← Shift4
Shift4 role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
Payment processing and commerce technology that lets businesses take card and online payments.
Who you'd be calling
Owners and finance or operations managers at restaurants, hotels, retailers and other merchants.
Your opener
“Hi, this is [Name] from Shift4. I know I'm interrupting your day. We help businesses take payments in one system, in store and online, and I wanted to see how you handle that today. Do you have a minute?”
Problems you solve for them
- High or confusing processing fees
- Separate systems for in-store, online and mobile payments
- Slow support or downtime when payments fail
Discovery questions to ask
- What do you use today to take card payments, in person and online?
- Have you looked at your processing fees lately, and do they make sense to you?
- What happens when your payment system goes down or something goes wrong?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm busy right now.”
→ Totally get it, you're running a business. When's a better 5 minutes, maybe before or after your busy hours?
“Not interested.”
→ No worries. Out of curiosity, are you happy with what you pay to process cards today?
“We already have a payment provider.”
→ Good to hear, you're covered. Do you know your total monthly fees, and would a quick side-by-side comparison be useful?
“Just send me an email.”
→ Happy to. What type of business are you running so I send the right info? And can we set a quick call for after you've seen it?
Competitors worth knowing
Square, Stripe, Toast, Worldpay
Interview tips for this company
- Learn the basics: processing fees, point of sale (POS), and in-person versus online payments, so you can talk about them simply.
- Shift4 sells to different industries, so check the job posting and tailor your role play to that type of merchant.
Written from public information about Shift4 to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.