Page 38 - GS170702

Education

Choose optimism, it's I thought about this recently after listening to salespeo-
ple discuss today's marketplace. Some comments were
good for business optimistic; others were negative. They ranged from "All
this change is creating a lot of opportunity for me" and "I
haven't had this much selling in years" to "We're on a race
to the bottom" and "All people want is free, free, free."
It made me think about how outlook impacts success. Op-
timists are unafraid to shovel the proverbial manure, cer-
tain a pony is in that pile. They take any roadblock and
face it head on because they know a reward is at the end.

Therein lies the challenge. Not everyone is an optimist,
nor does the excitement generated by something new al-
ways last. How, then, does a merchant level salesperson
stay motivated and positive when the day is filled with
change and the word "no"?
Two steps toward greater optimism
Two motivational steps can help increase optimism. First,
By Jeff Fortney see change as an opportunity. Not all change is negative.
Clearent LLC Consider the advent of cloud-based POS solutions. They
can help merchants do so much more than process
t some point, most college students have to transactions. For example, they can help merchants build
select classes that meet prerequisites but don't a customer database, create more loyal customers and run
have any bearing on their majors. The class their business more effectively.
A that stands out for me was Introduction to
Psychology. I thought an "introduction" had to be less More and more merchants are millennials who have
stressful than my other options. I was proven wrong. It's an affinity and comfort with tablets and could-based
the only class for which I ever pulled an all-nighter before solutions. By identifying multiple solutions and learning
the final exam. which ones are best for each merchant, you can gain a
market advantage. And sales become less focused on price
I vividly remember the preamble to one of the lectures. and more focused on addressing merchants' underlying
The professor said that, as a youth, he was an idealist. He needs.
believed his actions could change the world. Then life
stepped in, like waves on a beach, and eroded his idealism. Even negative developments can be opportunities. Be
He became an optimist, believing his actions may not the first to communicate change to your merchants, even
change the world, but he was optimistic the world would when the news isn't positive. Educating your merchants on
change for the better. a variety of subjects builds loyalty. It shows you're doing
everything in your power to be upfront and honest, which
The stunning effects of mindset is not the norm in the payments business.

One day he shared an old story. A group of academics The second step is to never stop learning and growing.
were studying the true effects of optimism and pessimism. Read trade publications like The Green Sheet. Ask your
They located two 10 year olds ‒ one was very optimistic, payment partner in-depth questions about the next
the other very pessimistic. They placed the pessimistic evolution of payment processing. And if you don't have a
child in a room filled with the newest toys and told him to trusted adviser, find one.
have fun. They placed the optimistic child in a shed half
filled with horse manure. Saying nothing, they handed Above all, focus on the positive. There will be times when
him a small bucket and a shovel. it's hard not to see only manure. But remember, a pony is
there. You just have to dig.
An hour later, they returned to the pessimist's room to find
toys tossed about and broken; the boy sat in the corner
with his head down. When asked what he was doing, he Jeff Fortney is Vice President, ISO Channel Management with Clearent
said "There's nothing to do." They went to the shed and LLC. He has more than 17 years' experience in the payments indus-
found the optimist moving the manure from one side of try. Contact him at jeff@clearent.com or 972-618-7340. To learn
the shed to the other. When asked what he was doing, he about how Clearent can help you grow faster and go further, visit
said, "With all this horse manure there has to be a pony in www.clearent.com.
here."

38