Happy Tuesday everyone! I tell ya, just couldn't make it to the computer yesterday...one of the advantages of being "On Sabbatical". Monday morning rolls around, its raining out, what the hell, I'll get up at the crack of 12:30. Yup, it was one of those weekends. A good weekend nonetheless, one in which I spent plenty of time speaking of this so-called blog I have immersed myself in. Of course, there have been haters, but for the most part, many people enjoy my blog and also I have gotten some pretty good feedback. After all, I created this monster to keep my brain working, keep my thoughts moving in the right direction, and also use this as a vehicle for everyone who cares to help me out and/or give advice during this period in my life. I'd say its almost working at this point!
So Friday evening I was spending time down at the local watering hole, when a friend came up and accused me of plagiarism, stemming from Friday's blog. Umm, point taken, however in order to qualify as plagiarism there must be over 25 readers, so f off. It's not plagiarism, its called paraphrasing. Big difference. I never got arrested in school for paraphrasing...
I did rock the don't-trust-ache all weekend, finally shaving it off Monday afternoon. Some of the comments I received over the weekend: older, creepy, child molester. On that note, figured it may be time to shave. However it did provide a good laugh to many over the past few days.
Saturday night I was approached by a young lady who recently began to read the blog. Not really sure of the extent of her reading, but anyway....she came up to me Saturday night while at another local establishment and said, "I read your blog. Its good, but its too long." Actually no, I think the problem is your brain may be too short. Hey don't read if you can't handle more than 3 consecutive sentences. Don't f with me.
After a "festive" couple days all I wanted to do was to relax on Sunday and watch a little NCAA hoops on the couch, however not possible...I had a fantasy baseball draft down in the melting pot of Massachusetts, Waltham. This was a great opportunity to catch up with some friends I see maybe once a year. To my surprise a handful or so of them have been following the blog, said they enjoyed it, and were encouraging others to follow along. That was nice. Everyone also got a kick out of my killer moustache...
So here I am, hurling myself back in front of the computer on this grayTuesday. I know everyone's psyched. And hopefully the job hunt, as well as the quality of my blogging, will gain a little momentum as the week passes...
Didn't want to write too much today and strain anyone's cerebellum...
And also, when I struggle to come up with a title for a blog, I simply use the title of an old Jimmy Buffett song, in case anyone was wondering...
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Welcome to Hitsville!
So, as I mentioned earlier this week I attempted to take "baby steps" towards achieving the goal of this sabbatical: finding employment that I will enjoy, as well as put myself mentally in a place where that is possible. Many steps in that direction were taken this week. As I said the other day, I passed up a glorious day of skiing as well as shaved off the beard. But kept a moustache. Going through life with a moustache is quite amusing, I must say. You just have that look, that smirk on your face that says, "Yeah. I'm rocking a 'stache. Deal with it bitches." So if you see me in the near future, that is what I'm thinking at the moment.
Other highlights of the week:
I had fish for dinner twice this week. Tuesday I had a nice piece of sea bass, while last night I ate a nice piece of grilled salmon. Fish is brain food, as well as heart food. Baby steps.
I made it to the gym 5 days this week, something I think I may have only done once during this sabbatical, probably only once in my life. For those at home looking to mimic my tremendous athletic prowess, my routine is as follows: Monday and Wednesay-15 mins on elyptical machine, 2o mins weight training, 10 mins stretching, 20 mins in Sauna. The Sauna is the icing on the cake. Tues, Thurs-30 mins on elyptical machine, 25 mins weight training, 10 mins stretching, 20 mins in Sauna. Fri-30 mins on elyptical, 15 stretching, 15 Sauna. As Borat would say, "BooYaKasha!"
Adam Lambert absolutely killed it on American Idol Tuesday night with a "blazin, out-the-box" rendition of Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears." So blazin, in fact, Smokey just sat down from giving young Lambert a Standing-O. I have watched that performance 3 times. Please don't tell anyone.
I am in first place in my NCAA March Madness Pool. However, with Memphis losing last night like a bunch of cowards, it may not be for long.
And finally, I actually applied for 2 jobs. Absolutely monumental. The first, for a Director of Sales, for a company called Global Relief Technologies. A Director of Sales position may be a bit of a stretch, but I figured why not. Can't hurt. I've had enough sh*tty managers in my day to know what it takes to be a good one.
The second is a position that I feel is a bit more realistic, a medical sales rep with a company called Stryker. I know 2 people who work for Stryker, and seem to do well with it. So I applied for the position, which is in a division called Navigation, that apparently sells $4-500k machines to hospitals. People who do well will sell maybe 3 of those per year. I have a college friend down in the armpit of America, New Jersey, who does very well with Stryker and has given a recommendation to HR for me, as well as passed along my resume. As I said earlier in the week, I think the field of healthcare/medical devices is one which is not as affected by the "Great Depression" and is an area of general growth. Baby boomers will soon be oozing out of hospital windows if they aren't already. So, hey, it may not be the most glamorous of work, but I think it potentially pays well, doesn't revolve solely around cold-calling, and also has more daily tasks than simply "selling." Which is what I'm looking for, plus I kind of have an "in", with the two guys I know who already work there. So stay tuned for future news on this front...
