your clients feel that their information is safe and protected? Are you storing sensitive data and increasing the risk of compromising information?
  • Do you feel your clients are loyal to you? Do they complain about what the payment options are?
  • Is your money getting into your account fast enough?

Keep these points in mind as we continue the series.

About the Author:

About Amy Zicolella: Amy joined the DirectPay team as Marketing Specialist in late 2015 with an extensive background in web marketing and social media coordination. Utilizing her degree in Business Administration and Marketing Integration, Amy has helped create a culture within the organization focused on an aligned mission: to provide coaches and other service professionals with seamless credit card acceptance, business development education and a more personal, dedicated relationship. Learn more at www.directpayinc.com.

The Expert Series is brought to you by choice Magazine as part of our ongoing efforts to bring opportunities for learning and growth to the coaching community. Delivered in four parts every two weeks, each series covers useful topics for business development and coaching insights, serving the needs of leaders in all areas and walks of life. Archived copies of the previous series can be found here.