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Education

Focus on people

Because sales are all about people, building relation-
ships is central to the sales process, and practicing grati-
tude can help you connect with people. Maintaining the
human element of sales and focusing on the needs and
wants of one's merchants is made easier by developing a
grateful attitude. Instead of viewing each sales call as a
means to an end (aka meeting quota) focus on the person
with whom you are speaking. Show your gratitude to this
person for allowing you to connect with them. Your rela-
tionships with your prospective merchants will become
stronger and more rewarding.
Maintaining the momentum

In the long run, MLSs who practice gratitude enjoy their
careers more. To be a successful MLSs, one must have pa-
tience and perseverance. If you practice gratitude daily,
you are more likely to have the stamina to continue work-
ing with merchants and nurturing leads over the long
term.
Consider how each stage of the sales process fits into the
larger picture and be grateful for each stage. This mental-
ity allows you to persevere through difficult times and
long sales cycles.
Gratitude as a recipe for success with customers.

Someone is constantly competing for merchants’ atten-
tion. Because they have other options, show gratitude to
your merchants. You must continue to earn their business,
so make sure they know you are grateful each time they
choose you over a competitor. Because you are not enti-
tled to your merchants' business, you should not expect it.
To maintain merchants' interest, MLSs must continue to
prove their worth. You cannot afford to take your current
merchants for granted. Say "thank you," send Thanksgiv-
ing cards and express your gratitude that they chose to do
business with you. Do something out of the ordinary for
them in an effort to gain their loyalty.

There is much to be thankful for in this demanding and
rewarding sales profession. We all know the road to
success can be long and grueling, but gratitude enables
us to appreciate the journey, not just the destination. We
positivity and gratitude for our numerous blessings at
any time. My word of advice? The importance of a good
gr-attitude is too significant to be limited to one day of
the year: develop a grateful attitude daily, not just during
the holidays.

Natasa Cvijanovic, co-founder and CEO of Tesla Payments, has a proven
track record within the payment industry of cultivating successful rela-
tionships with ISOs, MLSs and strategic partners. In developing national
sales channels, she provides training and coaching to sales partners to
enable them to become better business partners and advocates for their
merchants, and to assist them in building portfolios producing steady
residual streams. She is also dedicated to consistently delivering high
levels of professionalism, integrity, dependability and trustworthiness.
Contact her at natasa@teslapayments.com.
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