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The ability to sell mortgages does not appear to translate well into successful sales careers in the merchant-services industry, reports CardLine sister publication ISO&Agent magazine. "I thought we would have had better success with mortgage brokers, but it's either been absolute failure or home run hitters," says Gino Kauzlarich, president and CEO of MerchantService.com, a Sarasota, Fla.-based ISO. The distinction really comes down to the individual, he says. Car salesmen also do not fare well in merchant services, he says. "A car salesman is used to showing up at a particular day and time. They generally do very poor at outside sales." The better candidates have come from disciplines where they have objectives to overcome, Kauzlarich says. Matt Downs, president of direct sales at Century Payments, a Frisco, Texas-based ISO, says he, too, has had success recruiting individuals out of business-to-business positions, such as copier, telecommunication and outsourced payroll services. "They are generally high-touch, high-prospect," which Downs defines as someone who can generate large numbers of leads on their own. Sales experience with some B2B experience is an asset, observers say. Candidates with that qualification already understand how to speak with small-business owners, Downs says.
