Our sales presentation included the line, “trust me, I’m a highly trained professional.” It was a joke, but we were highly trained, and that training often bailed us out.
We had a contest, 10 presentations in 10 days, and the prize was a $635 piece of equipment. I showed up for my 10th presentation on the evening of the 10th day. Setting up, making small talk, the man was no where in sight. At last he arrived, cussing, making noise, throwing things around.
At first I thought he was showing off, but it was no act. He was mean, obnoxious and arrogant, interrupting me, insulting me, yelling at his family, and moaning about a smashed thumb. Obviously the night was hopeless, but I wanted that prize. “Just follow your training,” I kept thinking, “follow your training.” I was tempted to shorten things up, just to get it over, but I couldn’t.
The guy left but came back with a cordless drill.
He placed his swollen thumb on the table. The tiny thin bit spun above the purple, bulging nail, and suddenly blood was flying everywhere. His poor wife was so embarrassed. I really wanted out now, but I couldn’t leave. “Follow your training.”
At last I was done and sent the couple out to make the buying decision, as always. I cleaned up and was ready to go in record time, but they were slow coming back. The man looked like a whipped mule. He approached me, paperwork in hand, head bowed. “John, we’ll take your largest set.” I looked at her, standing behind him. She held up one fist and shook it at me, as she had just spent 45 minutes doing to him.
My commission that night was about $1,400, so yes, follow your training.
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