Page 43 - GS171102

Inspiration

Make your merchants' goals your own

n 2016, Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor Jot it down, jot it down
at Dominican University of California, conducted
research on goals that reaffirmed conclusions found In Good Selling!: The Basics, Paul H. Green advised ISOs and
I in prior studies over the years: individuals who write MLSs to not become so focused on their presentations that
down their goals have more success attaining them than they don't retain what merchants tell them. "To get in the
people who do not. habit of really listening and remembering what the prospect
says, take notes during your conversation," he wrote. "Jot
According to Matthews, people become 42 percent more down a few key points the merchant makes, and if the
likely to achieve their goals by writing them down on a prospect mentions anything more than once, definitely
regular basis. Yet in "Dreams fulfilled: Six easy steps," The write that down. What you have to say may be important to
Green Sheet, Dec. 22, 2008, issue 08:12:02, Jason Felts cited you, but that doesn't mean it's important to your prospect."
studies suggesting fewer than 4 percent of people in the
United States set written goals. "The same studies show Indeed, you need to make your prospects' goals as
that many of that 4 percent are among the wealthiest people important as your own. So listen well and take good notes,
in the nation," he added. and later, draw conclusions about what matters most to
each merchant ‒ then write those priorities down.
Of course, it won't work to set goals, write them down
and forget them; you must be consistently engaged in the Green wrote his seminal books on selling in the payments
process, revising goals and action steps to achieve your business at a time when MLSs were certain to have notepad
life's dreams. The Green Sheet has published numerous and pen in hand. Smart devices weren't ubiquitous at the
articles over the years on how to set and achieve goals. To time. If you don't carry a pen and paper, you can record your
find related articles, enter variations on "goal setting" via conversations on your smartphone if your prospect agrees,
our Search function at www.greensheet.com. enter notes into your smartphone during the meeting, or,
immediately after the meeting, use your favorite customer
For ISOs, merchant level salespeople (MLSs) and other relationship management tool to document insights about
pros in the payments biz, a step toward reaching lifelong what the merchant wants to achieve. Doing this will boost
dreams is to develop healthy merchant portfolios that will your business in just the same way writing down your
pay residuals for years to come. And for the industry's goals will help you fulfill your dreams.
feet on the street, building a solid book of business entails
in-person and telephone meetings with merchants. Lots
of them – day in, day out. And that brings us back to the
importance of writing down, not just your own goals, but
your customers' goals, as well.

Kate Gillespie, President and CEO

43