Now if only a smokin hot, intelligent, personable, funny, skier chick who loves temporary moustaches would approach me over the weekend, we'd be in serious "bidness."
On that note, everyone have a safe, happy and healthy weekend...I now have been recruited to go help a friend move. He was very misleading in enlisting my help; I got a couple texts while at dinner last night asking if I was going to the bar this evening. I called back to say that I was, then he proceeded to ask for help this afternoon. But, hey, as Whitney Houston once said, "That's what friends are for." I scratch your back, you scratch mine and all that happy horsesh*t.
Until next time folks, I will leave you with a piece of advice I received this week, hopefully I don't f it up:
Other highlights of the week:
I had fish for dinner twice this week. Tuesday I had a nice piece of sea bass, while last night I ate a nice piece of grilled salmon. Fish is brain food, as well as heart food. Baby steps.
I made it to the gym 5 days this week, something I think I may have only done once during this sabbatical, probably only once in my life. For those at home looking to mimic my tremendous athletic prowess, my routine is as follows: Monday and Wednesay-15 mins on elyptical machine, 2o mins weight training, 10 mins stretching, 20 mins in Sauna. The Sauna is the icing on the cake. Tues, Thurs-30 mins on elyptical machine, 25 mins weight training, 10 mins stretching, 20 mins in Sauna. Fri-30 mins on elyptical, 15 stretching, 15 Sauna. As Borat would say, "BooYaKasha!"
Adam Lambert absolutely killed it on American Idol Tuesday night with a "blazin, out-the-box" rendition of Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears." So blazin, in fact, Smokey just sat down from giving young Lambert a Standing-O. I have watched that performance 3 times. Please don't tell anyone.
I am in first place in my NCAA March Madness Pool. However, with Memphis losing last night like a bunch of cowards, it may not be for long.
And finally, I actually applied for 2 jobs. Absolutely monumental. The first, for a Director of Sales, for a company called Global Relief Technologies. A Director of Sales position may be a bit of a stretch, but I figured why not. Can't hurt. I've had enough sh*tty managers in my day to know what it takes to be a good one.
The second is a position that I feel is a bit more realistic, a medical sales rep with a company called Stryker. I know 2 people who work for Stryker, and seem to do well with it. So I applied for the position, which is in a division called Navigation, that apparently sells $4-500k machines to hospitals. People who do well will sell maybe 3 of those per year. I have a college friend down in the armpit of America, New Jersey, who does very well with Stryker and has given a recommendation to HR for me, as well as passed along my resume. As I said earlier in the week, I think the field of healthcare/medical devices is one which is not as affected by the "Great Depression" and is an area of general growth. Baby boomers will soon be oozing out of hospital windows if they aren't already. So, hey, it may not be the most glamorous of work, but I think it potentially pays well, doesn't revolve solely around cold-calling, and also has more daily tasks than simply "selling." Which is what I'm looking for, plus I kind of have an "in", with the two guys I know who already work there. So stay tuned for future news on this front...
Now if only a smokin hot, intelligent, personable, funny, skier chick who loves temporary moustaches would approach me over the weekend, we'd be in serious "bidness."
On that note, everyone have a safe, happy and healthy weekend...I now have been recruited to go help a friend move. He was very misleading in enlisting my help; I got a couple texts while at dinner last night asking if I was going to the bar this evening. I called back to say that I was, then he proceeded to ask for help this afternoon. But, hey, as Whitney Houston once said, "That's what friends are for." I scratch your back, you scratch mine and all that happy horsesh*t.
Until next time folks, I will leave you with a piece of advice I received this week, hopefully I don't f it up:
It's who you know that will get you there; It's what you know that will keep you there...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Moustache Years
Today has been a monumental day thus far for Utley. Monumental in the fact, or in hopes of gaining some momentum, some rhythm if you will, in respect to this so called "job hunt." So if the kharmic gods are out there listening, please, take note.
Upon looking at the weather forecast earlier in the week, I noticed that today, Wednesday, was shaping up to be another epic day for skiing. 50 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. Therefore I made plans yesterday to do some skiing, figuring the season is winding down, and also I have other things going on this weekend. However, after thinking about it last night and sleeping on it, I woke up this morning and decided, "I'm gonna pass on skiing today. There is work to be done!" I had a very productive afternoon yesterday, so in hopes of gaining momentum, I said thanks but no thanks to skiing. And you should see the day outside today. Glorious.
So I woke up, had my morning coffee, and headed to the gym, already day #3 this week. After a great workout I got in my car and began the short drive home. The whole way home I was looking at myself in the rear view mirror, something I have begun to do a lot of since I have been growing this 1.5 month old beard. I've been thinking about it over the past couple days, but looking in the mirror today, I decided today's the today...I shaved the beard. Basically a "shout out" to the aforementioned kharmic gods. A shout out saying, "Hey. Beard's gone. I'm ready!" I figure the move is an attempt mentally to put me in the "job hunting" frame of mind, rather than the "clearing of the head" frame of mind. A wise man once said, "How you look is how you feel," and with the beard I felt like a mountain man, a ski bum, someone taking some serious time off. Though not completely over that, I am ready to make some progress towards the next step of "On Sabbatical" or more importantly the next step of my working life. I mean I figure there will eventually be some interviews and of course, there will be no beard for interviews. Not that I have any yet, but I'm trying to practice the theory of Positive Visualization here. It's a theory I picked up from the book, The Secret. It states that if you consistently visualize what you want for your future, sure enough it will come true. So I got that going for me...and now let us see how it unfolds...
