Pat Walter, Chief Executive Officer, Maximum Solutions
Problem: Maximum Solutions, Inc. was established in 1994 as a sales and support organization focused exclusively on providing software solutions for the recreation industry. As Maximum Solutions grew and achieved success, they made the decision to launch two significant product offerings—MaxEnterprise, a distributed software solution, and MaxSolutions Online, the company’s web hosted solution.
Initially Maximum Solutions gave their clients three different payment gateways as options, but the ability to meet PCI compliance requirements became a concern. Throughout 2009 Maximum Solutions received an increasing number of calls from customers asking about PCI compliance. With PCI compliance becoming an increased focus for clients, it was taking up more and more of Maximum Solutions’ time as they tried to figure out a solution. It was clear Maximum Solutions needed a streamlined solution.
Maximum Solutions decided they needed to partner with a company where they could confidently refer their clients for PCI compliant payment processing, and help educate their customers on the risks and liability surrounding PCI compliance. They were looking for a best-of-breed payment processing solution that would meet their customers’ needs, and solve the imminent compliance issues. So Maximum Solutions turned to Element Payment Services.
Implemented Solution: While Maximum Solutions knew Element would be a great resource, they had some concerns about how they would introduce the change to their customers and move them to Element’s payment processing platform. But, unique to the payments industry, Element offers highly customizable, robust marketing programs and support for ISVs like Maximum Solutions to help drive adoption of Element’s services among their merchant customers.
Element developed a go-to market strategy for Maximum Solutions, built from a broad range of marketing options and programs developed for merchant recruitment. With the profile of the typical Maximum Solutions customer in mind, they opted for a straightforward plan that included an e-mail blast, followed by an outbound calling campaign.
In addition to the outbound campaign, Element created co-branded resources to help educate and inform Maximum Solutions’ customers, which included a web landing page where customers could go online at their convenience to find out more information about PCI Compliance and Element’s solutions.
After Element’s initial outreach to merchant customers, there was clearly a genuine interest in the payment processing solutions they were offering. Element offered Maximum Solutions’ customers a free statement analysis and PCI Compliance risk assessment. This included a three-month comparison of data from their previous processor against Element, so they can better understand what the costs and savings would be if they move. It also included an analysis to help the merchant understand the risk of holding cardholder data in terms of cost—often reaching upwards of $200 per card number.
Results: From the initial launch campaign, almost 50 percent of Maximum Solutions’ merchants converted to Element’s platform within 90 days of the program. Element continued to follow up with customers that are locked into a previous contract with the goal of achieving 70 percent conversion in the first year.
Element also helped new merchants understand the relationship between Element and Maximum Solutions, and become educated on PCI Compliance requirements and how it can impact their business. Element’s offered programs helped the new merchants, which included online and offline communications, featured articles for ISVs to promote to their customers, participation in user group conferences, PCI Compliance webinars and sales materials, and co-authored articles to be featured in industry publications.
To learn more about PCI compliance, download our PCI Compliance Guide For Software Providers. And for more information about how Element can help you meet PCI compliance requirements, email us or call us at 1.866.435.3636.