f you've attended a Midwest Acquirers' Association (MWAA) meeting, you are no doubt familiar with Mark Dunn. He co-founded the organization and is the President. Dunn is also the founder and President of Field Guide Enterprises LLC (FGE), an executive consulting, training and marketing communications company that serves the merchant bankcard industry.

How did Dunn become the President of an important industry association and a sought-after consultant? "I just wandered in a door that wasn't locked," he joked.

"When I started out in 1989, I was in sales, and sales jobs in bankcard were good. I started out as a vendor and have migrated into the merchant sales side of the business. I guess you could say I can do several things well. I've been with a terminal company, a processor, a software vendor, a bank and an ISO. I am lucky to have seen all sides of the business up close."

These years of experience have provided Dunn with a deep understanding of the issues related to terminal hardware, software, processing, banking and ISO management, as well as sales and marketing, and he willingly shares this knowledge with his clients and others.

A Hands-on President

As MWAA President, Dunn devotes many hours a month to the organization, but he is quick to point out that it is a complete board effort. "Everyone spends a lot of personal time on it," he said.

He said the entire MWAA board of directors is very hands on. "That is how we differ from other associations; we do the work ourselves," he said. He added that the MWAA Advisory Board, made up of ISO managers and vendors from the Midwest, contributes many good ideas for improving the conference.

Although he invests a lot of time and effort in the organization, Dunn also believes he receives much in return. "I read somewhere that to get anywhere in your career you must join an association, and it's true," he said. "It's a great way to build your knowledge of the industry, build contacts and raise yourself to another level within the industry. And I feel like I've helped others get something out of it as well."

Dunn is particularly interested in helping those who help themselves. "I am inspired by people who can press ahead regardless of pain, setbacks, ridicule or apathy from others who ought to care," he said. "The greatest single quality I look for in people is drive. I want to cheer those people on. You gotta love someone going for the goal line."

Dunn sees no end to his efforts with MWAA, at least not in the near future. "I will stay in position until I decide I don't want to do it anymore," he said.

Creating a New Business Enterprise

When the moment came to venture out and start his own business, Dunn said he simply knew it was time. "I felt I have something worthwhile to contribute, something of value," he said.

He didn't, however, initially see his contribution as one of a consultant or a seminar coordinator. In fact, he didn't start out to create his own business at all. Instead, he was preparing to write a book.

"I have a lot of fascinating stories, and as I told them to people I realized I was excited about them," he said. (He has not abandoned the idea of becoming an author and plans to eventually return to writing the book.)

And so, FGE was born. The business began by offering the popular Field Guide for ISOs training seminars that traditionally are held the day before MWAA meetings. Soon Dunn added consulting services to the business.

"I do executive consulting for companies in the merchant bankcard industry who are launching a new ISO or hitting the market with a new product," he said. Dunn also provides detailed analysis and plans for product launches, market penetration and sales success.

Offering Benefits and Reaping Rewards

Through the seminars and FGE, Dunn uses his own experience to help others in the bankcard industry. "I believed we could raise awareness with the kind of expertise that I bring," he said.

"I felt there was a storehouse of available information that people don't get exposed to. If we could tap into that, we could help people in the industry."

For each seminar Dunn recruits the industry's best and brightest to share their experience, skills and knowledge with attendees. The events provide information and insights about how to succeed as a merchant level salesperson (MLS) and ISO.

The material is tailored to small and medium-sized ISOs, but attendees include a variety of industry members such as MLSs, vendors and sales managers, among others.

Seminar topics are varied and different each year. Some past topics have included "Training and Monitoring a Field Sales Organization," "Value-added Applications," "Pricing in the Merchant Sale" and "Selling Next-generation Services."

Dunn certainly offers benefits to his clients and seminar attendees, but he also receives something in return. "I love the feedback," he said.

"I've had people tell me they have gotten more from one afternoon or day than anything else they have done. We get a lot of encouragement from attendees. It's nice to feel like you are part of guiding someone's career, like a mentor."

He thrives on the bankcard industry. "I love the complexity, the opportunity, the constantly shifting landscape," he said.

"Oddly enough, I have been able to make a decent living even though I am not in a city that is a major hub of activity for our industry. And I have done that through performing well and developing a very large network."

Through his work with FGE, Dunn maintains one of the largest proprietary databases of contacts in the bankcard industry. He also respects the industry. "Any industry that combines new technology, transactions totaling billions of dollars plus a real chance to earn a good living has to be taken seriously," he said.

"Also, I like the fact our industry operates behind the scenes away from the public consciousness. I think that actually raises our value over time. Expertise in our industry is a valuable resource."

The Force Behind the Seminars

Dunn is able to provide others with guidance and advice because he has years of experience and education and clearly defined philosophies. "I am the fortunate recipient of a truly great education," he said.

"My parents sacrificed and I worked hard, too. My wife helped me get through grad school where I got an MA and an MBA.

But I guess that doesn't mean diddly unless you use it for something that builds value for people."

As Dunn works to build value for others, he has formed his beliefs about what makes a businessperson successful. Following are a few of these guidelines:

• Always treat people the way you want to be treated.
• Become an expert at helping people who know the value of good help.
• Communicate clearly, early and often.
• Don't ever be afraid of bad news. It is often more valuable than good news.
• Every day, be very clear on exactly what you want.
• Forget about a career. Just sell something of real value; the career will happen.

Dunn identifies his strengths as coming up with good ideas, building consensus and getting results. "I think that teamwork is all about communicating clearly and not being afraid to express yourself, even when there is significant disagreement," he said.

Industry Perspective

Being in daily one-on-one contact with so many varied members of our industry, Dunn is able to observe the landscape and make some educated predictions. When asked about challenges the industry is experiencing, he stated, "The rising cost of healthcare is the biggest challenge we face. This threatens all our jobs and profitability.

"The U.S. is not alone. So many people are without care, but we [in the U.S.] have such good care that it is expensive. This should be everyone's concern. [The National Association of Payment Professionals] NAOPP has been trying to address it. It's an opportunity for somebody to have a competitive advantage."

Dunn also predicts changes in the sales landscape for MLSs. "Selling online is getting so inexpensive I wonder if we can sustain having feet-on-the-street sales forces," he said. He explained that Web sites and search engines provide merchants with information, but they do not effectively explain how interchange and other variables affect the merchant's specific business.

"There will always be a role for the person who can provide that information, whether it is in a written form, face to face or another medium," he said. "Many people firmly believe that persuasiveness with a merchant is best done face to face. It's very expensive and some believe the costs are too great, and they move to telesales. It's going to change the selling equation."

The Question

What does the future hold for Dunn? The obvious question is, will he start his own ISO, and if so, when? "I want to start an ISO when it's time, when I am reasonably certain of its success," he said. What about until then? "My goal for FGE is to contribute significantly to the growth of client companies, transfer knowledge that will enable success and have fun doing it," Dunn said.