And one more thing, I did not shave the beard completely. I left a nice mustache and also a flavor-saver. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a flavor-saver is the small patch of hair under the bottom lip. I saw Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss, rocking one on The Daily Show the other day. Quite distinguished. I got the idea for the mustache, or the dont-trust-ache from one of the ski people I have met over the past few weeks. He is mustachioed and has an impossibly hot girlfriend, so hey, the dont-trust-ache, as he calls it, must be working. So I'm going to give it a shot. Probably not for too long, but its not every day one gets to play around with facial hair. Hence, I made the small transition from full beard to mustache, making it 2 moves today that should catapult me into the future...
Another wise man once told me, "Baby steps. It's all about baby steps."
Upon looking at the weather forecast earlier in the week, I noticed that today, Wednesday, was shaping up to be another epic day for skiing. 50 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. Therefore I made plans yesterday to do some skiing, figuring the season is winding down, and also I have other things going on this weekend. However, after thinking about it last night and sleeping on it, I woke up this morning and decided, "I'm gonna pass on skiing today. There is work to be done!" I had a very productive afternoon yesterday, so in hopes of gaining momentum, I said thanks but no thanks to skiing. And you should see the day outside today. Glorious.
So I woke up, had my morning coffee, and headed to the gym, already day #3 this week. After a great workout I got in my car and began the short drive home. The whole way home I was looking at myself in the rear view mirror, something I have begun to do a lot of since I have been growing this 1.5 month old beard. I've been thinking about it over the past couple days, but looking in the mirror today, I decided today's the today...I shaved the beard. Basically a "shout out" to the aforementioned kharmic gods. A shout out saying, "Hey. Beard's gone. I'm ready!" I figure the move is an attempt mentally to put me in the "job hunting" frame of mind, rather than the "clearing of the head" frame of mind. A wise man once said, "How you look is how you feel," and with the beard I felt like a mountain man, a ski bum, someone taking some serious time off. Though not completely over that, I am ready to make some progress towards the next step of "On Sabbatical" or more importantly the next step of my working life. I mean I figure there will eventually be some interviews and of course, there will be no beard for interviews. Not that I have any yet, but I'm trying to practice the theory of Positive Visualization here. It's a theory I picked up from the book, The Secret. It states that if you consistently visualize what you want for your future, sure enough it will come true. So I got that going for me...and now let us see how it unfolds...
And one more thing, I did not shave the beard completely. I left a nice mustache and also a flavor-saver. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a flavor-saver is the small patch of hair under the bottom lip. I saw Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss, rocking one on The Daily Show the other day. Quite distinguished. I got the idea for the mustache, or the dont-trust-ache from one of the ski people I have met over the past few weeks. He is mustachioed and has an impossibly hot girlfriend, so hey, the dont-trust-ache, as he calls it, must be working. So I'm going to give it a shot. Probably not for too long, but its not every day one gets to play around with facial hair. Hence, I made the small transition from full beard to mustache, making it 2 moves today that should catapult me into the future...
Another wise man once told me, "Baby steps. It's all about baby steps."
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Tampico Trauma
Do not fret people, I am back ready to blog, fresh off 3 days of skiing up North. I have really been lucking out weather wise, as Friday and Saturday were epic days, as they are called in the industry. Epic enough that I have actually developed a nice tan on my bearded face. A sure sign of Spring. The weekend was filled with plenty of skiing, sun, sake and many many laughs. Also another successful merging of some of my college friends with my ManchVegas friends. It's always nice to see different groups of people bond and/or getting along.
Friday was going smoothly, basking in the sun and ripping down runs, when I arrived at the bottom of the mountain to hear some interesting news...my buddy visiting from Peru had just wiped out and was taken down the mountain in the "sled." Ski Patrol sled that is. Never a good sign. After a few moments of concern, we noticed mi amigo de Peru sitting up on the outside porch of the slopeside bar drinking a beer. If he's healthy enough to drink a beer, he can't be too seriously injured. Carry on.
After another hour or so of skiing, my whole crew, (rolling about 4 deep at the time) met up on said outside porch for some libation and laughs. An extended crew of probably 10-20 people joined in the fun. Many of these folks were part of the ski industry, ones that I spoke of in a blog last week. I begun to tell my story to various people: ski reps, shop owners, shop employees, ski bums, etc; Responses were fairly similar. With the ski reps, now is not a great time to "break into the industry", as shops do their buying for next season now, and of course, there is apparently a recession going on. That's funny, nobody told me. I think they were all just jealous I'd take there jobs, but anyway...
