Getting Your Slice of Success
Pizza businesses have very specific needs compared to other verticals, and in order to be successful, resellers of pizza POS need to develop a strategy specifically geared towards this vertical.
Here are a few tips to help you develop yours:
1. Merchants Buy Benefits
With so many “shrink wrapped” solutions available online for merchants, the best bet for pizza POS resellers is to focus on the benefits and demonstrate what they can do that others can’t. Merchants want to invest in the promise of a better, more profitable restaurant. Spell out specifically how your products will help.
That being said, focus on one benefit at a time, starting with their biggest pain point. If a customer is only interested in online ordering, explain how a particular integrationcan help. Are they looking to make more money or save more money? Look for a POS solution that has the flexibility to integrate with many third-party applications, providing you with the widest opportunity to help your pizza merchants trim the fat or build the bottom line.
2. Spend Some Time in the Trenches
Merchants need to know that pizza POS resellers have walked in their shoes. Especially if you are new to the pizza vertical, spend some time really understanding the logistics and pain points of pizza shops.
Your clients may not always articulate their exact pain points, so brush up on your knowledge of the industry and see what pizza businesses struggle with. Merchants are looking to pizza POS resellers for knowledge and guidance, so know how to guide them on which solutions you would recommendand why.
Pizza guys especially have a tendencyto buy from “pizza guys,” so go the extra mile to really make your merchants feel comfortable that they are working with an industry expert.
3. Robust POS Software is a Must
Pizza POS resellers should have a line card that includes solutions for:
• Flexible menu and pricing—at the very least, they need to ring up half-and-half pizzas, but automatic combo pricing capabilities will set you apart.
• Caller ID with CRM integration—your solution should automatically pull up a customer’s name, address, and order history when an order is placed.
• Custom mapping—allow them to specify their own map and tie in promotional pricing based on their delivery zones, rather than just using a zip code.
• Driver tracking—pizza POS should track drivers en route. Specify how this can diagnose bottlenecks and improve delivery times.
• Customer promotions and rewards—pizza shops want to foster loyalty with customers and create effective targeted promotions to increase profits.
4. Build Your Value as a Strategist
As software becomes more affordable and intuitive, pizza POS resellers should focus less on how to use the software and more on how to implement it to make complex workflows simpler and more profitable. See if there are any opportunities to add revenue streams like an online ordering program. This can free up time and bring in up to $15k more with minimal effort.
Merchants are more likely to buy into a very specific need. The key is to see what the missing piece of the puzzle is. If your merchant struggles with scheduling deliveries, look for a solution that solves only that problem.
A Roadmap to Success
Position yourself as a one-stop shop for all their POS needs. Know what pizza merchants are looking for, and make sure your products fit the bill. When business owners truly feel like you understand their pain points and can offer exactly what they need to grow their business, you can easily grow yours too.