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P. 52
Education
Both optimism and pessimist's room, they viewed toys strewn about; most
were broken in some fashion. In the midst of the mess
pessimism present sat the child whining, saying, "There isn't anything to
do." In the optimist's room, they saw that the child was
busy moving manure from one side of the room to the
challenges other. Surprised, they asked what he was doing. The child
responded, "With this much horse manure in here there
has to be a pony somewhere."
By Jeff Fortney Two views
Clearent LLC
There are parallels between this story and the payments
ne of my favorite stories involves a compari- business. It goes without saying that it is difficult for
son between an optimist and a pessimist. A people with pessimistic inclinations to be successful
test was created to see if researchers could in this industry unless they make a concerted effort to
O change a pessimist into an optimist, and vice change. On the other hand, it is equally challenging for
versa. After months of searching, they located the most people who are true optimists because they will often find
optimistic child and the most pessimistic child in the that their untamed enthusiasm gets in the way of success.
United States. Then they brought them together to run
the test. This is an important concept as we move forward into
2014. We all start each year with hopes of being successful.
Two children This raises the question, How can we convert those hopes
They placed the pessimistic child in a room filled with into true success?
brand new toys. They said he could play with anything
and do anything he liked. In turn, they led the optimistic To answer this question and achieve our ultimate goal of
child to a room half filled with horse manure. They handed success, each of us must look inward and honestly decide
the child a bucket and a shovel and said, "Have fun." if we are optimistic or pessimistic. Doing so will help us
gauge what we need to do to be successful in the coming
After two hours they checked on each child. In the year and beyond.
The pessimist
Very few people will admit to being pessimists. It's not a
badge worn proudly. And the sales profession can easily
amplify pessimism. Just think of how often you hear the
word "no." It assaults your confidence every day. Yet it is
extremely rare to hear any salespeople admit that they are
true pessimists. Indeed, those who do quickly gravitate
toward other lines of work.
Perhaps you consider yourself to be a realist. Have you
ever said, "I wouldn't sign with me. I don't see why this
merchant would even consider my proposal." Or have you
spent excessive time examining a statement to make sure
you haven't missed anything?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, you at
the very least have pessimistic tendencies. Yes, there are
those who have pessimistic tendencies that are successful
in payments. This is because they have identified when
these traits get in the way, and have developed techniques
to overcome them.
Here are a few examples:
• Limit the number of times you review a statement.
Establish a checklist for reviewing, and follow the
same steps every time. If a question arises about
something specific, reach out to your ISO partner
or mentor. Once your review is complete, it's OK to
have someone double check your work, but after
that point, consider the task to be complete and
52
52
Both optimism and pessimist's room, they viewed toys strewn about; most
were broken in some fashion. In the midst of the mess
pessimism present sat the child whining, saying, "There isn't anything to
do." In the optimist's room, they saw that the child was
busy moving manure from one side of the room to the
challenges other. Surprised, they asked what he was doing. The child
responded, "With this much horse manure in here there
has to be a pony somewhere."
By Jeff Fortney Two views
Clearent LLC
There are parallels between this story and the payments
ne of my favorite stories involves a compari- business. It goes without saying that it is difficult for
son between an optimist and a pessimist. A people with pessimistic inclinations to be successful
test was created to see if researchers could in this industry unless they make a concerted effort to
O change a pessimist into an optimist, and vice change. On the other hand, it is equally challenging for
versa. After months of searching, they located the most people who are true optimists because they will often find
optimistic child and the most pessimistic child in the that their untamed enthusiasm gets in the way of success.
United States. Then they brought them together to run
the test. This is an important concept as we move forward into
2014. We all start each year with hopes of being successful.
Two children This raises the question, How can we convert those hopes
They placed the pessimistic child in a room filled with into true success?
brand new toys. They said he could play with anything
and do anything he liked. In turn, they led the optimistic To answer this question and achieve our ultimate goal of
child to a room half filled with horse manure. They handed success, each of us must look inward and honestly decide
the child a bucket and a shovel and said, "Have fun." if we are optimistic or pessimistic. Doing so will help us
gauge what we need to do to be successful in the coming
After two hours they checked on each child. In the year and beyond.
The pessimist
Very few people will admit to being pessimists. It's not a
badge worn proudly. And the sales profession can easily
amplify pessimism. Just think of how often you hear the
word "no." It assaults your confidence every day. Yet it is
extremely rare to hear any salespeople admit that they are
true pessimists. Indeed, those who do quickly gravitate
toward other lines of work.
Perhaps you consider yourself to be a realist. Have you
ever said, "I wouldn't sign with me. I don't see why this
merchant would even consider my proposal." Or have you
spent excessive time examining a statement to make sure
you haven't missed anything?
If you answered yes to either of these questions, you at
the very least have pessimistic tendencies. Yes, there are
those who have pessimistic tendencies that are successful
in payments. This is because they have identified when
these traits get in the way, and have developed techniques
to overcome them.
Here are a few examples:
• Limit the number of times you review a statement.
Establish a checklist for reviewing, and follow the
same steps every time. If a question arises about
something specific, reach out to your ISO partner
or mentor. Once your review is complete, it's OK to
have someone double check your work, but after
that point, consider the task to be complete and
52
52