And speaking with some older ski bum, shop employee types...they all do it for the skiing. Its by no means a lucrative career, but often one that comes with free equipment, free passes, and of course, many great times. So, at that point I think I decided that while I love skiing and would love to be a part of it and ski as much as possible, I don't think its quite the proper career choice for me...I need some type of happy medium. A nice career that I enjoy and pays; pays enough to support my lifestyle, one that includes a lot of skiing and travelling. And also one that allows me to save some money, because God know after this Sabbatical I will probably need to administer some type of financial stimulus package for myself. But thats neither here nor there.
So as I was driving back down I-93 Sunday evening, I realized its time to attempt to get serious about this whole thing. Not that I haven't been serious about being "On Sabbatical," but perhaps its time to figure out how I will make the move to "Not Being on Sabbatical." This week marks about 2 months, for those keeping track at home.
So what I decided, which I have been thinking about for a while, and may have mentioned last week, is that I am going to attempt to find opportunities within the fields of healthcare/medical and/or insurance. I have identified 6 people I am going to or already have contacted that may or may not be able to assist me in my journey or at least point me in some kind of direction. I will also use the Career Assessment findings I received a few weeks ago to identify companies that may be a fit for me. Because, as a friend mentioned to me last week, "If you're just going to go out get some stupid job, your whole sabbatical will be for nothing." Ouch. However, very true.
So that's a mini game plan for myself over this next week. I did throw a couple feelers out there last week, a couple feelers that, thus far, have come back with big "F U's." The consultant I met with contacted the owner of an Insurance/Healthcare Benefits Company he knew and asked if he'd be willing to meet with me. Not even specifically for a job, but just for an informational interview, persay. This gentleman said, "Thanks, but no thanks," as he is only willing to meet with people with experience selling heatlthcare. OK buddy, worst decision you ever made! Ha, ha just kidding, I probably should get used to a little rejection. But that is exactly why I haven't posted resumes on every job site there is or applied for every job out there. I must attempt, as I have mentioned many times, to remain positive, for that is the most important thing. F the economy, F the recession, F the housing market, F the credit crunch, F Bernie Madoff, F Alan Stanford, F the Police! Whoah, sorry about that last one, that's my inner hip-hop voice breaking through. I love the Police, I do. American Heroes. How's that for positive thinking.
On that note I must stop typing. Maybe go for a walk or something. Maybe have a sandwich. Oh, yeah, and then there's this mystery plan which I'm working on. It's a mystery plan so grand, that you all will be filled with awe and amazement upon its inception. But it will remain a mystery until when or IF it comes to fruition...
Just another of many reasons to continue to tune in to "On Sabbatical"...
Friday was going smoothly, basking in the sun and ripping down runs, when I arrived at the bottom of the mountain to hear some interesting news...my buddy visiting from Peru had just wiped out and was taken down the mountain in the "sled." Ski Patrol sled that is. Never a good sign. After a few moments of concern, we noticed mi amigo de Peru sitting up on the outside porch of the slopeside bar drinking a beer. If he's healthy enough to drink a beer, he can't be too seriously injured. Carry on.
After another hour or so of skiing, my whole crew, (rolling about 4 deep at the time) met up on said outside porch for some libation and laughs. An extended crew of probably 10-20 people joined in the fun. Many of these folks were part of the ski industry, ones that I spoke of in a blog last week. I begun to tell my story to various people: ski reps, shop owners, shop employees, ski bums, etc; Responses were fairly similar. With the ski reps, now is not a great time to "break into the industry", as shops do their buying for next season now, and of course, there is apparently a recession going on. That's funny, nobody told me. I think they were all just jealous I'd take there jobs, but anyway...
And speaking with some older ski bum, shop employee types...they all do it for the skiing. Its by no means a lucrative career, but often one that comes with free equipment, free passes, and of course, many great times. So, at that point I think I decided that while I love skiing and would love to be a part of it and ski as much as possible, I don't think its quite the proper career choice for me...I need some type of happy medium. A nice career that I enjoy and pays; pays enough to support my lifestyle, one that includes a lot of skiing and travelling. And also one that allows me to save some money, because God know after this Sabbatical I will probably need to administer some type of financial stimulus package for myself. But thats neither here nor there.
So as I was driving back down I-93 Sunday evening, I realized its time to attempt to get serious about this whole thing. Not that I haven't been serious about being "On Sabbatical," but perhaps its time to figure out how I will make the move to "Not Being on Sabbatical." This week marks about 2 months, for those keeping track at home.
So what I decided, which I have been thinking about for a while, and may have mentioned last week, is that I am going to attempt to find opportunities within the fields of healthcare/medical and/or insurance. I have identified 6 people I am going to or already have contacted that may or may not be able to assist me in my journey or at least point me in some kind of direction. I will also use the Career Assessment findings I received a few weeks ago to identify companies that may be a fit for me. Because, as a friend mentioned to me last week, "If you're just going to go out get some stupid job, your whole sabbatical will be for nothing." Ouch. However, very true.
