I just spent a ton of time on my other blog compiling a list that was all involved, as if I'm still a participant in a past activity. Now my alertness has shifted from an activity that I know all too much about to the reality of my sales job, at which I'm still a novice.
I've been working on an entry titled "My job makes me feel bi-polar," but have yet to finish and post it. In a nutshell, sales is full of extreme highs and lows. Two weeks ago, I wrote seven deals; three of which came on the same day! That's called a hat trick and it makes you feel pretty damn good. The managers kept asking me what I was doing differently and acting as if I suddenly "got it." No. Not at all. I truly believe it's the leads, and maybe that's part of my problem. That week I was using the log in of a veteran employee who was on vacation. I was calling people who literal requested the information online twenty seconds prior!
Last week I should have had four new deals and three post dates. None of the post dates went through and one of the deals was disconnected after I got bother her VIN number and credit card info; I just needed to transfer her to verification but haven't been able to get her back on the phone. That's a very frustrating situation. As a result of only putting three deals on the board last week, I was back to a horrible "agent number" today, calling leads that were six weeks old. What the fuck? I am so sick of working at a place that fosters the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer... And they wonder why they have to hire a new training class every four to six weeks?
Friday was the last day for my closest female coworker; I miss her, but we all knew it would happen because I don't think she ever did more than three a week. All last week a male coworker, who I give a ride to work, was out of town. Today he came back and was told some managers wanted to outright fire him, but another "fought for him" and the requirement was that he had to get at least one deal every single day, or he'd be gone. That's rough because normally the probation period requires five deals in a week, no matter when or how you come by them. He didn't get a new deal today, but a post date hit the board for him, so we're not sure if he's good for tomorrow or not. Either way, he hates it and is ready to move on; meaning, I'll be the last of my training class left on my shift. There were four of us and now just me...
But I've taken this Wednesday to next Wednesday off since my guy will be in town. I haven't been on probation, so the time was given without question. I expected them to tell me just to take the full two weeks, since only two days in a work week doesn't do much for anyone in my job, but they did not. Now I'm awake at 4 a.m. thinking I should make that extension for myself.
I did try at work yesterday, but it was miserable and unsuccessful. If today is the same, all that does is put a huge target on my back! I know I'll be on probation as soon as I get back from my vacation. Then there's the fact that the Thursday and Friday I get back are show nights; I'll need to leave an hour early to get to the musical. I feel like I'd be better off not going in today and then extending my leave through all of next week. That way I'd go back Monday the 22nd and have a full work week to get five deals and be in the clear again. Does that make sense?
I am usually not one to shy away from making money. I'll do what I have to do to make ends meet; I mean, obviously, I've been enduring this bullshit for six weeks now! But I really feel like going in today and not getting a deal is worse than not going in at all and the meager amount money I'll earn today barely feels worth it.
Per my request via an email that basically said everything written above, my guy (the sales manager) just called me. His words of wisdom? "Effort goes a long way in getting someone to cut you some slack." Gggrrr! *sigh* Eye roll.
I know he's right, but it's certainly not what I wanted to hear when I'd pretty much talked myself out of going to work today.
Two weeks ago when I got seven deals, I felt like I could do this job; once you're on a roll, it's not hard anymore. But when you're dealing with people who don't even remember requesting a quote, it's an out-and-out fight to get their credit card. Even though the company is credible, closing people in a single call almost always requires some sort of white lie; it's never about the coverage they get, and price is always a negotiating tool, but rather it's about why they have to buy today. When you're getting new leads, creating that urgency is like a comment mentioned in passing; it's fine because they wanted to buy anyway. But when the leads are old, that white lie becomes a heavy dead horse that you have to beat over their head for thirty fucking minutes... I don't get exhausted from talking to people, following my script and responding to their objections. But when it becomes a fight and everything hinges on the white lie reason they have to buy today, I just can't take it. This is not the kind of job for me.
I've proven I can do this job, when given the opportunity with legitimate buyers, but I'll gladly be fired before I become like the cold hearted douchbags I work with who think it's funny to take the last dollar from someones bank account based on the complete lie that if not today, they could never get a warrenty on their car, that's a piece of shit no matter what!
So what will get me through six more hours of it this afternoon? Probably Silly Puddy and secretly working on my lines. If by chance a buyer actually picks up the phone, that will be great, but if not, I'll harbor no feelings of inadaquacy. In the game of Survivor: Warranty at least I outlasted the other newbies of my shift!
