Author: David Matney

All of us are born with different talents and abilities. What we do with what we are given is entirely up to us. I believe that success in life is a choice. I’ve heard far too many people say that

successful people are just simply lucky.

Sure, there may be some luck involved. For me, I have found that the harder I work, the luckier I become. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.The key is to be prepared when a great opportunity comes your way. A lack of preparation can cause you to either not recognize the opportunity, waste the opportunity, or refuse the opportunity all together.

Successful people that have made it big recognized an opportunity for which they prepared themselves, and made the very best of it. All of them will tell you that it took dedication, commitment and hard work.
Unfortunately, far too many people waste opportunities in life by refusing to put 100% into it. They may start out with their goals and work hard in the beginning and when they don’t achieve instant success, they let up on the gas. This is what we call wasting the opportunity. They procrastinate. They allow laziness to creep in. They don’t make a commitment.
When an amazing opportunity comes along, be prepared to take advantage of it. Acquire as much knowledge as you possibly can and make a 100% commitment to work hard at it.

Have faith that working as hard as you can and making that commitment will pay off in the long run.
It is very important to set specific goals so you know exactly what you want out of life. This way, when an opportunity comes your way, you can recognize that this opportunity is a vehicle that will help you achieve success. Having daily goals challenges you to go after your dreams.

When you have an incredible opportunity, it’s important to develop a routine and stick to it. Make a commitment to become organized. It all starts off by waking up early and having a good positive morning routine. Starting the day off right sets you up for success throughout the day. Having a routine and success plan will help you succeed in what matters.
Make sure you make every second count. Time is your capital, do not waste it. Start putting more value on your time. T

his will allow you to be more productive accomplishing the things that are important to you. Do not let anyone tell you that there are no opportunities anymore. Do not listen to naysayers. We’ve all been blessed with great opportunities to have success. Understand that it’s going to take a true commitment and a lot of effort. Keep positive and no matter what, keep marching forward. Success is right around the corner.
Take advantage of your incredible opportunities. Many years ago, one of my mentors said to me,

“Opportunity is knocking.

Don’t be caught in the backyard looking for four leaf clovers!”

You’ve been blessed!

This is your time to go out and make it happen.

Take advantage of your opportunity!

Happy selling, David

Today I want to talk to you about going the extra mile. “Going the extra mile” – what does that mean?  I don’t think most business people know what this means.

Often the people I talk to are frustrated. Many sales professionals feel they are just spinning their wheels or are not making progress towards their goals as desired.

I know many credit card processing sales people who make $60,000 a year, $80,000 a year, even $200,000 + per year.

If you reach this level you may say, “I’m happy with my residual income.  I’m able to spend time with my family and golf every day.”  Then you win! 

You are successful!  Congratulations!  You don’t need any further training. 

However, you may get to a certain point and say, “I am at a great level, but my ambition is to do more.”  Then you need to do more!

I know that sounds really obvious, but you do. You have to go the extra mile.

1. Continue doing whatever got you to where you are now.

You became successful because you spent several hours a day prospecting, setting appointments and  following up.

 Keep doing what you were already doing.

2. Add to what you are already doing.

This is for those who want to go to the next level.  As we already mentioned, you will put in your normal day of work, at the office or out prospecting. After you get home for dinner, play with the kids or relax however you choose for a short while, put in more hours of work. 

There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.  You don’t have to worry about it being crowded at eight o’clock at night during your drive back to the office.  When you get to the office, there is not going to be anyone else in the building. I learned this truth from personal experience.

When you decide “to go the extra mile,” don’t kid yourself. “Going the extra mile” means you’re going to be working when other people are not working.  You’re going to be learning when other people are not learning. You’re going to be accomplishing things when other people are not accomplishing things.  If you do what everybody else does, you are average by definition.  Going the extra mile will set you apart from the “average” person.

If you really want to build your business, you must go through the building phase and then the monetization stage. 