So that's a mini game plan for myself over this next week. I did throw a couple feelers out there last week, a couple feelers that, thus far, have come back with big "F U's." The consultant I met with contacted the owner of an Insurance/Healthcare Benefits Company he knew and asked if he'd be willing to meet with me. Not even specifically for a job, but just for an informational interview, persay. This gentleman said, "Thanks, but no thanks," as he is only willing to meet with people with experience selling heatlthcare. OK buddy, worst decision you ever made! Ha, ha just kidding, I probably should get used to a little rejection. But that is exactly why I haven't posted resumes on every job site there is or applied for every job out there. I must attempt, as I have mentioned many times, to remain positive, for that is the most important thing. F the economy, F the recession, F the housing market, F the credit crunch, F Bernie Madoff, F Alan Stanford, F the Police! Whoah, sorry about that last one, that's my inner hip-hop voice breaking through. I love the Police, I do. American Heroes. How's that for positive thinking.
On that note I must stop typing. Maybe go for a walk or something. Maybe have a sandwich. Oh, yeah, and then there's this mystery plan which I'm working on. It's a mystery plan so grand, that you all will be filled with awe and amazement upon its inception. But it will remain a mystery until when or IF it comes to fruition...
Just another of many reasons to continue to tune in to "On Sabbatical"...
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Death of a Salesman
Today on the start of March Madness, I'd like to share a little story with you all, stemming from an experience I had yesterday. An experience that made me cringe at the thought of "sales" and the phony, scripted, canned nature of the whole game.
After celebrating St. Paddy's day to the fullest on Tuesday, needless to say Wednesday was a little "slow moving" to put in politely. A childhood friend of mine, whom I own my house with, called me up first thing in the morning, thanked me for having people over till the wee hours of the am and keeping him awake, and also informed me he had taken advantage of a promotion at BJ's. At 3pm later that day, we would be visited by a Penguin Window salesman for a "free quote". OK, great, we had tossed around the idea of new windows before, so why not get a little educated and get the quote. My windows are old and wooden, definitely in need of replacing. Probably oozing with lead paint, asbestos, arsenic, whatever. Although at this stage in the game, probably not the best timing for me, but it can't hurt. I figured the salesman would come by, take a look at the windows, give us the estimate, and be gone after about 30-45 minutes. I could not have been more wrong!
Bruce, the salesman, arrived promptly at 3pm, and he came out guns ablazin'. He sat us down in my messy apartment and set the agenda for the meeting. Being a seasoned sales rep myself, my salesman radar immediately went berserk. Bruce let us know we were going to walk around the house to take measurements, then he would introduce us to his company, then talk about options, then provide us with the quote, then he would like an answer of yes or no. Now, as I said, I've had plenty of sales training and setting the agenda upfront is necessary, but this guy came off so fake and so "duchey" that I nearly threw up in my mouth. But I had respect for his time and his game, so we went along, after informing him that we most likely not going to "buy today".
We took the tour and his cheesiness was palpable. An old manager of mine used to say, "Would you rather look cool and not make the sale, or look stupid and make the sale?" Well, I would rather look cool and make the sale, thanks for asking. After the tour, he went out to his car for the first time and grabbed a big suitcase with framing examples. At this point, we have just completed hour 1. He starts showing us options and introducing the company, then asks, "do you have a pot, I need to boil some water?" Uh, ok I guess. He makes his way into my kitchen and starts boiling water. As we continue to talk at the dining room table, I notice a pungent odor. Bruce gets up and goes and checks on the water. "Is it ok for me to be an idiot, I turned on the wrong burner," he said. OK buddy, do what you gotta do. I am growing irritated. After the water is boiled, we enter the kitchen and at this point I am starving. I grab a can of roasted almonds from the cabinet, take a handful and offer some to my buddy. As I am putting them back in the cabinet, Bruce belts out, "What am I an orphan?" and puts his hand out. OK, I guess you can have some of my food chief. He places various vinyl window frames in the water, and lo and behold, his Penguin frame does not react to the heat. Awesome.
At this point, my buddy had to return downstairs to look after his son. I let him know I could handle the rest of the presentation. Bruce begins to panic, as he needs both "decision makers" to see his whole act. "Wait, both of you have to see this next display, you will be amazed, do you have an outlet?" Bruce says. "Don't worry about it, I'll handle it," I reply unenthusiastically. He then goes out to his car for the second time and returns with another big suitcase filled with window glass samples. He plugs in a heat lamp and again shows how the Penguin window does not let in or out any heat. Absolutely amazing. He asks if I can see how Penguin is the superior product. Oh yeah.
He then whips out his pad and starts scribbling quotes. He gives all options, but he is clearly pushing the Penguin windows. His quote: 23 grand. "How does that sound," he asks. Too much, I reply. He then explains of some super discount and takes it down to 21 grand. Too much. "Look, Bruce I appreciate your time, but the timing is not right," I tell him. Blah, blah, blah, he then asks if I have a phone, he left his in the car. No, just a cell I say. He then heads out to his car for the 3rd time, returns with his cell phone, and calls the office. After some shop talk to his manager...19 grand. Nope. He is now squirming, asking what will it take. I say it will "take nothing. If you came in here and the price was 5 grand I wouldn't buy. My buddy called me up at 9 this morning and just told me you were coming." It has now been 2 hours. 2 hours of my life I wish I had back, I really could have used a nap at that point.
