It has happened to all of us; you make a great presentation, gain rapport with the merchant but can't close the deal on the initial visit. In a follow-up call later you discover they decided to go with someone else. After you hang up the phone in frustration, you take a deep breath and ask the obvious question, why? Well the answer is the same every time - a competitor offered a greater perceived value than you did - it's that simple. The merchant felt that doing business with your competitor would benefit them more than doing business with you.
This perceived value the merchant has can originate from a variety of factors; price, equipment, free offers, service, support, local presence, processing network, bank, etc. The main thing to understand is that everything does not revolve around price.
Yes, we are now in a commodity business but if you're just selling on price you're missing the boat, realize this - there will always be someone willing to sell at a cheaper rate or price. Unfortunately, most salespeople inflate price into a bigger issue than it really is, and in some cases it's a bigger issue with the salesperson than the customer. We all know that there are dozens of factors that influence a customers buying decision, price is just one of them.
In order to overcome a price issue your customer must believe that the value gained justifies the price paid.
So adding value is king. What I want to discuss today is a benefit that should be one of the cornerstones of your sales presentation that will create uniqueness, allow you to draw distinctions and add that much needed value to your product offering - PCI DSS security.
According to the PCI Security Risk Council - "PCI DSS is a multifaceted security standard that includes requirements for security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design and other critical protective measures. This comprehensive standard is intended to help organizations proactively protect customer account data".
I'll leave it to the experts to educate you on PCI DSS security, but I do know that as a merchant-focused salesperson you should always be looking for a competitive advantage that will help draw those distinctions between your company and a competitors.
Why is PCI DSS Security a great issue to focus on?
 Consumer data theft is a real threat.
Identity theft/fraud is at all time highs.
Public awareness is higher than its ever been.
Security breaches are frequently covered in the news.
By focusing on an issue that is consistently in the news and becoming more and more of a concern with consumers, security presents an opportunity to position you as the security expert in your market area.
How can you demonstrate value with PCI? Ask some key questions:
How can you position your processors/vendors PCI Compliance as an added benefit?
How can you present PCI compliance as a value-added feature instead of a compliance hinderance?
How can you demonstrate that PCI protects the merchant and the customer?
How can you educate merchants on the consequences of non-compliance?
How does their compliance protect their reputation in the area?
How can you demonstrate how PCI alleviates consumer fears?
What steps can you take to become the security expert in the area?
Accept it - increased data security and standards are here to stay, instead of resisting change, take a fresh look at how you can turn these changes into sales advantages.
Stay merchant focused and make the necessary adjustments to maintain your success in today's fast paced market. Value is king, not price. Create value and you're on the way to a long lasting
merchant relationship.
Good luck! 
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