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Education
StreetSmarts SM
A new agent's journey in payments
By Dee and Emily Karawadra Lisa's journey
Impact PaySystem In the summer of 2018, Jason (my husband) and I took
a day trip to a Memphis horse ranch where the names
e are often asked, "How do you get into Dee and Emily Karawadra were first introduced
the payments industry. I have no experi- to us. Their business, Impact PaySystem was going
ence." So we thought it would be helpful to through big changes. Jason and I were told they
W spotlight the journey of someone outside of were in the middle of an active search for merchant
the industry who jumped in to become a merchant level level salespeople. My attention perked. I was clueless
salesperson (MLS). about merchant services but had experience in sales
from my newspaper and radio days. I called Emily
The fear of learning something new and entering an the next day.
industry full of technology and procedures that you're not
familiar with can be intimidating. And we have found, as Did I say I was clueless about merchant level
ISO owners, that sometimes the best talent isn't always sales? Well, to cement this fact: I was clueless
in front of you. Finding MLSs that are a good fit for your about merchant level sales. I knew credit and debit
company is a process. In addition, hundreds of ISOs and cards were swiped for payment on terminals that
processors are competing for the experienced talent. We sometimes worked, sometimes didn't, and funds
have found that taking the time to develop someone new were quick to come out of my account. But I knew
to the industry has been far more successful than trying nothing else about the process. And none of that
to recruit from the masses of tenured MLSs. mattered. The people at Impact didn't giggle at my
blank stare whenever basis points were mentioned.
For this article, we asked one of our MLSs to write about They didn't laugh when I asked what interchange
her journey into the industry. Lisa Taylor came to us in pass through rates were, nor did they chortle the
April of last year. She is just nine months into her payments time I questioned the purpose of a POS. Impact
career and is working part time. She has brought a breath embraced my curiosity and walked me through the
of fresh air and new perspective that has inspired our steps. Jason and I promptly became – and are proud
team. Lisa is a published fiction author and decided to to be – Impact PaySystem MLSs.
take a chance on the payments industry. We couldn't be
more pleased with her journey, which she describes in her Each of the owners offered their personal cell
own words here: numbers in case I had questions in the field. Sales
coaching has been readily available since day one,
the weekly industry training videos are more useful
than can be imagined, and the support system from
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