He then keeps bs'ing me, I try to close this out, but he insists on calling the office again, to see if there may be any "marketing money" available. Lo and behold, there is, and the price again comes down to 17 grand. Thanks but no thanks Bruce, I have already told you. Finally, looking like his dog, grandmother and son had just died all at the same time, got up and exited stage left.
I texted my buddy that this must have been punsihment for keeping him up the previous night. He agreed it was. But the moral of the story, is this is why I am not crazy about sales. Now, I 100% know I'm not as much of a dbag as Bruce, but I cringe at that thought of that mentality. I also prefer business to business sales, which is completely different, but hopefully you understand where I'm coming from. And these are some of the thoughts,concerns swimming around in my head at this time. And believe me, I know sales is where the money is. And I do like money, but I also have to live with myself, and as I have said before, I believe I just need the proper type of sale, one with long term client relationships and a product that is needed, and in a growing industry.
Which I am still trying to find...but the industries I am considering are some form of healthcare as well as some type of insurance. Wholesale insurance. So in the coming days/weeks I think I am going to contact recruiters in these fields and start to run with it. Because I am almost 2 months into this thing, so its really time to start cranking. I'm not going to lie, I probably have been having a little too much fun and too little "looking for a job", however I'm not looking to get burned out or discouraged right away by staring at a monster.com screen or something like that. Although this time off is to find out what I want to do, its also about mentally preparing myself for a future, and yes, leisure activity is an important part of that. And hopefully people understand that. Its all about balance. Whether balance of work vs free time, work vs family, whatever. It can't be all about "work".
And on that note I will now begin packing for a weekend trip up to ski in the majestic White Mountains of NH. Please, try to contain yourselves, and have a great weekend. And yes my weeks and weekends are slowly beginning to blend together, However this week I will blame that on St. Patrick, the patron saint of Guiness, corned beef, and bad decisions...
After celebrating St. Paddy's day to the fullest on Tuesday, needless to say Wednesday was a little "slow moving" to put in politely. A childhood friend of mine, whom I own my house with, called me up first thing in the morning, thanked me for having people over till the wee hours of the am and keeping him awake, and also informed me he had taken advantage of a promotion at BJ's. At 3pm later that day, we would be visited by a Penguin Window salesman for a "free quote". OK, great, we had tossed around the idea of new windows before, so why not get a little educated and get the quote. My windows are old and wooden, definitely in need of replacing. Probably oozing with lead paint, asbestos, arsenic, whatever. Although at this stage in the game, probably not the best timing for me, but it can't hurt. I figured the salesman would come by, take a look at the windows, give us the estimate, and be gone after about 30-45 minutes. I could not have been more wrong!
Bruce, the salesman, arrived promptly at 3pm, and he came out guns ablazin'. He sat us down in my messy apartment and set the agenda for the meeting. Being a seasoned sales rep myself, my salesman radar immediately went berserk. Bruce let us know we were going to walk around the house to take measurements, then he would introduce us to his company, then talk about options, then provide us with the quote, then he would like an answer of yes or no. Now, as I said, I've had plenty of sales training and setting the agenda upfront is necessary, but this guy came off so fake and so "duchey" that I nearly threw up in my mouth. But I had respect for his time and his game, so we went along, after informing him that we most likely not going to "buy today".
We took the tour and his cheesiness was palpable. An old manager of mine used to say, "Would you rather look cool and not make the sale, or look stupid and make the sale?" Well, I would rather look cool and make the sale, thanks for asking. After the tour, he went out to his car for the first time and grabbed a big suitcase with framing examples. At this point, we have just completed hour 1. He starts showing us options and introducing the company, then asks, "do you have a pot, I need to boil some water?" Uh, ok I guess. He makes his way into my kitchen and starts boiling water. As we continue to talk at the dining room table, I notice a pungent odor. Bruce gets up and goes and checks on the water. "Is it ok for me to be an idiot, I turned on the wrong burner," he said. OK buddy, do what you gotta do. I am growing irritated. After the water is boiled, we enter the kitchen and at this point I am starving. I grab a can of roasted almonds from the cabinet, take a handful and offer some to my buddy. As I am putting them back in the cabinet, Bruce belts out, "What am I an orphan?" and puts his hand out. OK, I guess you can have some of my food chief. He places various vinyl window frames in the water, and lo and behold, his Penguin frame does not react to the heat. Awesome.
At this point, my buddy had to return downstairs to look after his son. I let him know I could handle the rest of the presentation. Bruce begins to panic, as he needs both "decision makers" to see his whole act. "Wait, both of you have to see this next display, you will be amazed, do you have an outlet?" Bruce says. "Don't worry about it, I'll handle it," I reply unenthusiastically. He then goes out to his car for the second time and returns with another big suitcase filled with window glass samples. He plugs in a heat lamp and again shows how the Penguin window does not let in or out any heat. Absolutely amazing. He asks if I can see how Penguin is the superior product. Oh yeah.
