The 21 day cadence, touch by touch
What happens on each day, why it is in that order, and what to do if a lead is not local.
Day 0, research. Five minutes only. Find one true, specific observation about the business. That line is your hook for everything that follows.
Day 0, email one. Short. One observation, one problem, one small ask. Ten minutes to look at what they pay to take payments, not a demo.
Day 1, call one. The day after the email, while the name is warm. Twenty seconds to earn the conversation. One voicemail, only on this attempt.
Day 3, email two. A different angle, never a bump. Lead with what card fees, settlement waits, and chargebacks actually cost them in a month.
Day 5, call two. A different time of day to call one. Avoid the lunch rush for shops and hospitality.
Day 7, social. Connect, follow, leave one genuine comment. Presence, not persuasion.
Day 9, walk in. For a local merchant this is the highest converting touch in the prospecting engine. Buy something small, ask who handles card payments, leave a card. Not local? Swap it for a second social touch.
Day 12, email three. One short proof story of a similar business. Never invent a name or a number.
Day 15, call three. The last live attempt. Ask for a yes, a no, or a better time. All three are useful.
Day 18, short message. Two lines, human, easy out, and only where you have consent.
Day 21, close the loop. Polite, final, no guilt. This touch pulls more replies than any other in the prospecting engine. Then mark the prospecting engine won, stopped, or leave it to complete.