Neilson Black
02-24-2012, 05:48 PM
They sat in the waiting room sitting like their life depended on it. Like it was a soldiers gathering before they were sent to war, or it was the previous chapter before the slaughter chamber from Schindler's List. They were nervous, all eight of the new recruits. They all had different backgrounds, but all sat with the same awkwardness that made it clear they were stepping into the new. They were even. All on the same ground.
They all seemed like potential was evaporating off them. Alfie was a positive character. He sat behaved, not un-confident, but with a posture which made an effort, he was approachable and he could be spoken too. They all chatted to each other, one or two shyer bladders, but chat filled the room to cover the nervousness which flowed underneath it. Alfie looked like one to watch. He just had that look on him, one to go unnoticed at first glance, but at a second glance he'd hold you with an interest to look deeper. Two others; Zen and Ike, looked to stand out, they had that something factor in how they carried themselves and spoke. They had that spark. Now none of them knew quit the level of sales they were getting themselves in for, still they were human beings in that waiting room. After they had left the room, that would be the start of their former selves.
The first day meeting was the first stage of the endurance test. Bill was the training manager as well as the floor manager.
"You're here to make money, as much money as you can. That's all you're here to do, make lots of money or piss off" Bill started.
The reaction from the newbies was something close muted response. Alfie didn't batter an eye, he just listened with his head up straight, taking his situation in his stride as he always did. Zen and Ike was the same, sat up straight and taking the line in. They were tough. The others scratched and rocked in their chairs doing anything to mask they weren't intimidated, where truthfully underneath they were shivering. Bill wasn't the type of person you wanted to mess with. He was tall, his neck was always out and his shoulders were back so far from behind he could have been mistaken for a bat.
"Now we are going to go through all your scripts I know you've learnt and then after lunch you'll be on the phone" Bill said a third of the way into the meeting.
With that the new recruits were almost there, starting their new career in the high pressure direct sales industry. It was going to be for real. At this point the groups would be split into thirds; one third making it, another might and the last definitely not. Their body language would indicate this. Bill watched like a hawk for it. By the time the newbies had their scripts out ready for role play, the groups were confirmed with the latter being unprepared because they hadn't learnt their scripts word perfect. Easy for Bill.
The sales floor was electric. A buzz bounced around the room as if it were a visible force. All the sales staff were talking, it would have seemed at 100mph. The new people were shown to their seats, each place their official space to their new second home. Alfie sat. He kept an eye everything that was going on around him. He contemplated things up that he could do it. To most of the other new people, that sales floor in live action was something of a freight to them. They looked at the sales people and wondered how they did what they do. They looked superhuman. The task now looked like an impossibility to the new people. Some of them asked themselves "were the sales people robots?". Hey, why assume? They probably were. Then they doubted themselves worrying if they made the right choice with things like was sales for them, maybe they should have applied for a job in HR. After all the sales staff in any organisation weren't labelled as the sales monkeys for no reason.
"Hello my name is Lance calling from Total Sales Direct. It's just a quick call to offer you the best stationary in the market place".
"Not interested" and the phone went dead.
Lance was one of the new people who was finding it hard to get past the first paragraph. His confidence was slumping as much as his posture was at his desk. He was feeling the strain, his eyes were red and almost watering. He couldn't take another no, battered down after the continuous after continuous rejection. Another no would kill him or make him explode at his desk which would have been immediate. He wondered what he was doing wrong. Nothing actually, he was doing everything he was told to do, but what he didn't do was learn to be himself. He took the training too literally, he was one of those and the rejection would eventually sizzle him out of the job. However to Lance's right, Alfie was flying.
"Hello my name is Alfie calling from Total Sales Direct. It's just a quick call to offer you the best stationary in the market place, now I'll be brief".
"I don't think it's for me".
"Do you know what? That's exactly why I'm calling you so you can see how much you're going to love it, so just hear me out".
"OK I have a few minutes".
"Great" and Alfie carried on with his phone call.
His success rate was high, ninety percent because most of his calls consisted of openings like this call. His confidence grew with each call, he was enjoying his job so much he was standing up almost the whole day. The other employees looked to each other with smug mouths and raised eyebrows.
"He's going to be good" they nodded and said together.
Alfie was good, it was clear potential was the seed to the talents he had, but with all that talent he had to be careful. He had to be careful of falling into the most common trap to new people in sales; becoming a robot. He was on his way, but it was still to early days to know which way he was going to go.