He then whips out his pad and starts scribbling quotes. He gives all options, but he is clearly pushing the Penguin windows. His quote: 23 grand. "How does that sound," he asks. Too much, I reply. He then explains of some super discount and takes it down to 21 grand. Too much. "Look, Bruce I appreciate your time, but the timing is not right," I tell him. Blah, blah, blah, he then asks if I have a phone, he left his in the car. No, just a cell I say. He then heads out to his car for the 3rd time, returns with his cell phone, and calls the office. After some shop talk to his manager...19 grand. Nope. He is now squirming, asking what will it take. I say it will "take nothing. If you came in here and the price was 5 grand I wouldn't buy. My buddy called me up at 9 this morning and just told me you were coming." It has now been 2 hours. 2 hours of my life I wish I had back, I really could have used a nap at that point.
He then keeps bs'ing me, I try to close this out, but he insists on calling the office again, to see if there may be any "marketing money" available. Lo and behold, there is, and the price again comes down to 17 grand. Thanks but no thanks Bruce, I have already told you. Finally, looking like his dog, grandmother and son had just died all at the same time, got up and exited stage left.
I texted my buddy that this must have been punsihment for keeping him up the previous night. He agreed it was. But the moral of the story, is this is why I am not crazy about sales. Now, I 100% know I'm not as much of a dbag as Bruce, but I cringe at that thought of that mentality. I also prefer business to business sales, which is completely different, but hopefully you understand where I'm coming from. And these are some of the thoughts,concerns swimming around in my head at this time. And believe me, I know sales is where the money is. And I do like money, but I also have to live with myself, and as I have said before, I believe I just need the proper type of sale, one with long term client relationships and a product that is needed, and in a growing industry.
Which I am still trying to find...but the industries I am considering are some form of healthcare as well as some type of insurance. Wholesale insurance. So in the coming days/weeks I think I am going to contact recruiters in these fields and start to run with it. Because I am almost 2 months into this thing, so its really time to start cranking. I'm not going to lie, I probably have been having a little too much fun and too little "looking for a job", however I'm not looking to get burned out or discouraged right away by staring at a monster.com screen or something like that. Although this time off is to find out what I want to do, its also about mentally preparing myself for a future, and yes, leisure activity is an important part of that. And hopefully people understand that. Its all about balance. Whether balance of work vs free time, work vs family, whatever. It can't be all about "work".
And on that note I will now begin packing for a weekend trip up to ski in the majestic White Mountains of NH. Please, try to contain yourselves, and have a great weekend. And yes my weeks and weekends are slowly beginning to blend together, However this week I will blame that on St. Patrick, the patron saint of Guiness, corned beef, and bad decisions...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I Want The Gold!
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone. In honor of my Irish heritage (or lack there of) I leave you with this precious morsel of St. Paddy's Day Goodness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nda_OSWeyn8
If link does not work, log onto www.youtube.com and type in "leprechaun in mobile alabama"
Slainte!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nda_OSWeyn8
If link does not work, log onto www.youtube.com and type in "leprechaun in mobile alabama"
Slainte!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Life and Times of the Ski Rep
During a conversation with a friend this weekend he asked, "So, what have you been up to lately, besides NOT blogging?" Simply put, I spent 4 of 7 days last week skiing. And as I mentioned before, spring skiing is quite possibly one of life's finest pleasures.
While engaging in 3 days of midweek skiing I was introduced to the possibility of another prospective profession: A Ski Representative. Now although a ski rep is actually a profession, it is more like it's own unique subculture. A "nomadic" culture if you will, populated by the likes a twenty-somethings like myself, who travel from mountain to mountain promoting/selling their particular brands of ski equipment. After seeing the same group of ski reps at various mountains over the course of the week, I likened their existence to that of a band of gypsies. They all have company vehicles filled with skis, poles, boots etc; and usually are involved with setting up demos at the mountain for skiers to sample the upcoming year's newest and latest. Ski reps are up and at 'em, arriving at the mountain early and setting up tents or other similar stations. They tend to inquiring skiers throughout the day, recommending different equipment, answering questions, talking business with shop owners, etc; they even get to take a few runs here and there. And at the end of the day, they pack up their company vehicles and gather together at a slopeside watering hole or nearby establishment for a little Apres Ski/shop talk. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, Apres Ski is a French term literally meaning "after skiing." For many skiers, it is their favorite type of skiing.. For any of you golfers, Apres Ski has a similar existence to that of the 19th hole.
After the day is complete they move on, traveling from mountain to mountain throughout New England. Now, these ski companies will most likely let their reps expense hotel rooms, however the good reps have made enough contacts where they have places to stay at each respective mountain. For example, earlier this winter a friend and I ventured up to Sugarloaf, ME for the weekend to stay with one of our ski rep friends. He is employed by ski giant Rossignol, and over the years, this particular family had become "friends" of Rossignol; meaning that in exchange for ski equipment, they offer up their ski condo at the base of Sugarloaf to ski reps whenever convenient. So that particular weekend, the family was not using the condo, so the 3 of us were fortunate enough to stay in this very nice condo, as well as get free ski passes. And in a sport where everything is so expensive, a free ski pass is golden, while a free place to stay is platinum. ( In this case, I'm assuming platinum is way better than gold)...