Perhaps you’ve taken both of these steps and are still not satisfied with your level of success.  Try doing  the thing that everybody else is not willing to do.

 Be willing to go the extra mile.

Happy Selling,

David

It’s the start of a new week and we need to start it off right. So grab your coffee, energy drink or whatever you need to get your day rolling and let’s read these 5 ways to ensure your week and every day starts off great. 

1. Celebrate your success

We all have successes each and everyday.  Some days the successes are huge, and other days they may seem small and almost trivial.

Regardless of which it might be, never allow yourself to end a day without celebrating by congratulating yourself on a job well done.

2. Support and refer others

Helping others is one of the best ways to help yourself.  In the words of Zig Ziglar, the best way for you to achieve your goals is by helping others achieve their goals.

3. Be proud of who you are and the way you help your customers

Successful salespeople are proud of the job they do. This isn’t boasting; it’s being confident and  positive.  When you’re positive, outgoing and confident, it is amazing how more responsive people are you come in contact with.

Customers aren’t looking to do business with negative people.

4. Make the tough call now

Putting off the tough call is one of the worst things anyone can do, because all it does is eat away at you and suck energy that should be used to go after building the business.

If you have a difficult customer who needs to be called back, don’t put the call off, thinking somehow it will go away.  Deal with it quickly. Not only will you feel better, but the sooner you deal with it, the less worked up the customer will become.

5. Associate with winners and other successful people

Your probability is going to be much greater to become a top performing salesperson if you associate with other high-performing salespeople.

Negative people suck life out of  those around them. They do this for one simple reason: It helps them feel good by bringing those around them down to their level.

There’s your list of the 5 things you can do today to not only make today a better day, but also to make every week a better week.

Plan for success! The way you do this is by positioning yourself for success by following the 5 steps listed above.

Happy Selling,

David

Happy Friday the 13th everyone,

Next to Halloween, Friday the 13th is one of the spookiest days of the year — and for good reason! It is known as a day for bringing about very bad luck to people….. If you believe in luck.

Friday the 13th is so well-known in popular culture that it even inspired a successful horror movie franchise. In those films, the notorious hockey-mask-wearing and machete-wielding killer Jason Voorhees was born on Friday the 13th and well, he definitely didn’t turn out so lucky. It’s also a film franchise that will make you reconsider going to summer camp.

Fun fact – The superstitious ‘holiday’ occurs in any month that starts on a Sunday, and can happen as many as three times throughout any given calendar year, including during a leap year.

Depending on just how superstitious someone is, Friday the 13th may be a reason to call in since from work and not leave your house all day.

Not everyone takes Friday the 13th superstitions so seriously, though. Some just use it as an excuse to joke with people, reminding them to ‘be careful’ today. Yeah thanks, Karen. As if I wasn’t already nervous …

Even though most of the population understands Friday the 13th as a silly if superstitious day, we don’t exactly know how it came to be and the history behind it. There are definitely a lot of rumors out there, but that usually just leaves us confused and still unsure of the truth about it all.

It turns out there’s actually quite a bit of fascinating history surrounding Friday the 13th, going back as far as 2000 years at least. Check out this weeks Top 10 fun facts about Friday the 13th, including what we know of its history, origins, and why you might want to be more cautious than normal.

From the Home office at Camp Crystal Lake here are the Top 10 Fun Facts about Friday the 13th.

10. Fridays have been considered an unlucky day for centuries.

Nowadays, we think of Fridays as lucky since they mark the end of the work week. Throughout history, however, Fridays were considered bad and unlucky.

Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th century collection of stories known as “The Canterbury Tales” was one of the first texts to reference Friday as a day of unfortunate occurrences with the quote, “And on a Friday fell all this mischance”.

Starting from the early 1800’s onward, Fridays eventually started becoming more known as a day when people did not want to partake in ordinary tasks, but especially any type of new endeavor such as moving, getting married, or starting a new job.

