- Sales team and confidential deal – part 1
- Sales team and confidential deal – part 2
IIf you have not read the sales team and confidential deal – part 1, click here.
The owner looked at me after she left and said, “William, I don’t know if she knows shit about your product, but she is one hot looking lady. Have you known her for a long time?”
“Just met her a week ago,” I answered. “She seems to be smart and I guess you could call her pretty.”
He rolled his eyes and snorted. “You need glasses.”
I left shortly afterward and made two comeback calls for sales I had made the previous month. Both companies were having trouble learning the software and I knew I had to work with them or lose my commission.
I returned to Jan’s company a little before noon. I walked into the owner’s office and asked about his impression of Jan.
“You sandbagged me William. She knows more about the product than you do and can teach. My people love her. She isn’t going to take over your sales territory or something like that, is she?
I grinned in relief. “So she did well?”
“That isn’t the word for it…she was great. And if this was a sneaky way to try to get me to buy the upgrade, it won’t work. We’re a year away at least if we keep growing like we’ve been.”
I replied, “No, I wouldn’t do that to you. I really did want to see how she handled herself in the field.”
He snorted, “Don’t turn your back on her—she might end up selling more than you in a couple of years.”
We were in the car driving to a restaurant for a sandwich. I asked, “How did it go?”
She grinned and said, “I think it went really well. Both those people wanted to learn and as soon as I showed them how to get through the manual, they picked up things easily.
“They asked for my phone number in case they got stuck, but I doubt they will. It was fun.
“What did the owner think of me?”
I teased, “The owner told me you’re going to sell more than me in a year or two. He thinks you’re fantastic.
“Oh I almost forgot, he thinks you’re pretty too.”
She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes for a second and then laughed. She quietly said, “I really think I can help you.”
I answered, “I think you can too. How serious do you want to be about this?”
She looked at me with a hard look on her face and said, “I owe you a fortune, I’m broke, and the only fun in my life for the last three years was my job that I lost. I want to start my life again, and I think I can help you.”
At lunch I called two more customers on my comeback list and got Jan an appointment for one in early afternoon and the other later. Luckily they were only a block from each other. I gave Jan the contact person at each company and their address. After a quick lunch I dropped her off at the first place and pointed out a bar where we would meet after her second appointment.
I sat at a table in the bar where Jan would meet me. I had just called the first afternoon customer that she went to. They thought she was fantastic and all of their problems had been cleaned up in the first hour. The contact person said that he was glad to see that my company had gotten smart by having a support person paired with a sales person.
I called the second company. Jan had just left. If anything they were more enthusiastic about Jan. She had to research one of their problems and get back to them, but all the rest were resolved.
Jan walked in the bar and squinted trying to see if I was there. She spotted me and grinned as she walked up to the table.
“Thirsty?” I asked.
“Dying for anything cold,” she answered.
We settled on a light beer.
How do you think it went this afternoon?” I asked.
“It went well,” she gushed. “Everybody was nice to me and they really appreciated that you sent me there to help them. I have to research one problem, but I think I already figured it out.”
“It went better than good,” I laughed. “I just talked to both companies and they loved you. You’re more welcome than I am now.”
She beamed at the compliment.
“Do you want to go full time as my support person?” I asked.
She nodded enthusiastically.
“I can’t pay you much…”
“William,” she interrupted. “Walking here I knew I really wanted to do this. It’s a good product and I’m a good teacher. The problem is that before I can make you any money, you’re going to have to spend even more on me.”
“On what?”
“First, clothes. Maybe I can wear this outfit two days in a row, but that’s the limit, so I have to get more business clothes and you know I’m broke. Then I’m going to need a cell phone. All three customers wanted my phone number and I didn’t have one. Finally, we’re going to waste a lot of time if you have to drive me to every customer, so either it’s MARTA, a cab, or a car. My car was repossessed in Florida.”
I thought for a few moments and then said, “Tomorrow afternoon we’ll buy you more work clothes, and get you a cell phone. I have to think about the transportation angle for a while.”
We started talking about her day. Her enthusiasm was catching and we decided that after dinner we would get a list of customers that she would visit for the rest of the week, and in the morning I would call and start making appointments for her.
There was one downside however. Instead of going to the apartment for a fantastic meal, we picked up a pizza. You can’t have everything.
