Good Days and Bad Days - You can Never Tell

[Scunner]

Trying to work full time after over 10 years being your own boss is quite tough. I don't know much about some of the things our company provides. As a Bedfordshire born and bred type, I came to the company offering a contact list in Scotland of literally nobody. I don't know where all these customers are. Even with satnav, I can get hopelessly lost. I don't even know Scotland really. Clients have said things like 'oh, you need to speak to the people at our other office in Alloa - when are you next over that way?'. Answering 'I don't know, where is Alloa?' doesn't give huge confidence. I can spend hours looking for a company that moved 6 years ago. It's very tough sometimes.

This week I found a name and an email address - nothing more - for one of the big utility compaines. I emailed and asked if I could pop in as I was over that way. Often you hear nothing. But he must be bored, I got an email saying yes, we'd love to see you. Amazing. So I drive into the back of beyond to an address with a post code that covers around 60 square miles, get hopelessly lost and eventually turn up embarrassingly late - to a small but perfectly formed hydro (dam) power station that is going to be worth next to no business to us - probably struggle to cover the petrol I just wasted looking for it.

I go in, apologise for my lateness - no problem my new contact says, "I saw you arrive - you came in the wrong way - so I knew you'd driven right round the long way. Don't worry, I did that too the first time I came here". So he's a nice guy. Thanks, I needed that right then. So let's get this done, there's no potential in little places like this so let's have a chat and let me get off on my way - which came out as "this is a beautiful building - one of the smaller ones in Scotland?".

"Yes, we have over sixty power stations, and I am responsible for all of them."

[Highlander]

Good Indians and Bad Indians ?

[Scunner]

So far just bad

[Lotty]

Whoo hoo! Jackpot! Good Karma . . 

[Bluwise]

"Yes, we have over sixty power stations, and I am responsible for all of them."

Bliss!

[Rimms]

Keith, it's the classic story of sales, remember the story of the guy who worked in the rolls Royce showroom?

I don't envy your return to work on two counts though, firstly going back after ten years must be really hard, I often say to Chris that I really, maybe less physically but definitely mentally couldn't do my old job now. But secondly, as you know, I'd always run a National Sales team and have lost count of the times a customer in Scotland, Wales & Ireland had insisted that you need a "local" person in the role, in the case of Scotland "not some laddie from down south"

On the other hand you can always play the classic "things are different up here" card to your boss, I've also lost count of that one as well.

And don't forget, bank holidays in Scotland are different to those in the UK, but somehow you must manage to take both !!

Best of luck mate, your story brought a smile to my face as I remembered telling all of my sales guys that the harder you worked and the more leads you tracked down, the luckier you become.

[Scunner]

Keith, it's the classic story of sales, remember the story of the guy who worked in the rolls Royce showroom?

No

It's an odd one this employment lark - I left my last "job" in late 2003 and have never had a boss since then till 8 weeks ago. Certainly not a boss younger than me!!

I often wondered if I could do it again (in fact you and I discussed this one night at King's Garden) - but it has been fairly smooth returning to it and I think you appreciate the small things more than before - paid holidays, not having to pay for that new tyre etc...

I find people north of the border much more helpful than in London and the South East - I call on places where the direct business is likely to be negligible - but they know all the people locally that I need to know - and are more than happy to tell you who you need to be getting in front of  

I doubt it will last forever but for the foreseeable future it's an unexpected and enjoyable (mostly) chapter.

[thebillet]

http://248am.com/mark/automotive/the-story-of-the-rolls-royce-taxi/


This I think.

[Steve (redding43)]

On a similar note to the Rolls Royce story

Back in the early 90's I was working as an estate agent in a small office in the part of the town where I had grown up. You got to know the local characters and one day this one guy came in. He looked a bit like a tramp and needed a good bath. It was a quiet day and  nothing much was happening so I asked him if he fancied a cup of tea - which he accepted.

This became a bit of a ritual every other day or so, he would pop in for a chat and a cup of tea. After a while he started taking an interest of some of the properties we had in the adjoining streets. This was in the day when a terrace was 30k. He would often ponder over details and say how he would like to view this that or another. I didn't really think much of it to be honest as I had assumed he was just making conversation and besides he looked like he was a step away for the gutter.

One day he came in and he looked at details of a bungalow that was 50k and asked to look at it. I would normally just joke this off but as I needed to visit it and measure up, and it was empty, I asked him to join me.

Anyway....over the next few days he came back again asking lots of questions and asked if he could put in an offer of 50k. I didn't take it seriously as he didn't look like he had a penny never mind this much. I said I would when he came back with his mortgage details or how he was going to pay.

He didn't come back for a few days and I didn't think much of it until late in the day he walked in with a very smartly dressed guy who introduced himself as to guys solicitor. He then proceeded to discuss with me the property before showing me a bank statement for, shall we say, much much more than the 50k needed.

The bungalow was sold to him in weeks

I will NEVER jump to assumptions on people based on how they look. It was a lesson well learned

[usedbustickets]

"Yes, we have over sixty power stations, and I am responsible for all of them."

One of those perfect golden sales moments ...... kerrr...ching!!