After spending significant time with these folks, it dawned on me that it may actually be the profession for me. It would combine my 6+ years of sales experience with another great love of mine: skiing. And, of course, one of the primary goals of this sabbatical is to find a profession that will make me "jump out of bed" in the morning. And the life and times of a ski rep is definitely one that would intrigue me, as well as combine a couple of strengths of mine.
So the salary of a ski rep is not astronomical, however there are many perks. All ski reps have rather handsome expense accounts, covering all meals and travel expenses. And since they travel pretty much non-stop throughout the ski season, that is very beneficial. Then they have company vehicles, usually a Jeep or some similar type of SUV. Then they are always provided with new ski gear, from apparel to skis to various other types of swag. These reps are always "suited and booted" to the 9's.
I feel like its a very incestuous industry; reps routinely switch from company to company, and they maintain all their contacts at shops and mountains throughout the area. I'm not quite sure if its easy to break into, or if one must start somewhere at the very bottom before gaining acceptance into the culture. And my hair may be a little too short for the industry, however with this beard I have going, I may be able to fit in. Plus, I ski at a super-expert level, so maybe I can have a ski-off with a rep and take their job...ha ha ha
So, just another idea to add to the many that I have (or don't have) floating around my head at the time. I mean, if I could combine a love of mine with an actual career, shouldn't I jump on it?
Alrighty then people, mull these thoughts over in your own heads and we will reconvene at a later date and time.
And until next time, I will leave you with a piece of advice I picked up over the weekend, which may or may not apply to my life at this stage of the game:
While engaging in 3 days of midweek skiing I was introduced to the possibility of another prospective profession: A Ski Representative. Now although a ski rep is actually a profession, it is more like it's own unique subculture. A "nomadic" culture if you will, populated by the likes a twenty-somethings like myself, who travel from mountain to mountain promoting/selling their particular brands of ski equipment. After seeing the same group of ski reps at various mountains over the course of the week, I likened their existence to that of a band of gypsies. They all have company vehicles filled with skis, poles, boots etc; and usually are involved with setting up demos at the mountain for skiers to sample the upcoming year's newest and latest. Ski reps are up and at 'em, arriving at the mountain early and setting up tents or other similar stations. They tend to inquiring skiers throughout the day, recommending different equipment, answering questions, talking business with shop owners, etc; they even get to take a few runs here and there. And at the end of the day, they pack up their company vehicles and gather together at a slopeside watering hole or nearby establishment for a little Apres Ski/shop talk. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, Apres Ski is a French term literally meaning "after skiing." For many skiers, it is their favorite type of skiing.. For any of you golfers, Apres Ski has a similar existence to that of the 19th hole.
After the day is complete they move on, traveling from mountain to mountain throughout New England. Now, these ski companies will most likely let their reps expense hotel rooms, however the good reps have made enough contacts where they have places to stay at each respective mountain. For example, earlier this winter a friend and I ventured up to Sugarloaf, ME for the weekend to stay with one of our ski rep friends. He is employed by ski giant Rossignol, and over the years, this particular family had become "friends" of Rossignol; meaning that in exchange for ski equipment, they offer up their ski condo at the base of Sugarloaf to ski reps whenever convenient. So that particular weekend, the family was not using the condo, so the 3 of us were fortunate enough to stay in this very nice condo, as well as get free ski passes. And in a sport where everything is so expensive, a free ski pass is golden, while a free place to stay is platinum. ( In this case, I'm assuming platinum is way better than gold)...
After spending significant time with these folks, it dawned on me that it may actually be the profession for me. It would combine my 6+ years of sales experience with another great love of mine: skiing. And, of course, one of the primary goals of this sabbatical is to find a profession that will make me "jump out of bed" in the morning. And the life and times of a ski rep is definitely one that would intrigue me, as well as combine a couple of strengths of mine.
So the salary of a ski rep is not astronomical, however there are many perks. All ski reps have rather handsome expense accounts, covering all meals and travel expenses. And since they travel pretty much non-stop throughout the ski season, that is very beneficial. Then they have company vehicles, usually a Jeep or some similar type of SUV. Then they are always provided with new ski gear, from apparel to skis to various other types of swag. These reps are always "suited and booted" to the 9's.
I feel like its a very incestuous industry; reps routinely switch from company to company, and they maintain all their contacts at shops and mountains throughout the area. I'm not quite sure if its easy to break into, or if one must start somewhere at the very bottom before gaining acceptance into the culture. And my hair may be a little too short for the industry, however with this beard I have going, I may be able to fit in. Plus, I ski at a super-expert level, so maybe I can have a ski-off with a rep and take their job...ha ha ha
So, just another idea to add to the many that I have (or don't have) floating around my head at the time. I mean, if I could combine a love of mine with an actual career, shouldn't I jump on it?
Alrighty then people, mull these thoughts over in your own heads and we will reconvene at a later date and time.
And until next time, I will leave you with a piece of advice I picked up over the weekend, which may or may not apply to my life at this stage of the game:
ski fast, take chances
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