9. We have purposely kept 13 out of our cultural norms.

When you stop and think about it, the number 12 is found in many aspects of history and culture, and it is connected to a complete set or time frame. For example, we have twelve months in a year, hours on a clock, zodiac signs, tribes of Israel, and days of Christmas. Because of this, 13 can be viewed as disruptive to the order of things.

Even in modern times, there are some hotels and taller buildings that won’t even label a thirteenth floor. They just skip it and go to 14, even if technically it’s still the thirteenth floor.

8. Fear of the number 13 can become severe.

When a phobia of the number 13 becomes too intense, the condition is known as triskaidekaphobia. People who suffer from this can experience real physical symptoms such as: nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat, sweating, and panicking.

7. Thirteen percent of the adult population in the U.S. believe Friday the 13th is unlucky.

In January 2019, a sample of Americans above the age of 18 was asked, “To what extent do you believe the each of following common superstitions? Please select one option on each row.” It turns out that 61% of respondents selected the “don’t believe” option, while a fitting 13% selected “believe.”

6. No one has been able to prove that more tragedies occur on Friday the 13th than on other days.

While no scientific evidence has been found to date indicating that Fridays falling on the 13th of any given month have a higher rate of tragic events, there have surely been some particularly unfortunate Fridays the 13th in history.

Rapper Tupac Shakur (probably) died on Friday, September 13, 1996, six days after he was shot in Las Vegas, Nevada (probably).

The Germans bombed Buckingham Palace on Friday, September 13, 1940.The Great Bhola Cyclone killed 300,000 people in Bangladesh over the two-day period of Thursday, November 12 through Friday, November 13, 1970, with the World Meteorological Organization assigning it the​ highest mortality associated with a tropical cyclone. Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed into a glacier in the Andes mountains on its way to Santiago, Chile, on October 13, 1972, infamously leaving all survivors with cannibalism as theirs only choice for survival over the grueling 72 days they spent awaiting their eventual rescue.

5. The beginning of the end for the legendary Knights Templar began on Friday the 13th.

The marriage between Friday the 13th and modern superstitions is said to have its origins in an incident involving the infamous Knights Templar. Hundreds of members of the religious and military order, whose mission was to defend the Holy Land, were arrested on Friday October 13, 1307 by the King of France. They were later executed.

4. In the 1880s, an upscale club was established in New York City for the specific purpose of removing the unlucky stigma from the number 13.

While many people avoid the number 13, others have embraced it.

Captain William Fowler established the Thirteen Club in the late 19th century with the purpose of debunking the notion of the number being unlucky. Members held dinner parties on the thirteenth of the month, dining over thirteen candles, and eating thirteen courses, challenging the superstition head-on.

3. A novel written about Friday the 13th left some financial anaylists in fear.

In 1907, author Thomas William Lawson wrote a book titled “Friday, the Thirteenth,” which centers around a stockbroker in New York who uses the superstition of the date to his advantage on Wall Street.

2. Celebrities born on Friday the 13th don’t seem to be unlucky at all.

Although the date is associated with bad luck, many successful people have been born on Friday the 13th.

The Olsen Twins: Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen were billionaires by the time they were 18 years old, were born on Friday June 13, 1986, and you’d hardly consider them unlucky.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus: The actress who played Elaine on “Seinfeld” was born on Friday January 13, 1961, and ironically, was the first main cast member who was able to break the notorious “Seinfeld curse.”

Steve Buscemi: The star of “Fargo” and “Boardwalk Empire” was born on Dec. 13, 1957.

And the #1 Top Ten Fun Fact about Friday the 13th is….

1. The day’s possible impact on the Stock Market has been dubbed the Friday the 13th Effect.

According to National Geographic, “It’s been estimated that $800 or $900 million [U.S.] is lost in business on this day, because people will not fly or do business they normally would do.”

