Since the pandemic, the demand for contactless payment options (like credit cards and digital wallets) has grown tremendously. According to CNBC, over 51 percent of people in the United States say they rarely, if ever, use cash to pay for transactions anymore.
While many retailers already have credit card processing capabilities in place, they’ve had to grapple with newer technology, like QR codes and more sophisticated point-of-sale systems that just weren’t needed a mere two years ago.
That’s where companies like PaymentCloud can help. The California-based startup was built to help organizations of any size update the way they process online and in-person payments. And if PaymentCloud had a desirable product before the pandemic, the last year and a half has only accelerated the company’s success, Jack Berry, a senior account representative, said.
To keep up with the momentum, PaymentCloud has been scaling quickly. The sales team, in particular, has seen a rapid amount of growth in the last two years, as it’s nearly double the size of what it was in early 2020. Curious as to how PaymentCloud pulled it off, Built In LA connected with Berry, who filled us in on how he grew his team quickly, implemented new best practices for onboarding, and how he ensures the success of every employee, whether tenured or brand new.
What is your team’s purpose in the larger company? Why did it need to be expanded so quickly?
The sales department of PaymentCloud is easily our largest sector. While the amount of account representatives has always outnumbered the other departments, in the past year and a half leadership has truly expanded personnel. This rapid growth has been the result of an influx of merchants looking to start their businesses. Additionally, PaymentCloud has invested in advertising and marketing efforts to grab the ears of eager entrepreneurs.
As a senior account manager and sales team lead, my job has been to onboard and help new sales team members. This means getting them up to speed and being a direct advocate if they need help or have questions.
This rapid growth has been the result of an influx of merchants looking to start their businesses.”
What was one of the most important things you learned while scaling the team?
Within the past year and a half, we’ve almost doubled our team’s size. Thankfully, this didn’t occur overnight — but we quickly learned how advantageous it is to bring in new sales team members in groups. This way, new hires have other people to lean on during training, in addition to myself and our sales management. I believe this camaraderie and guidance from more seasoned account managers aids in new team members’ ability to begin successfully making sales at PaymentCloud.
What’s the most exciting project the team will be taking on in the next few months?
We’re continuing to roll out our acquired all-in-one mobile payment solution, Paysley. It’s been a long time in the making, so we’re excited to be ramping up our efforts and including more sales managers in the mix.