I've been working on an entry titled "My job makes me feel bi-polar," but have yet to finish and post it. In a nutshell, sales is full of extreme highs and lows. Two weeks ago, I wrote seven deals; three of which came on the same day! That's called a hat trick and it makes you feel pretty damn good. The managers kept asking me what I was doing differently and acting as if I suddenly "got it." No. Not at all. I truly believe it's the leads, and maybe that's part of my problem. That week I was using the log in of a veteran employee who was on vacation. I was calling people who literal requested the information online twenty seconds prior!
Last week I should have had four new deals and three post dates. None of the post dates went through and one of the deals was disconnected after I got bother her VIN number and credit card info; I just needed to transfer her to verification but haven't been able to get her back on the phone. That's a very frustrating situation. As a result of only putting three deals on the board last week, I was back to a horrible "agent number" today, calling leads that were six weeks old. What the fuck? I am so sick of working at a place that fosters the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer... And they wonder why they have to hire a new training class every four to six weeks?
Friday was the last day for my closest female coworker; I miss her, but we all knew it would happen because I don't think she ever did more than three a week. All last week a male coworker, who I give a ride to work, was out of town. Today he came back and was told some managers wanted to outright fire him, but another "fought for him" and the requirement was that he had to get at least one deal every single day, or he'd be gone. That's rough because normally the probation period requires five deals in a week, no matter when or how you come by them. He didn't get a new deal today, but a post date hit the board for him, so we're not sure if he's good for tomorrow or not. Either way, he hates it and is ready to move on; meaning, I'll be the last of my training class left on my shift. There were four of us and now just me...
But I've taken this Wednesday to next Wednesday off since my guy will be in town. I haven't been on probation, so the time was given without question. I expected them to tell me just to take the full two weeks, since only two days in a work week doesn't do much for anyone in my job, but they did not. Now I'm awake at 4 a.m. thinking I should make that extension for myself.
I did try at work yesterday, but it was miserable and unsuccessful. If today is the same, all that does is put a huge target on my back! I know I'll be on probation as soon as I get back from my vacation. Then there's the fact that the Thursday and Friday I get back are show nights; I'll need to leave an hour early to get to the musical. I feel like I'd be better off not going in today and then extending my leave through all of next week. That way I'd go back Monday the 22nd and have a full work week to get five deals and be in the clear again. Does that make sense?
I am usually not one to shy away from making money. I'll do what I have to do to make ends meet; I mean, obviously, I've been enduring this bullshit for six weeks now! But I really feel like going in today and not getting a deal is worse than not going in at all and the meager amount money I'll earn today barely feels worth it.
Per my request via an email that basically said everything written above, my guy (the sales manager) just called me. His words of wisdom? "Effort goes a long way in getting someone to cut you some slack." Gggrrr! *sigh* Eye roll.
I know he's right, but it's certainly not what I wanted to hear when I'd pretty much talked myself out of going to work today.
Two weeks ago when I got seven deals, I felt like I could do this job; once you're on a roll, it's not hard anymore. But when you're dealing with people who don't even remember requesting a quote, it's an out-and-out fight to get their credit card. Even though the company is credible, closing people in a single call almost always requires some sort of white lie; it's never about the coverage they get, and price is always a negotiating tool, but rather it's about why they have to buy today. When you're getting new leads, creating that urgency is like a comment mentioned in passing; it's fine because they wanted to buy anyway. But when the leads are old, that white lie becomes a heavy dead horse that you have to beat over their head for thirty fucking minutes... I don't get exhausted from talking to people, following my script and responding to their objections. But when it becomes a fight and everything hinges on the white lie reason they have to buy today, I just can't take it. This is not the kind of job for me.
I've proven I can do this job, when given the opportunity with legitimate buyers, but I'll gladly be fired before I become like the cold hearted douchbags I work with who think it's funny to take the last dollar from someones bank account based on the complete lie that if not today, they could never get a warrenty on their car, that's a piece of shit no matter what!
So what will get me through six more hours of it this afternoon? Probably Silly Puddy and secretly working on my lines. If by chance a buyer actually picks up the phone, that will be great, but if not, I'll harbor no feelings of inadaquacy. In the game of Survivor: Warranty at least I outlasted the other newbies of my shift!
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