At home Alfie and his partner sat together watching the mid week evening tele. For a couple so young, (early twenties) they lived a mature for their years lifestyle; both working and going home to each other every evening, sharing the bills. They were contempt and it suited them. They were the patterns they saw from their very early years. Sue (Alfie's partner) had cooked as she always did, she loved doing it, Alfie never had to ask. Now they were on the sofa snuggled together watching the TV, the new season of Glee. It was their sharing time of the evening.
"How is the new job Alfie?" Sue said.
"Ah it's absolutely fantastic actually. We learnt a whole new bunch of personal development stuff today, a guy called Anthony Robbins, it was really great, I got three sales today, it's fantastic, I really really love it" Alfie replied.
Alfie was so enthusiastic Sue thought he could have been on drugs. He perked up so quickly he was like a Jack-in-the -box which broke off it's base. Alfie could have carried on, but he didn't because he noticed he'd answered the question.
"Wow it really seems like you're enjoying it there".
"Yes, yes I am, it's really going well" Alfie replied.
"Just try not to take too much in" Sue continued.
"How do you mean?".
"I know you're listening to all these inspirational people and making sales, but don't let them brainwash you. Remember to keep your feet on the ground".
"Oh of course, that will never happen, never, never, I just like it there and it's going well, really really well" Alfie answered.
Not one part of Alfie's answer did anything to bring an once of doubt to Sue's answer. He was even starting to sound like a robot at home. It was unfortunate he didn't even know this was happening, instead he just watching the TV with a look on his face a bit too happy for the mood. Sue's body was more angled. She was looking at her love concerned. She was worried.
It was six months on. Alfie was progressing. He was very close to managing his own accounts, he was close, so close the smell was a metre away from him. His settled figures on the sales board was a grand contribution, in all honesty. The weren't as high as the 'older' staff, of course, but on the right track. His enthusiasm just grew and grew and grew. That's what Alfie was, a grower, he'd learn something, stick to it and get better at it. He was up and about, bouncing off the walls while he was pitching like the best of them. Zen and Ike were the same. At that time they more than likely would have been because all the other new people except for Lance had left. Lance was suffering. The job really was torturous to him, but he made the decision to hack it, he didn't want to lose to it. Besides he had to stay because he had a family to provide for. There wasn't any choice in it because he really needed the job. While all the others were climbing the walls with enthusiasm, Lance just stayed closed like a shell at his desk saying the same thing over and over and over again hoping each day would be a better day, each call would be a bit more giving to him. It was clear just by glancing at him he was a different player than the rest of them. He could only do his best.
While the floor was at a quieter part of the day one day, Bill walked to Alfie, tapped him on the shoulder and gestured for him to come his way. Alfie put his headset down and complied like a loyal trooper. Bill tapped on Zen then Ike's shoulder and gestured the same. Zen and Ike's first initial reaction was what they had done. Bill wasn't the type at all for a formal one to one out of choice. If on the rare occasion it was, it would have been for a good reason. If it wasn't then you could have bet your mortgage payments that you were in for it. Bill snarled most of the time, but that day his face was surprisingly relaxed. Rare. Alfie was like the golden new boy, so he walked taking things in strides as any news to him at that point would have been good news. They went into Bill's office and sat down. Bill's neck was exposed as always, dominating force. But his chin was high, higher than the way a person would normally carry it. It was usually slightly down, on purpose because one of the most common traits about him was keeping anyone and everyone at a certain distance at all times.
"You three are doing well, I'm happy with you" Bill said.
"That's why I'll have you managing your own accounts as of Monday" he continued.
Alfie, Zen and Ike were over the moon. Their faces shaped like cartoons. In all fairness up until then they had been with the company for a certain amount of time now, so that was how they were expected to react. Bill watched out for this as if Alfie, Zen and Ike were lights being tested if they worked. If they didn't turn on then it was no skin off Bill, they could stay where they were. Bill always needed his plodders.
"That's great. We start Monday?" Alfie said.
"Yes. Monday is when you'll start your account management training" Bill replied.
Alfie, Zen and Ike were full beam. It was routine for Bill now to see how they do.
After work that day it was celebration drinks. It was a Friday, so after work drinks didn't need an occasion, but Alfie, Zen and Ike's promotion was another reason to stay out an extra hour. The place they went to had money. It was typical for flash salespeople. Alfie had been out for a beer with his work before, but not out out like this night. As soon as Alfie walked into the place, pretentiousness filled everywhere he looked, to every face he saw, to every overpriced drink on a table. People looked like they were shouting at each other at all times. A few drinks into the evening Alfie looked at his colleagues and couldn't help but to imagine them being in some sort of twilight zone. It was like they were jumping around all in their own little space shuttles whilst chewing each others ears off which was supposed to be talking. Alfie thought he was going to spin into a faint, he needed a break so he went to the toilet. Blaine arrived in the toilet, a colleague to Alfie and one of the top sales people.