That night and the next morning we set up her schedule as well as mine. I was making sales calls the rest of the week, and she was going to the call backs and the new customer installations.
As an experiment and for experience I took her to the first sales call the next morning. I did all the talking until the buyer said, “Who’s going to teach my people how to make this thing work?”
“That’s my job,” said Jan. “And I’m pretty good at it.”
I made the sale.
I arrived back at the apartment late afternoon on Friday. I had stopped and bought steaks, wine and other stuff. The week had gone by quickly and the obvious conclusion was that it was wildly successful. Jan was a natural and her self-confidence increased each day.
I heard the door open and she walked in.
“I would have been back sooner,” she said, “But Marta was really crowded and I had to let a few trains go because they were so full.
“I did get to see the four customers on the list and they’re all happy.”
I grinned at her. She grinned back. I could see she was excited about something.
“Okay, what is it Jan?”
She asked, “Did you make a sale today?”
I answered, “I’m close to one, but I need to see him again next week. The rest didn’t work out, so no sales today.”
“Wrong,” she gushed.
“What do you mean wrong?”
“You made a sale today,” she teased. “I was with a customer when his friend walked in and one thing led to another and he wanted me to demo the product. I did and he said to send him the contract. He wants it.”
I was shocked and then overwhelmed. I stood up and hugged her. “Congratulations…you’re a real winner. She looked up at me with her eyes sparkling with happiness, and I kissed her. It just seemed the right thing to do. She must have thought so too, as she returned the kiss enthusiastically.
We opened the wine and I cooked the steaks while she made a salad and baked some pre-made onion rings. We had a nice dinner.
Jan’s adrenaline was still going full tilt; she wanted to talk about her calls and the sale she made. She suggested that I should give her the list of all the sales I had made since I got to Atlanta and she could call them and ask how things were going. If they needed help, she would go there. If they were happy she would suggest that any word of mouth help on the product would be appreciated by her and me.
I thought it was a good idea. I had already decided that Jan would make all comeback and installation calls, and I would spend all my time selling. She agreed.
It got late and the wine finally got to us. We stood up and she looked at me. I made a quick decision. It had been a long week, we were tired and grubby, and the weekend was ahead of us. I kissed her lightly on the lips and said good night. Lying in bed that night I remembered those moist lips and the light brush of her breasts as we hugged. If she felt like I felt, our relationship would be changing.
I woke up and turned the coffee on. When she came into the kitchen, I started making breakfast. After breakfast I said, “This is the end of week two. Let’s go to the park and work on week three.”
As we were walking to the park, she took my hand and squeezed it. She didn’t let go.
We sat on the same park bench. I said, “You’re not the same person I met two weeks ago. The one I’m looking at now is a winner; two weeks ago I wasn’t sure.”
She grinned but then turned serious and said, “I still owe you a ton of money and I’m still broke.”
I ignored her comment and said, “This morning we’re going to get you a car on a monthly rental. We’re wasting a lot of time with you taking public transportation or me driving you.”
“That’s going to cost you even more money,” she said.
“Who’s the boss,” I teased.
She smiled and pointed at me.
“And next,” I continued, “You’re going to the plaza and buy a classy dress for our dinner tonight. I’m talking to you at a really nice French restaurant. Would it bother you if I took you there as our first date?”
“You don’t have to…”
“Jan?” I interrupted.
She just grinned and touched my hand. “Yes, I would like to have a date with you tonight William.”
For the classy dress Jan and the sales woman insisted that I disappear. They would choose the dress and Jan would surprise me that night.
I agreed, signed a blank credit card slip and left. I told Jan to meet me at a restaurant and bar in the Plaza—I would be sipping at the bar.
An hour later Jan joined me at the bar carrying a large box. “Do you like it?” I asked.
“I do,” she replied, “but the real question is whether you do.”
It was the early evening and I waited for Jan to come out of her bedroom. I had made drinks and waited for her so we could begin happy hour. The door opened and she walked into the living room and stood in front of me.
The dress was a striking arrangement of blends of blue silk which highlighted her eyes. Jan was bare to the slope of her breasts; you almost expected to see the edge of her areolas. Her broad shoulders, breasts and narrow hips accentuated her beautiful figure and when she turned, the slit of her dress showed her slim legs. I could smell her fragrance. I was half erect and I hadn’t touched her yet.