Stop Selling to Everyone: Go Vertical for Success

Many payment professionals struggle with knowing who to sell services to. In an industry with unlimited options, questions abound:

• “What is the best way to get started?”
• “How can I exponentially grow my agency?”
• “Why do I not seem to be gaining the traction I want?”

A good first step is to write a business plan with a strategy. The plan should outline goals, include established measurements to track, and identify your strategy and target markets.

There are many different strategies to consider based on your experience, knowledge, and preferences, but one of the better strategies is to focus in on a vertical market. Narrowing your focus enables you to use your expertise and passion in your sales efforts, which can make the work a lot easier and more enjoyable for you.

In every phase of the process, there are pitfalls and potentials. Pitfalls can be hidden under knowledge you didn’t know you needed as well as common misconceptions. Potentials can be unlocked if you are diligent and willing to bounce back from a setback.

Here’s a step-by-step guide we’ve put together to help get you started. As always, trial and error is a part of the journey. Keep working at it—you’ll get there!

Phase 1: Immerse and Position

Every strong niche strategy begins with focus. This phase is all about choosing the right vertical and committing to learning it inside and out. You’re not just selling payments—you’re stepping into the role of trusted industry insider. The more you know about the challenges, trends, and culture of your chosen market, the faster prospects will see you as the obvious partner.

What You Do:

• Choose your vertical based on market fit, your passion, and prior experience. In what field or industry would you enjoy working? Better yet, what kind of clients would you enjoy working with?
• Dive deep into industry knowledge. It’s not enough to be passionate. You must also be strategic. Research trends, challenges, language, and regulations. Check size, growth potential, and geographic concentration.
• Confirm solution fit. What is the common pain point in this vertical? There is a Payroc Core Product for that!
• Build the first set of tailored sales materials.
  
  

Pitfalls (if skipped or rushed):

• You sound generic and lose trust early.
• You chase too many markets at once and dilute your focus.
• Prospects feel like you’re “just another salesperson” without industry insight.
  
  

Potentials (if done well):

• You quickly gain credibility as an insider, not an outsider.
• Prospects see you as speaking their language.
• Your outreach gets more engagement because it’s specific and relevant.

Think of this phase as laying the foundation for everything that comes next. If you get this part right, your messaging, networking, and sales conversations will flow naturally—and you’ll avoid the generic “just another salesperson” trap. Move to Phase 2 only once you can speak the vertical’s language confidently and position yourself as an expert.

Phase 2: Engage and Expand

With your foundation in place, it’s time to make your presence known. This phase is about showing up in the spaces where your vertical’s decision-makers gather—whether that’s industry events, LinkedIn groups, or local association meetings. Your goal is to connect, converse, and create opportunities to bring value before you ask for business.

What You Do:

• Attend industry-specific events and join associations. Who are you joining the field with? Top brands, local leaders, and decision-makers will have an impact on your ability to navigate what comes next.
• Learn the speak. Few things are worse than an overconfident, uninformed salesperson. Know your people.
• Launch targeted outreach (email, LinkedIn, calls).
• Build relationships with referral partners inside the vertical.
  
  

Pitfalls (if skipped or done poorly):

• You stay invisible to key decision-makers.
• Your outreach feels like cold spam instead of warm engagement.
• You miss out on insider information and trends.
  
  

Potentials (if done well):

• You become a known face in the vertical’s circles.
• Referral leads start coming in from trusted partners.
• Your name is associated with value, not just a sales pitch.

The more visible you are, the more your credibility compounds. Done right, this phase shifts you from “stranger” to “familiar face,” opening doors to warmer conversations, stronger referrals, and a steady flow of inbound interest. Once you see consistent engagement and growing influence, you’re ready to focus on converting and cementing.

Phase 3: Convert and Cement

This is the phase where all your groundwork pays off. With trust established and relationships formed, it’s time to turn interest into action. In this phase you’re closing deals, gathering testimonials, and securing referrals that lock in your reputation as the go-to expert in your vertical.

What You Do:

• Identify the pain. Avoid selling past your future clients by referencing real challenges they face (e.g., PCI compliance for restaurants, omnichannel for retail).
• Relate to their reality. Avoid generic sales talk. Your examples should be a mirror to what real businesspeople in your vertical are facing. If you’re not sure where to start, go back to your own experience in the vertical, whether as business or consumer. Your personal experience speaks volumes.
• Run vertical-specific promotions and offers.
• Close deals and secure testimonials.
• Ask for referrals and case-study participation.
• Refine your playbook for scaling to new verticals.
  
  

Pitfalls (if skipped or rushed):

• You fail to turn awareness into actual sales.
• You miss opportunities for client advocacy and word-of-mouth.
• Your growth stalls because there’s no documented process.
  
  

Potentials (if done well):

• You are the go-to payment expert in the vertical.
• Your deals come with less resistance because trust is established.
• Expansion to new markets becomes easier with a repeatable model.

When you consistently deliver results and stay visible, you create a self-sustaining growth loop. Each win leads to more introductions, more opportunities, and a deeper foothold in the market. At this point, you can choose to scale your efforts within the same vertical or replicate the process in a new one, confident you have a proven playbook.

Vertical market selling can be a great way to narrow your focus for more success. Selling from your area of passion and prior experience can help sustain you for the long run. When you own the knowledge, relationships, and language of a specific industry, you stop being “just another payments person” and become the trusted insider—the first call businesses make when they’re ready to upgrade.

Put a good plan together and execute on it. There are pitfalls and potentials all around. Get out there and discover what’s waiting for you.