"Come here Alfie" Blaine said.
Alfie went into the cubicle and Blaine pulled out a wrap. It was cocaine. Alfie felt like he had been jabbed and then he understood why they were all so fast. He had never done cocaine before, so he thought what harm could it do, just the once? The line was like an instant shot, straight to the brain, it felt great. Then he went back to the bar pinged out, bouncing around like ping pong balls like the rest of them. Then he felt regret. Regret that he had become like them. It wasn't him. Reality hit him hard.
The next Saturday morning Alfie and Sue sat at their breakfast table. Sue had deep eyes of empathy on Alfie, the kind of empathy only experienced in love for the love of ones life.
"I told you Alfie. I told you to be aware" Sue said.
"I know, I'm sorry, I should have listened to you more".
"Are you going to stay?".
"I don't know. I am going to think about it and decide this weekend" Alfie said.
Sue touched Alfie's hand and they shared their deep lovers smile.
Come Monday Alfie didn't go back. Instead he decided to go back to what he got a degree in, engineering. And got a job quickly. It was just as well he'd gone full circle to get to where he was meant to be because he bumped into into Zen and Ike once in the town centre. They looked worn out, drained and unhappy. Alfie learnt that Zen and Ike had stayed. They became account managers and got caught up in the fast lane racket. But only after a couple of months they failed that role and Bill slung them back to the junior role. Bill was furious, furious at giving them a shot and not cutting it, he took it as an insult, that's just how Bill saw things. Zen and Ike were stressed. They had gone so far so quickly and now they weren't going anywhere, saying the same thing over and over again, day in day out, week after week with no room for progression. They didn't leave because they needed the job just like Lance, who was still there putting up with it. So they stayed repeating the same thing everyday like programmed robots and stuck. Alfie counted all his blessings for getting out when he did, it punched him in the face that that could have been him. Alfie wished Zen and Ike all the best wishes and Zen and Ike wished they could have been in the same spirits, but energy is energy and all their vibrations was washed into the ground by a cloud. Alfie kept on walking up the high street to his Saturday shopping and his engineering job the following week.
Copyright ©
They all seemed like potential was evaporating off them. Alfie was a positive character. He sat behaved, not un-confident, but with a posture which made an effort, he was approachable and he could be spoken too. They all chatted to each other, one or two shyer bladders, but chat filled the room to cover the nervousness which flowed underneath it. Alfie looked like one to watch. He just had that look on him, one to go unnoticed at first glance, but at a second glance he'd hold you with an interest to look deeper. Two others; Zen and Ike, looked to stand out, they had that something factor in how they carried themselves and spoke. They had that spark. Now none of them knew quit the level of sales they were getting themselves in for, still they were human beings in that waiting room. After they had left the room, that would be the start of their former selves.
The first day meeting was the first stage of the endurance test. Bill was the training manager as well as the floor manager.
"You're here to make money, as much money as you can. That's all you're here to do, make lots of money or piss off" Bill started.
The reaction from the newbies was something close muted response. Alfie didn't batter an eye, he just listened with his head up straight, taking his situation in his stride as he always did. Zen and Ike was the same, sat up straight and taking the line in. They were tough. The others scratched and rocked in their chairs doing anything to mask they weren't intimidated, where truthfully underneath they were shivering. Bill wasn't the type of person you wanted to mess with. He was tall, his neck was always out and his shoulders were back so far from behind he could have been mistaken for a bat.
"Now we are going to go through all your scripts I know you've learnt and then after lunch you'll be on the phone" Bill said a third of the way into the meeting.
With that the new recruits were almost there, starting their new career in the high pressure direct sales industry. It was going to be for real. At this point the groups would be split into thirds; one third making it, another might and the last definitely not. Their body language would indicate this. Bill watched like a hawk for it. By the time the newbies had their scripts out ready for role play, the groups were confirmed with the latter being unprepared because they hadn't learnt their scripts word perfect. Easy for Bill.
