The Green Sheet Online Edition

December 28, 2015 • Issue 15:12:02

Inspiration

Realize your potential

As an ISO owner or merchant level salesperson (MLS), your fortunes rise and fall based on what you do and how you do it. There is no company owner or corporate supervisor directing your work for an enterprise not of your making. You shape your destiny each hour, day and week throughout your career.

However, sometimes ISOs and MLSs fall short of their goals because they forget just how much of their outcomes really are up to them. As Paul H. Green stated in Good Selling!^TM: The Basics, "Successful people don't rely on the magic of that 'lucky' tie when calling on big accounts. They are people who are prepared, persistent and positive. If you've been hoping for good fortune, it's not going to happen. You've got to make it happen."

One thing that those who meet their goals have in common is clarity. Having clarity means knowing exactly what you want from your sales efforts and for your life, not superficially, but deep down in your core. Having a vivid vision of what you really want ignites motivation, the kind that is sustainable and leads to success. When a payment professional has this kind of clarity he or she is well on the road toward joining the ranks of what Jason Felts, a former Street SmartsSM author, referred to as "top producers" – those whose annual income reaches the high six figures annually and beyond.

CASH in

So how do you go from seeing clearly what you want to actually attaining it. According to Green, all you have to do is "CASH in." That is, be Creative, Assume the unexpected, become a Sponge and say Hello.

• Being creative doesn't mean you have to write the next Amazon top-selling business book, although such an endeavor could boost your career. Being creative means doing something new, or doing a familiar activity in a new way. Green suggests trying out new things even if the way you typically do something works just fine. You might find something that works even better.
• The advantage to assuming the unexpected is that when it inevitably occurs, you will be prepared instead of in shock, and you'll be able to take intelligent action.
• Becoming a sponge means taking every opportunity to learn. Not only will this give you confidence in your self, according to Green, it will give others confidence in you, too. With all the options for watching TV shows and movies these days, it's easy to spend too much of your free time as a couch potato. Choose educational fare, too, like iTunes U or National Public Radio, and don't forget good old-fashioned classes and seminars.
• Saying hello means remembering to acknowledge the people you meet day to day. Everyone has interesting stories to tell if you pay attention. A friendly hello and a few minutes of listening can go a long way toward striking up new friendships and maintaining current ones. Keep your business cards at the ready, too, so people can easily contact you should they need someone with your skills.

CASHing in goes beyond just making a living; it means living up to your full potential. So adopt a positive attitude, prepare to the best of your ability and persist so you can do just that.

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