he "Street Smarts" Feedback contest continues, and for the month of August 2004, we had a tie. Clayton Hosterman and Bob Schoenbauer each submitted a story and will receive a paid membership to the National Association of Payment Professionals (NAOPP) and paid registration fees for an upcoming regional event of their choice.

There are three months left in 2004, and we still want to hear from you. If you have a story to tell about how you successfully implemented something you read in "Street Smarts" in The Green Sheet, send it to us at Streetsmarts_Feedback@greensheet.com . Everyone who submits a success story will receive a one-year paid membership to NAOPP. Each month, we will also award the writer of the best story paid registration fees to a regional event, either an ETA Expo Network or one of the regional acquirers' association meetings.

And don't forget: For the best story overall received in 2004, we will award the winner a fully paid trip to the 2005 ETA Annual Meeting and Expo to be held March 15 - 17, 2005 in Las Vegas. Expenses to be paid include hotel, airfare and registration fees.

Here are Hosterman's and Schoenbauer's stories: "Ed, as I was re-reading old issues of The Green Sheet this morning, I came across your article. I couldn't agree more with the need to create leads. We've always called the situation this way: 'Sales folks don't have sales problems, they have prospecting problems.' Solve that problem, and you're off to the races. Link2Gov has successfully done so for card processing in the government sector, 'creating centers of expertise' by partnering and marketing with associations across the country."

- Clayton Hosterman, Link2Gov "Ed, I would like to share with your readers the astonishing effect your article 'Coffee is for Closers' (The Green Sheet, August 25, 2003, issue 03:08:02) has had on our closing percentage. Reading your article and then renting the 1992 movie 'Glengarry Glen Ross' reinforced my belief that you must be in complete control of the sales presentation at all times. "How can you take control? Ask questions and follow 'Ed's Five Easy Steps' (described in the article). I believe that most salespeople lose control of the presentation out of fear of losing a sale that they do not have. Trying to 'nice' your way through will get you only the easy sales.

"Many of you are probably thinking that this sounds good, but what about the guy who says, 'Just the rates, just the rates'? Try one of these in response: 'Then you do not care about service?' or 'You do not care who has access to your checking account?' You are now in control. "Now you can lead the prospect down the yellow brick road to step three, which I call the Golden Step, by saying this: 'Based upon what you've just explained your needs to be, I would recommend our _____ package.' I can tell you we have trained everyone here on 'Ed's Five Easy Steps' and are using it to a 'tee.' It has improved our closing rate nearly 50%. Remember, take control and most of all, 'Always Be Closing.'"

- Bob Schoenbauer, Capitol Payment Systems, Inc.