or the first time ever in its nearly three years as an organization, the National Association of Payment Professionals (NAOPP) presented in front of a large group of merchant level salespeople (MLSs) at an ISO's sales conference.

At Business Payment Systems' (BPS) Fourth Annual Sales and Educational Conference, held in Las Vegas Aug. 17 - 19, 2005, NAOPP Secretary Amy B. Garvey spoke to 145 MLSs about the benefits of belonging to an organization such as NAOPP.

"Getting in front of a group of agents this size is an ongoing goal for NAOPP," Garvey said. "Agents need the same thing, yet we're all floating out there like Pluto until we come to events like this [conference] and talk and exchange ideas. We want to link everyone together on some level."

Garvey said not only have many sales agents never heard of NAOPP, but some ISOs incorrectly think that NAOPP is an ISO trying to recruit agents. In turn, they might not help promote the organization to their MLS partners. NAOPP is not an ISO. It is a nonprofit organization with a goal of bridging the gap between MLSs and other segments of the payment processing industry.

The organization is working to provide education, health and retirement benefits, discounted legal advice and counsel from industry experts, and certification to individuals selling in the payment processing industry. Through these goals, it hopes to improve the level of integrity in the industry.

BPS President Steven Feldshuh called the conference "an ideal opportunity for NAOPP to present its benefits to ... the feet on the street. At BPS, we pride ourselves on dedication to our sales reps, and we see it as a win-win for our agents to be exposed to NAOPP," he said.

Although NAOPP has made many strides in the past year, there is still much more to be done, Garvey said. She asked members of the audience for their help. "It's a grass roots scenario. We need more members, we need active participation, and we need people to work on committees. There's a lot to overcome." For more information on NAOPP, visit www.naopp.com .