O.k. people…it’s on!!! It’s time to start documenting my true journey into the world of sales.
Until now it was all theoretical. I studied and studied and did not much in the way of selling, because I had a net.
Now, I have NO NET!
I want to tell you all about it. It’s the reason blogs exist. I can say what I want here and no one can fire me! Which brings me to my first point.
I am so glad I left my hourly job! I can honestly say that I don’t care right now that I have no guarantees for next week’s pay check. I don’t care that I’m having to pay for COBRA a month or two. I’m just so glad to be out from under the rule of my immediate supervisor there…I’m actually happy to be unemployed.
Here’s the story…
The company is a pretty good place to work. They take care of their employees. My division just hired a new V.P. of Wholesale. I think he’s a great addition to the team. He’s really got a great vision for the sales team. Unfortunately, I was not part of the sales team at this company.
I worked for nearly two years under this guy who’s name is not worth mentioning (No Name Small Man from here on out). I did my job and I did it well. I have a college degree and I was working the graveyard shift for hourly wages. I work twelve hour shifts and had about two hours worth of work to do. I like to think I used that down time nicely. I studied and studied and finally built up the courage (with the help of Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist) to step out of my comfort zone.
I waited and consulted several people before sending a respectful “form letter” two-week resignation letter to NNSM, V.P. of Wholesale and H.R. Director. This was not accepted well from NNSM as I had told him previously I would probably be out around August 1 (the notice put my last day as July 20). He didn’t speak to me for the entire week after I submitted my notice.
The last night I worked I made a mistake that could have happened on any night. I slipped up and made an honest mistake. It wasn’t huge and has been made by myself and several others many times in the past. When the morning guy came in, I told him about my slip up. I told him I wasn’t going to beat myself up about it and that at least I couldn’t get fired over it. Well, guess what…the morning guy is trying to work his way up the ladder in this company. So, he’s buddy-buddy with NNSM. He tells NNSM that I popped off about not being able to be fired and that I wasn’t doing my job.
So, I get a week of un-paid vacation.
So, here’s to No Nets! Wish me luck.
p.s.-I also went to my MySpace page and found that NNSM had deleted me from his ‘Friends’ list. What a tool!
Until next time…
Keith Porterfield
a Student of Sales