If you are superstitious, there are some hacks you can try to improve your luck. Some believe that salt, a lucky rabbit’s foot, a blessed crystal possess powers capable of warding off any potential trouble from evil spirits. But for me treat it like any other day and go close some deals!

Have a great weekend,

David

Another day. Another list of prospects. Another set of strangers, I encounter and another set of people I meet.

Stop and ask yourself what kind of an impact you make on people you come in contact with?

We’re always so concerned about our customer meetings, and understandably, we feel those people are the important people we encounter in our jobs and careers.

Yes, they’re important, but I’ll say everyone else is just as important.

I’m not saying this merely out of fulfilling something our mothers always told us to do.  No, I’m saying it for a much bigger reason.

It is impossible to separate out areas of our lives and put our actions into perfect compartments.  We’re not wired that way. Our emotions, physical stamina, mental condition — everything is interwoven into everything we do.

There is zero chance we can be 100% successful in a customer meeting if only minutes before the meeting we found ourselves in a heated argument with somebody else.  

It’s just not going to happen.

The approach we need to take is one of striving to make a positive impact on those we meet, regardless of who they are, where they are or the role they may play in our life.

When we embrace that a key aspect of our job is to impact people positively, it can’t help but impact every other decision we make.  Those who take this approach simply make better decisions and have better outcomes.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? It almost sounds trivial, yet the impact is huge.

Notice I wrote the impact is huge. I didn’t write the impact could be huge.   Why?  I don’t base it on scientific studies or some sort of peer review analysis.  I base it on what I see in others and myself when the objective of impacting others positively is valued.

I’m not going to tell you how to do it. I’ll leave that up to you.

Only thing I will say is make it your objective each day to do it — have a positive impact on those around you, no matter how you come in contact with them.

Happy Selling,

David

Good morning everyone, 

The greatest satisfaction I’ve ever had in my sales career so far is when I’ve been selling solely due to the “why” I sell.

At the same time, the most difficult time I’ve had is when I’ve been focused on my own personal objectives at the expense of the customers to whom I was selling.

Early in my sales career, I remember making what at the time the largest single sale I had ever made. 

I wish I felt the same way sitting across from the customer a month after the sale when he was now complaining about fees after his first statement. 

What I had done was what I see as one of the ultimate sins a salesperson can do. I had mistakenly priced him wrong on the application. It was a ridiculous amount of money. I eventually got it straightened out but almost lost the account. 

Today I find myself jazzed about sales because it’s not about closing a sale. It’s about creating a relationship and  making a positive impact with the person I’m selling to.  

The “why” of why I sell is to make a positive impact. 

If what I’m trying to sell is not going to make a positive impact, then I’m no longer selling for the reason I want.

When people are jazzed about why they sell, it’s amazing what can happen.

When you enjoy what you’re doing, you see things differently. Challenges become opportunities you want to go after.  The ability to help people becomes a rush that keeps you driving forward and doing it with enthusiasm.

Why do you sell? 

I’m not saying you can’t make money by selling. We can make a lot of money selling when we truly are focused on the “why” of why we sell.   

The money we make is merely the scorecard. It’s the reward for success. It’s the reward for helping people.

There are others out there who are professing sales is all about the money you make. I can’t do anything about what they choose to believe, but I can control what I choose to believe.

Happy Selling,

David

Good morning everyone, 

It’s the 10th of January and you’re still waiting to go out in the field and sell.

Let me as you a question. 

What in the heck are you waiting for?

Are you  waiting for permission to be the best and fullest version of yourself? Well, permission granted. Go close that deal. You are the best, now go prove it. 

Are you  waiting to be recognized  so you can finally share your gift with the world? I recognize you. Now go share that gift of gab and sales excellence and close those deals!

Are you waiting for a sign? Are you waiting for just the right moment? If so, Here it is.. 

Are you  waiting for your dream merchant  to pick up the phone, call you, and ask you to help them get the better result that they need? Don’t wait for them to call or for someone else to get in there and close them. Call them today! get back in front of them and close that deal. Never put off a merchant in hopes they call you. 

