Podium Changes the Way Local Businesses Process Payments

Now SMBs can get money 80% faster through texting. That’s the claim made by a company focusing on messaging tools for local businesses. Podium’s new payments product lets small businesses request customer payments with messaging.

Podium Payments

Small Businesses Trends contacted Chase Petrey, VP of International and Payments to learn about this . Podium’s Interaction Management platform offers review and messaging tools for SMBs. This new product adds to that.

Engagement

He describes how this tool uses engagement.

“Customers shop locally for the human experience,” he writes. “They shop online because they want convenience. With Podium Payments they get both.”

As a result, with the new tool, customers interact with local businesses several ways. They can negotiate and ask questions through messaging. That said, the small business angle takes center stage.

Powerful Tool

“This new payments product is powerful. It lets SMBs turn texting into a brand new sales channel,” Petrey says. “Our current Payments customers are using this tool in different ways.”

For example, they’re using it to collect pre-payments, past-due balances, and installments .

The numbers supplied by Podium boost their impressive claims.

Sales Closure Rates

“SMBs get an increase in sales closure rates. They get an improvement in working capital by collecting their money 80% faster. And a reduction in bad debt by improving delinquent collection rates by 300%”

Petrey circles back to the customer angle.

“Customers demand convenience, and local businesses are losing customers to more convenient online shopping,” he says. “Podium is allowing these businesses to remove friction from the way they buy things.”

Impressive Stats

The company supplied some other impressive stats. These leverage Google My Business Data for messaging. For example, Podium gets an increase of 67% website visits on average. It also receives over 85% clicks, and over 53% in listing views after the first three months.

As a result, Podium Payments is a tool that speeds up and improves interactions with customers.

“By using texting solutions customer satisfaction is a top priority,” Petrey says. “They can strengthen their online reputation and build a loyal fanbase. Time, money, and input is always front and center.”

Text-Based Feedback

Podium Payments works well for healthcare providers, big-ticket retailers (furniture, jewelry, etc.) and auto as well as home service companies.

Empowering text-based feedback and payments are just two of the advantages. For example, Podium’s Interaction Management platform uses platforms like Apple Business Chat, Google Messaging and SMS texting. As a result, businesses can manage long lists of communication from one inbox.

Streamlines

Podium Payments streamlines the whole process further. As a result, it allows local small businesses another way to filter the sales funnel. They can increase engagement with their target market.