This industry has earned a fair amount of the suspicion it meets. A merchant who was quoted one number and given another, or stacked into a position they did not understand, is not being difficult — they are describing something that happened to them.
Let it run
The instinct is to interrupt and differentiate. Do not. A merchant who gets to finish the story has spent their objection, and what they tell you along the way is usually the whole map of what they care about — which is worth more than the thirty seconds it costs.
Differentiate on checkable things
| Assurance (fails) | Specific (works) |
|---|---|
| "We are honest" | "I will not give you a number before I read the statements" |
| "We are transparent" | "Here is the total payback in dollars, up front" |
| "We look after our clients" | "I will tell you if another offer beats mine" |
| "We are not like them" | "Ask me anything about the fees and I will answer it now" |
Every item in the left column is something the previous broker also said. Every item in the right is a commitment they can check within the next few days, which is what makes it worth anything.
Then do the thing
- Give the total payback in dollars before they ask.
- Name the fees without being asked.
- Tell them plainly if a competing offer is better.
- If the deal should not happen, say so — this is the merchant most likely to tell other people what you did.
That last point is commercial as much as ethical. Merchants who have been burned talk about it, and the broker who behaved differently is the one they name.
Questions brokers ask
How do you sell to a merchant with a bad broker experience?
Let them tell the whole story without interrupting, agree with the parts that were genuinely wrong, then differentiate on specific checkable commitments rather than on assurances.
Why do assurances fail with a burned merchant?
Because "we are honest" and "we are transparent" are exactly what the previous broker said. Only a commitment they can verify within days carries any information.
Should you criticise the other broker?
Criticise the practice, not the person. Saying plainly that quoting a rate before reading statements should not happen, and explaining why it does, is credible; running down a competitor sounds like sales.
What specific commitments actually work?
Giving total payback in dollars before being asked, naming the fees unprompted, and saying openly if a competing offer is better. Each is checkable within days, which is what makes it different from a claim.
Is it worth the extra time these calls take?
Usually. Merchants who have been burned talk to other merchants, and the broker who behaved differently is the one who gets named. It is one of the better sources of referral in this market.
Alex Makowski
Founder, Infinite Bookings
Runs the lead generation operation behind Infinite Bookings — paid traffic, the funding application, and the delivery pipeline that puts records into brokers’ CRMs.
Reachable directly at alex@infinitebookings.com or 732-609-7182.