Are you  waiting for your dream merchant to figure out where they need to go  next in order to produce better results?

Just like the previous statement. Don’t wait on them.

call, text, visit and email them today. Do not wait on your competition to get to them first.

Did you leave a sales call with your dream merchant without gaining a commitment for the next call and found yourself now  waiting for them  to get back with you? If so, quit waiting and go back and follow up!

Are you waiting for the dream merchant that you are now working on winning  to determine for themselves  if they should buy from you or from someone else?

You have all the tools you need to close them. Be curious, ask questions, find the pain point and lets solve it. If you need me to help please feel free to let me know. I will help any way we can. 

Are you waiting until you know more?

Are you waiting until you believe that you are good enough?

Smart enough? 

Strong enough?

Stop Waiting!

The world is waiting for you to share your gifts now. You are enough right now. Just like the rest of us, you are perfect just as you are right now, and we all 

 could stand a little improving.

Your dream merchants are waiting for you to reach out to them and to show them how you can make a difference. Don’t let some shady sales person come in and deceive your merchants. 

You know enough now. You are smart enough. You can make a difference now. 

The better results that you want for yourself are waiting for you to take the disciplined actions that will bring those results to life.

Are you willing to stop waiting and will yourself to action instead? 

There is a reason that there is no metric for waiting. There is a reason we don’t track waiting. It’s because waiting isn’t something worth tracking. The only thing that comes to those who wait is a lifetime of missed opportunities and what’s left after those that will themselves to action have divvied up what’s worth having.

Stop waiting, start doing, and you will be closing!

Happy Selling,

David

In sales, every new week brings new possibilities.

That’s why it’s crucial to do everything you can to get the most out of those first few days. If you’re looking for a good checklist to start your week off strong I have some suggestions for you!

7 Helpful Tips to Boost Your Sales Week 

 1) Plan out your week based on a specific goal. Maybe you want to hit a certain number of sales for the week. Charting out your territory and calculating the number of businesses you need to meet to achieve your goal will give you better direction.

2) Make blocks on your calendar for prospecting and keep them sacred. Just like going to the gym, you may not want to, but making it habit sets you up for future success.

3) The best way to land a sale is to have talking points and to know your client. Take the time to research upcoming prospects.  

4) Proactively work to maintain relationships with your existing clients and build your pipeline. Just because you land a sale doesn’t automatically mean you have that client for life. You need to find new ways to display your value and show that your relationship benefits them.

5) Step outside your comfort zone. In sales, you need to evolve constantly. Try to work on new pitches or implementing new technologies that will make you a more effective salesperson. 

6) Make a list and reach out to clients that NEED to hear from you. Taking the time to reach out and ask if your existing clients have all their needs met goes a long way with minimal effort and time on your part.   

7) Research what strategies make your competitors or coworkers more successful and see if you can adjust your strategy to replicate that success.

Starting each week with the mindset that you can always improve is the best way to stay motivated and try new strategies.

Happy Selling.

David

The first week of 2023 has come to an end. How are you doing on your new years goals?

Let me share 10 things I will do this coming year.

Our first top 10 of the new year…

From the Home office in ColdSpring Texas,

Here are the TOP 10 Things I Will Do This Coming Year

This year I will:

10.  Not set goals without also having a plan to achieve them.

9.  Spend more time learning, and most of all using what I learn.

8.  Focus not on what I wish I had done,  but on what I will do.

7.  Spend less time measuring trailing indicators and more time looking for leading indicators.

6.  Commit 100% effort to effectively use my time, knowing it is the only resource that is limited.

5.  Commit more time to influencing and impacting others in a positive manner.

4.  Challenge myself daily to be better than I was the day before.

3.  Invest more effort in my long-term goals rather than my short-term expectations.

2.  Deepen the relationships I have and also develop new ones.

And the #1 Top 10 Things I Will Do This Coming Year is…. 