The sales floor was electric. A buzz bounced around the room as if it were a visible force. All the sales staff were talking, it would have seemed at 100mph. The new people were shown to their seats, each place their official space to their new second home. Alfie sat. He kept an eye everything that was going on around him. He contemplated things up that he could do it. To most of the other new people, that sales floor in live action was something of a freight to them. They looked at the sales people and wondered how they did what they do. They looked superhuman. The task now looked like an impossibility to the new people. Some of them asked themselves "were the sales people robots?". Hey, why assume? They probably were. Then they doubted themselves worrying if they made the right choice with things like was sales for them, maybe they should have applied for a job in HR. After all the sales staff in any organisation weren't labelled as the sales monkeys for no reason.
"Hello my name is Lance calling from Total Sales Direct. It's just a quick call to offer you the best stationary in the market place".
"Not interested" and the phone went dead.
Lance was one of the new people who was finding it hard to get past the first paragraph. His confidence was slumping as much as his posture was at his desk. He was feeling the strain, his eyes were red and almost watering. He couldn't take another no, battered down after the continuous after continuous rejection. Another no would kill him or make him explode at his desk which would have been immediate. He wondered what he was doing wrong. Nothing actually, he was doing everything he was told to do, but what he didn't do was learn to be himself. He took the training too literally, he was one of those and the rejection would eventually sizzle him out of the job. However to Lance's right, Alfie was flying.
"Hello my name is Alfie calling from Total Sales Direct. It's just a quick call to offer you the best stationary in the market place, now I'll be brief".
"I don't think it's for me".
"Do you know what? That's exactly why I'm calling you so you can see how much you're going to love it, so just hear me out".
"OK I have a few minutes".
"Great" and Alfie carried on with his phone call.
His success rate was high, ninety percent because most of his calls consisted of openings like this call. His confidence grew with each call, he was enjoying his job so much he was standing up almost the whole day. The other employees looked to each other with smug mouths and raised eyebrows.
"He's going to be good" they nodded and said together.
Alfie was good, it was clear potential was the seed to the talents he had, but with all that talent he had to be careful. He had to be careful of falling into the most common trap to new people in sales; becoming a robot. He was on his way, but it was still to early days to know which way he was going to go.
At home Alfie and his partner sat together watching the mid week evening tele. For a couple so young, (early twenties) they lived a mature for their years lifestyle; both working and going home to each other every evening, sharing the bills. They were contempt and it suited them. They were the patterns they saw from their very early years. Sue (Alfie's partner) had cooked as she always did, she loved doing it, Alfie never had to ask. Now they were on the sofa snuggled together watching the TV, the new season of Glee. It was their sharing time of the evening.
"How is the new job Alfie?" Sue said.
"Ah it's absolutely fantastic actually. We learnt a whole new bunch of personal development stuff today, a guy called Anthony Robbins, it was really great, I got three sales today, it's fantastic, I really really love it" Alfie replied.
Alfie was so enthusiastic Sue thought he could have been on drugs. He perked up so quickly he was like a Jack-in-the -box which broke off it's base. Alfie could have carried on, but he didn't because he noticed he'd answered the question.
"Wow it really seems like you're enjoying it there".
"Yes, yes I am, it's really going well" Alfie replied.
"Just try not to take too much in" Sue continued.
"How do you mean?".
"I know you're listening to all these inspirational people and making sales, but don't let them brainwash you. Remember to keep your feet on the ground".
"Oh of course, that will never happen, never, never, I just like it there and it's going well, really really well" Alfie answered.
Not one part of Alfie's answer did anything to bring an once of doubt to Sue's answer. He was even starting to sound like a robot at home. It was unfortunate he didn't even know this was happening, instead he just watching the TV with a look on his face a bit too happy for the mood. Sue's body was more angled. She was looking at her love concerned. She was worried.
It was six months on. Alfie was progressing. He was very close to managing his own accounts, he was close, so close the smell was a metre away from him. His settled figures on the sales board was a grand contribution, in all honesty. The weren't as high as the 'older' staff, of course, but on the right track. His enthusiasm just grew and grew and grew. That's what Alfie was, a grower, he'd learn something, stick to it and get better at it. He was up and about, bouncing off the walls while he was pitching like the best of them. Zen and Ike were the same. At that time they more than likely would have been because all the other new people except for Lance had left. Lance was suffering. The job really was torturous to him, but he made the decision to hack it, he didn't want to lose to it. Besides he had to stay because he had a family to provide for. There wasn't any choice in it because he really needed the job. While all the others were climbing the walls with enthusiasm, Lance just stayed closed like a shell at his desk saying the same thing over and over and over again hoping each day would be a better day, each call would be a bit more giving to him. It was clear just by glancing at him he was a different player than the rest of them. He could only do his best.
