3 POS Sales Mistakes Resellers Must Avoid (And How to Fix Them)
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Mistake 1: Selling Features Instead of Solutions
- Mistake 2: Pitching Too Early
- Mistake 3: Not Positioning Yourself as an Expert
- Bonus Fix: Make the Offer Irresistible
- Final Tips to Boost Your POS Sales
- FAQ
Introduction
In the fast-moving world of point-of-sale (POS) technology, Independent Sales Organizations (ISO’s) and POS resellers are vital connectors between powerful tools and growing businesses. However, many sales reps still struggle to consistently close deals and retain merchants.
More often than not, the issue isn’t the product; it’s the sales strategy.
This blog covers the top 3 POS sales mistakes resellers should avoid, and practical ways to fix them, so you can grow your merchant portfolio, boost margins, and retain accounts longer.
Whether you’re a solo ISO agent, a team leader, or a value-added reseller (VAR), this guide will equip you with actionable advice rooted in what top performers are doing right now.
Mistake 1: Selling Features Instead of Solutions
Listing specs like “EMV-ready” or “cloud-based” won’t move the needle. If you’re only highlighting features, you’re missing the chance to explain how your POS solution helps solve real business challenges.
Instead of focusing on technical specs that may sound like jargon to business owners, the smart move is to frame those features as tangible business outcomes.
Fix It With These Steps:
- Highlight outcomes: Instead of “kitchen display system,” say “No more missed orders during rush hours.”
- Speak to pain points: Tailor messaging based on industry (e.g., for restaurants: “Our POS reduces server errors and speeds up table turns.”)
- Use performance data: “Restaurants using dual pricing saw up to 8% increase in monthly profits.”
Merchants are time-starved and results-focused. If you can quickly connect a feature to how it will make their life easier, reduce costs, or grow their revenue, you win.
Pro Tip: Merchants want ROI, not tech specs.
Mistake 2: Pitching Too Early
You’ve barely asked a question, and you’re already walking through the demo? That’s a huge turnoff. It signals you don’t understand their business.
Rushing into a pitch without diagnosing the merchant’s true needs leads to mismatched value, unanswered objections, and ultimately lost deals.
Fix It With These Steps:
- Lead with discovery: Ask about their top 3 daily frustrations.
- Listen actively: Use their responses to tailor your positioning.
- Build trust: Focus on rapport—not pushing a product.
The most successful resellers operate more like consultants than sales reps. They listen, empathize, ask great questions, and only pitch after fully understanding the merchant’s unique workflow and pain points.
If you’re part of a smarter ISO program like PAYS POS, you’ll learn how to approach sales with a “merchant-first” mindset—resulting in more deals, stronger relationships, and higher lifetime value.
PAYS POS resellers have access to real-time CRM tools, quick-launch hardware kits, and merchant profiles that accelerate needs analysis and make the discovery call smoother.
Mistake 3: Not Positioning Yourself as an Expert
The top closers aren’t product pushers—they’re vertical specialists. When you lack deep industry knowledge, merchants doubt your advice.
In today’s competitive POS market, generic salespeople don’t stand a chance. Specialization creates authority, and authority builds trust.
Fix It With These Steps:
- Pick a niche: Focus on restaurants, CBD, or retail and know them inside out.
- Bring insights: Use analytics reports to drive strategy. “Your average ticket size is $22—let’s add upsells to boost that.”
- Stay current: Learn how AI, loyalty, and new payment models affect their market.
The PAYS POS ISO Partner Program helps you specialize and stand out—with co-branded content, verticalized pitch decks, and 24/7 sales support.
You also gain access to niche-specific training content, webinars with top agents, and fast-track onboarding so you can become the go-to expert in your region.
Pro Tip: Specialists outperform generalists.
Bonus Fix: Make the Offer Irresistible
Features are not enough. Your offer must feel like a no-brainer. With so many options in the market, merchants are often evaluating 3–4 providers at once.
The reseller who shows the best value—not necessarily the cheapest—wins.
- Zero upfront cost (hardware-as-a-service)
- Dual pricing to boost merchant margins
- Fast onboarding under 24 hours
- All-in-one tools (gift cards, loyalty, QR ordering)
- Freedom to choose your processor
- Residuals that belong to you
That’s why more resellers choose PAYS POS—you get total control, 100% residuals, and flexibility to switch processors without changing hardware.
Merchants love integrated systems. When they can manage menus, inventory, loyalty, online ordering, and reporting—all in one dashboard—they stick around.
Final Tips to Boost Your POS Sales
- Sell outcomes, not features
- Listen more than you speak
- Specialize in a vertical
- Use data to drive sales
- Train continuously (POS trends, competitors, sales techniques)
Want an ISO partnership that empowers—not limits—you? Join the PAYS POS ISO Program today to unlock better tools, better margins, and full merchant ownership.
PAYS POS also equips resellers with marketing collateral, lead magnets, and automation tools—so you don’t have to build your sales engine from scratch.
FAQ's
Overselling features, pitching too soon, and not showing industry expertise are the 3 most common and costly POS sales mistakes.
Ask better questions, offer solutions instead of specs, and back your advice with real data and industry knowledge.
Join a value-driven ISO program like Pays POS that gives you the tools, flexibility, and support to sell consultatively—not competitively.
Full processor control, dual pricing, instant merchant setup, and 100% residual ownership—no lock-ins, no hardware switching headaches.