1. Eliminate those around me who view themselves as a “victim” and are intent on pulling others into their “victim club.”

Most of all, I will spend the year regardless of the ups and downs always seeing the positive and viewing each day as a gift to be used to its fullest potential.

We’re standing right at the start of a new year, excitedly thinking about the year to come. Last year at this same time, we stood in the exact same place and said the same thing.

Much like spring is the time when vegetation returns to life, so too we have the same opportunity with the start of the new year.

My hope — or I should say, my expectation — is you will make the most of it by achieving what you didn’t originally believe possible, fully embracing each opportunity.

Let’s do this journey together.

Over the coming year, I’ll continue to share with you my ideas and I ask you to do the same.   By sharing our ideas, we’ll support each other, learn from each other, and most of all, help each other achieve our goals. Let’s make 2023 our best year ever, together.

Have a great weekend,

David

Good morning everyone, 

There’s probably a reason why you went into merchant service sales. Maybe it was the money and the residual income with the ability to be in control of how much you make, or maybe people always told you that you’d make a great salesperson, and you decided to listen to them and give it a try.

Whatever your reason is, you owe it to yourself to be the best salesperson you can possibly be. There’s certainly no shortage of sales advice out there to help you close more deals, but it’s equally important to know what not to do if you want to succeed. Here are the five worst things that a salesperson can possibly do:

1. Think about themselves

One of the worst things that a salesperson can do when trying to close a deal is focus on what they want. Countless deals have been ruined because instead of thinking about the customer’s needs and how to solve them, the salesperson thinks about themselves, and tries to force the customer to do what they want. It’s always important to remember that your goal is to make your customer happy, and you do that by solving their problem, not your own. As the great Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

2. Go Negative

Sales can wear you down. Think about it; you’re constantly dealing with rejection, you’re under intense pressure to produce, and you’re always starting over after a new month, quarter, year, etc. But while your lizard brain might try to trick you into becoming negative, you have to fight the urge and always keep an optimistic perspective. Think of rejection like this; every “no” you hear is just putting you one step closer to a “yes.” Think of the word “no” as “Next Opportunity” and stay away from the people who are constantly complaining about the processor, the comp plan, whatever. There will always be something to complain about, but negativity gets you absolutely nowhere, unless your bank can cash complaints.

3. Count deals too early

Successful salespeople are optimistic. But being too optimistic can also be a problem. While forecasting is acceptable, and sometimes required in certain companies and industries, it’s a huge mistake to count a deal before the paperwork has been signed and even then, you should probably wait until some sort of approval has been made before popping open the champagne. This is especially true for new sales reps, as prospects oftentimes show interest and make verbal commitments without any intention of following through. But all salespeople will eventually learn that the Be-Back Bus almost never comes back.

4. Lie

This is not a controversial position to take: don’t lie. Just don’t do it. If you need to lie to a customer to close a sale, then you should go sell another something  else, because the one you’re selling isn’t providing enough value. Lying to customers does a disservice to your reputation, it does a disservice to your processor and your customer, and it gives other salespeople a bad reputation, one that isn’t deserved by the overwhelming majority of honest, hard-working sales reps. Worse yet, in some circumstances you could even find yourself in court for lying, so just don’t do it.

5. Give up

Last and certainly There’s nothing sadder than a salesperson who has given up trying. If you’ve spent enough time in sales, you’ve seen it. A bad few weeks turn into a prolonged slump, and the slump turns into apathy and self-loathing. After a salesperson has given up trying, they usually just sit around waiting for someone to put them out of their misery. 

Sales is not for everyone, but it’s especially not for those who don’t want to go down swinging. 

The beauty in sales is that you almost always get another chance to redeem yourself, but not if you’ve convinced yourself otherwise. 

What are some bad mistakes you would add to this list?

have any you made any of these?

Happy Selling,

David