While the floor was at a quieter part of the day one day, Bill walked to Alfie, tapped him on the shoulder and gestured for him to come his way. Alfie put his headset down and complied like a loyal trooper. Bill tapped on Zen then Ike's shoulder and gestured the same. Zen and Ike's first initial reaction was what they had done. Bill wasn't the type at all for a formal one to one out of choice. If on the rare occasion it was, it would have been for a good reason. If it wasn't then you could have bet your mortgage payments that you were in for it. Bill snarled most of the time, but that day his face was surprisingly relaxed. Rare. Alfie was like the golden new boy, so he walked taking things in strides as any news to him at that point would have been good news. They went into Bill's office and sat down. Bill's neck was exposed as always, dominating force. But his chin was high, higher than the way a person would normally carry it. It was usually slightly down, on purpose because one of the most common traits about him was keeping anyone and everyone at a certain distance at all times.
"You three are doing well, I'm happy with you" Bill said.
"That's why I'll have you managing your own accounts as of Monday" he continued.
Alfie, Zen and Ike were over the moon. Their faces shaped like cartoons. In all fairness up until then they had been with the company for a certain amount of time now, so that was how they were expected to react. Bill watched out for this as if Alfie, Zen and Ike were lights being tested if they worked. If they didn't turn on then it was no skin off Bill, they could stay where they were. Bill always needed his plodders.
"That's great. We start Monday?" Alfie said.
"Yes. Monday is when you'll start your account management training" Bill replied.
Alfie, Zen and Ike were full beam. It was routine for Bill now to see how they do.
After work that day it was celebration drinks. It was a Friday, so after work drinks didn't need an occasion, but Alfie, Zen and Ike's promotion was another reason to stay out an extra hour. The place they went to had money. It was typical for flash salespeople. Alfie had been out for a beer with his work before, but not out out like this night. As soon as Alfie walked into the place, pretentiousness filled everywhere he looked, to every face he saw, to every overpriced drink on a table. People looked like they were shouting at each other at all times. A few drinks into the evening Alfie looked at his colleagues and couldn't help but to imagine them being in some sort of twilight zone. It was like they were jumping around all in their own little space shuttles whilst chewing each others ears off which was supposed to be talking. Alfie thought he was going to spin into a faint, he needed a break so he went to the toilet. Blaine arrived in the toilet, a colleague to Alfie and one of the top sales people.
"Come here Alfie" Blaine said.
Alfie went into the cubicle and Blaine pulled out a wrap. It was cocaine. Alfie felt like he had been jabbed and then he understood why they were all so fast. He had never done cocaine before, so he thought what harm could it do, just the once? The line was like an instant shot, straight to the brain, it felt great. Then he went back to the bar pinged out, bouncing around like ping pong balls like the rest of them. Then he felt regret. Regret that he had become like them. It wasn't him. Reality hit him hard.
The next Saturday morning Alfie and Sue sat at their breakfast table. Sue had deep eyes of empathy on Alfie, the kind of empathy only experienced in love for the love of ones life.
"I told you Alfie. I told you to be aware" Sue said.
"I know, I'm sorry, I should have listened to you more".
"Are you going to stay?".
"I don't know. I am going to think about it and decide this weekend" Alfie said.
Sue touched Alfie's hand and they shared their deep lovers smile.
Come Monday Alfie didn't go back. Instead he decided to go back to what he got a degree in, engineering. And got a job quickly. It was just as well he'd gone full circle to get to where he was meant to be because he bumped into into Zen and Ike once in the town centre. They looked worn out, drained and unhappy. Alfie learnt that Zen and Ike had stayed. They became account managers and got caught up in the fast lane racket. But only after a couple of months they failed that role and Bill slung them back to the junior role. Bill was furious, furious at giving them a shot and not cutting it, he took it as an insult, that's just how Bill saw things. Zen and Ike were stressed. They had gone so far so quickly and now they weren't going anywhere, saying the same thing over and over again, day in day out, week after week with no room for progression. They didn't leave because they needed the job just like Lance, who was still there putting up with it. So they stayed repeating the same thing everyday like programmed robots and stuck. Alfie counted all his blessings for getting out when he did, it punched him in the face that that could have been him. Alfie wished Zen and Ike all the best wishes and Zen and Ike wished they could have been in the same spirits, but energy is energy and all their vibrations was washed into the ground by a cloud. Alfie kept on walking up the high street to his Saturday shopping and his engineering job the following week.
Copyright ©