uccessful professionals, whatever their field of endeavor, have one important thing in common: a firm grasp of the fundamentals of their profession. When they find themselves "off their game," the greatest achievers return to the basics _ golfers to their swings, musicians to their scales.

Early in my sales career, a great sales manager introduced me to KASH, an easy-to-remember acronym for knowledge, attitude, skills and habits.

It symbolizes that successful selling depends on these attributes, and it has stayed with me over the years, serving as my barometer when things aren't going quite right.

Knowledge

More than ever, knowledge is power. Having limited knowledge of this industry will put you at a serious competitive disadvantage. As interchange becomes more complicated, do you understand it well enough to teach it to others? Product choices are multiplying at a phenomenal rate, and there are more challenges to helping merchants choose the right options and smoothly integrate them into their businesses.

What an exciting time to be a part of this industry. But, you better keep up. With Internet search engines and dozens of quality publications at their fingertips, your competition and your customers can potentially become more knowledgeable than you.

Knowledge includes understanding the sales process. Visit any bookstore, and you will find shelf upon shelf of how-to books by sales leaders.

As a field sales agent, I spent considerable amounts of time in my car. I used that time to increase my knowledge by listening to educational tapes about selling from some of the best in the business.

Knowledge of the verticals you want to serve is particularly important. Understand your customers' goals, the challenges they face and the needs they express.

You will better serve clients whose businesses you understand. And you will secure their confidence by demonstrating you took the time to understand their industry.

Knowledge is critical. Know your competition. Know the people who work for you. Know your own strengths and where you need to grow.

Attitude

Your attitude can determine your altitude. It's been said that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Always keep a positive attitude. Negative thinking can only be expected to produce negative results. Faced with a negative situation, don't dwell on it.

Work around it. Work through it. But, get past it. There is a positive side to everything you will encounter in your professional life.

And most importantly, adopt the attitude that work is play. Have fun. Loosen up and be yourself. People buy from and give referrals to people who make them comfortable.

Skills

It pays to continually improve your sales skills. Book knowledge becomes useful when it is put into practice. Preparing before the sales call is a given. But once that sales visit is over, there is still an opportunity to practice and improve.

Think about what you did well, and what you should change next time out. Replay your opening and your closing. Was there another approach that would have fit better with this particular prospect or client?

Look at your notes to see if you did a good job listening to the customer. If you are better face to face than on the phone, how can you improve your phone pitch?

There are always new ideas and tools available to help expand your sales success.

Habits

Good, consistent work habits, when maintained by skillful, knowledgeable salespeople with the right attitude, will yield great results. In one sense it is just that simple. But don't fool yourself into thinking it is just a magic formula.

Success comes from planning, which includes setting goals, monitoring your progress, adjusting your course of action, when necessary, and responding flexibly to changes in the business environment.

In the end, it's about consistency in planning and implementation. Knowledge skills only pay off when combined with good work habits and a positive attitude.

Manage your KASH, and enjoy the benefits of a rewarding and successful career.

Steve Duniec is a Vice President of Sales for First Data Independent Sales. He has been a sales leader in the payments industry for over 15 years. For information on agent or ISO opportunities with First Data, contact Steve at Sduniec@cardpayment.com . The views expressed in this article are not those of First Data Corp.