When Josh Smith began his career in payments, he had zero sales experience.
But having worked in construction every summer through his teenage years, he certainly knew how to build from the ground up. And that’s precisely what he’s done at Paynada, earning the title “Mr. Consistency” for performing in his role at a high level, month in and month out.
Josh’s path to Paynada was an unconventional one.
After high school, he decided to pursue a career in aerospace. With an Aeronautics degree in hand, he went on to build airplanes for a variety of companies. Only a few years into his career, he was tapped for a management position and spent the next decade overseeing crews as the youngest manager.
Though accomplished in his field, Josh sought more financial opportunity. And with a growing family including a wife and four kids, “It became tougher to pay the bills.” At the same time, Josh had come to feel trapped. Weary of constantly dealing with the same corporate problems and feeling unfulfilled in his role, he was open to alternatives.
Paynada Beginnings
A friend who recognized Josh’s sales potential introduced him to the credit card processing business. Shortly thereafter, he started working part-time for a small Independent Sales Organization (ISO) to earn some additional income.
Josh made calls on his lunch breaks and in the evenings, gradually developing his salesmanship during off hours. While the ISO was a good start, it lacked the resources to properly support merchants. This realization ultimately led Josh to Paynada, where he initially joined as a part-time employee. Soon enough, he was ready to go all in and become a full-time Paynadian.
“That’s when things really took off for me,” he says.
What made Josh feel confident enough and comfortable in committing to Paynada?
“I describe Paynada, even to all my merchants, as a company that is big enough to make things happen, but small enough that they care about you, where the CEO knows your name. When you work for some bigger companies, you’re just a number. At Paynada, I truly feel that they care. Those in leadership are not so detached that they forget what it’s like to be hustling and grinding.”
I Can Do This
One pivotal moment fortified Josh’s self-belief; when he sold his first sizable account.
“No one referred it to me, no one helped me sell it, I didn’t have to phone a friend. It was a straight cold call visit — two or three times. It was my first big merchant. That was not long after I came on. It really felt good to be like, you know, I can do this.”
That first big win gave Josh the confidence that he was doing the right things and could succeed in the payments business
Lift Off
The decision quickly paid dividends. Within just ten months, Josh doubled his previous income, and it did not take long for him to become a fixture on the sales leadership board. On top of that, he qualified as one of the first APEX Champions in Paynada’s inaugural sales incentive program.
His secret? A simple, focused approach to sales. Recognizing and treating it as a numbers game. And setting clear, measurable goals.
At the outset Josh put a detailed plan in place to achieve his 5-year goal for residual income. How many accounts would he need to sign each month? What does the average margin need to be for each of those accounts? He reverse-engineered to arrive at targets, then began prospecting relentlessly to hit them.
Helping Others ‘Escape’
As Paynada grew, Josh’s VP encouraged him to move into a leadership role. Despite his initial reluctance, he eventually agreed, motivated mainly by his strong desire to help others find their path to financial freedom, much like he had.
“I remember what it was like to feel trapped in the corporate rigamarole,” he reflects.
Using an analogy from his construction days, he adds, “Everyone wants to build that house, but not everyone knows how to lay the first brick. I’m here to hand them that brick and show them how to lay the next one.”
In his role as one of Paynada’s sales leaders, Josh extends his hand to those who don’t see any way out of their current situation, to those who seek financial freedom. He wants to show them it’s a real possibility.
Industry Challenges and Rewards
While Josh is quick to acknowledge the challenges inherent to the industry: “It’s extremely competitive. No one really wants to talk about credit cards,” the wins and the satisfaction gained from helping merchants outweigh the inevitable rejection one must accept to succeed.
“On the other side of all those nos, you go into a business and meet an owner who’s been overpaying at 8% from their processor. When they realize you can get them down to 2% or eliminate fees, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen with you – that’s the feel-good part. If I can get 10 of those nos as long as I get one of these wins. It’s what keeps me motivated and keeps me going. In this job, you’re not in sales – you’re in service. You’re truly servicing these merchants.”
Q & A with Josh
Can you tell me about the support you’ve received at Paynada?
Rose-Marie (VP of Operations) is one of the big reasons I’m successful. I pride myself on having perfect paperwork every time, and she’s been instrumental in helping me achieve that standard. And then John (VP of Sales) has this ability to help me look at things from a new perspective when I’m stuck. He can see potential even when I can’t.
What key qualities and skills are essential for success at Paynada?
You have to be willing to admit failure and take criticism. Have the self-awareness to look in the mirror, admit what you did wrong today, so you can be better tomorrow.
Some people are naturally talented and may only have to call on 20 businesses to close two deals, while others might have to call a hundred for those same two wins. That’s okay – you just have to recognize that you’re going to have to work twice as hard because it’s not as fluent or natural.
You also have to be extremely self-driven. No one is going to force you off the couch to go sell a deal — you are the engineer of your success or failure. Lastly, organization is critical. You need a system to track every lead, every conversation, and ensure you’re following up properly.
What advice would you give someone considering a career opportunity at Paynada?
Be prepared to build a detailed plan and then work that plan relentlessly. My plan was to sign two deals per week at a minimum of $20,000 in monthly processing. I had that weekly goal, but I also had a higher-level 5-year residual income target I was working toward.
Every Sunday night, I’d sit down and map out my prospecting plan for the week – who I needed to call, visit, follow up with, and when. Each night, I’d adjust based on what conversations happened that day.
Having that organized plan and working it diligently is key. Consistency compounds – stick to the process and the results will follow.
