It starts with me rising out of bed, only to realize I’ve got a long day ahead of me. Wonder, if it was only day I see both hands of the clock pointing twelve in the night (At least after I left my college)..
For non-salesmen, let me first get the basics right. “Month End”, is day of the month where all the accounts, including monthly sales target, are closed. As it is the last day to make up for the lost ground, it is imperative that we use every bit of it (Just like good old college days, Old habits die hard!). So, I guess, that explains me being awake till 12AM.
The day starts at snail pace with my colleagues clocking in to office as the time inches toward 10. Then, as in all offices, the banter picks up. Everyone wants to chip in with their witty remarks, aimed at others. I, careful to not get involved, absorb all this. But the good thing, one of the only two on this dreadful day, is license to stay in office. Yep, you read it right!. This is the only day where we have a official permission to stay inside the office. Any other day, we, at least I, would be hopping from bus to bus to meet as many fools, err.. ‘Customers’ I must say, as possible (Nomads would have been proud of us!). As day approaches the lunch time, sales office slightly turns to a stock office. The phones ringing, people screaming..total commotion. And given my flair for numbers, no doubt!!, I would make a very good stock broker ( Its not like I want to be Wills Smith, pursuing “Happyness”).
We struggle through the month barely to make 25% of the target, but come the last day we are almost at the Target without much fuss.(Wonder, how much incentive I would have made had everyday been month end). If you are wondering- what’s in this day that makes us better salesmen overnight, no big surprise. It’s all because of the oldest marketing strategy ever known by man- throw in the discounts, meet your sales targets. And in a industry where we cant really differentiate the competitors products, but for company logo, (I am not kidding. Some products are even manufactured by same vendor!!) old strategy is still going great guns.
I mentioned about one of the two good things on this day earlier. The other one being A delicious, unlimited and, most importantly, wholly sponsored dinner. With full hotel menu at your disposal at no cost, no one would want to miss this opportunity unless, of course, they wanna be “Bebo size 0”. As am not one of them, I would order for Brinner ( Breakfast+dinner ie). Now then, I really know what it takes to be a ‘White Elephant’- Bad salesmanship & knowledgeability of culinary art. (Cristiano Ronaldo, next in line for the most coveted title-“Mr White Elephant of RealMadrid”, would be envious of me).Jokes apart. The real good thing about this dinner is, we all get to eat together and enjoy ourselves. Whether its a novice, like me, or its his highness, my boss, it does not matter. Everybody is in the same dining room, actually a conference hall, in the same table and enjoying like soldiers who had just accomplished their mission.
No doubt, it ain’t a most suitable job for techie, specially me. But somewhere in that heart of mine, I feel this is not a bad job at all (for at least, I don’t have to carry those redundant scanning machines).
Life doesn’t always turn out to be the way you want it. When it doesn’t, you know, its time to move on.
P.S: Congratulations!! You have just joined group of select people to read my first ever post. Hope you dint waste your time.
