A Sit Down was called.

NOTE. THIS IS LONG, BUT IMPORTANT POST. COMMENTS AND JOB SUGGESTIONS ENCOURAGED.

Enjoy.

When the new GM introduced himself just 2 days ago, he said he wanted to schedule time with each and every employee to get to know the station. Just a real "get to know you" meeting. No pens, no notes, just a talk.

Surprise Surprise, he wants to meet with the sales team first. Coincidence? I think not.

So, being proactive, I immediately respond to his secretaries email, and schedule a meeting. I go up there, and am about 5 minutes early, so i wonder into Boss1's office. I can tell he is really a fan of mine, and i of him. i sit down, we chat, and i can tell he has been working over time to keep his job security. we shoot the shit, he goes over my accounts for me to see what they are billing, because i honestly think he wants to try to hook me up with a really low commission base next quarter so i can make money. we also talked about the Club he is helping me become a member at, and when i get up to go meet with the new GM, Boss1 stops me, and in a sincere tone says, Will, be yourself, you will do great.

Going into the meeting, i didnt think much of the comment. I mean, these are informal "get to know Will" chats right? Wrong.

So GM lets me do a lot of talking. I tell him about college, water polo (GM played in HS), about moving out of the country, about working for myself freelancing, and then about how i feel into sales. He immediately asked "why sales? you are a production guy?" Now, our last GM threw this at me my last interview before getting the job. I explained that Barbie had really enlightened me about all that is great about sales: meeting new people, talking and discerning marketing needs of a new client, and being social and making money. I told him "i love meeting people, i can be placed in a room of 50 people, and i will survive, and even like it" and thats why i chose sales. And to be fair, i do like that SIDE of sales. But it is not all one sided.

Side note. This GM was taking notes on EVERYTHING i said. Even when i mentioned Costa Rica, or my brother, or my parents, he took down notes in almost an intimidating manner. I mean, cant he just brush that off as conversation?

So, after that question, he jumps right into what Boss1 was alluding to. "Tell me a success story on one of your accounts Will"

Informal "lets meet Will" sit down, right?

I tell him about my one very large account, that dropped one chat line, cut their budgets, yet i still increased our stations dollars by 30K. He seemed, indifferent. Maybe this is his personality.

I then saved my ass by pro actively bringing up local new business, which i am supposed to be focused on. I told him that i have not had much success in this area, however i have a lot of clients in my pending pot, that i am certain if TV Station can offer something that will work for them, then we will get their business. Here is where the one sentence that came out of his mouth made me realize 2 things. One: Tv Station sales is going to be under the watchful eye of our new GM, under the most powerful microscope you nerds can conjure up to imagination. Second, my job will no longer be somewhat flexible, my accountability will be unreal, and i will NOT be getting ANY sort of raise in the next few weeks.

"Will, the flame under local new business sales is going to be turned up a notch."

Yowsers.

As he looked at his watch, i new he had to go to another meeting. I wanted to get the last word.

"GM, seeing as I am you, career wise 13 years ago [he explained this] can you give me advice for the ensuing months here at TV Station?"

I thought this was a decent question.

He replied that he is looking for a hero in sales. And from what he hears, he thinks I have the skills to be that hero, and do really well with new business development. He wants me to be focused on my key new accounts, and go after them, and if they are going nowhere, to fire them.

Well, now i know he probably meant 50% of that, I fear that this GM is a bit too optimistic. Perhaps, I am too pessimistic, and he was trying to give me the pep talk to get me on the phone and hungry. For now, I just dont know. I am 3 months away from being there for a year. I can make it for those 3 months. Maybe in the next three months, GM will prove to be the save all end all of my financial and emotional woes. But, man, when i do get that first commission check, i cant WAIT to pay off my debts, and be on a clean slate, ready to spend, save, or blow whatever comes after that.

Job Interview.

Today I had a job interview. It went great, but sadly, I just dont think taking it would be a wise career decision. I think it would be another 1-year gig, with no upward mobility. It would be for a great University, but is ends are not in line with where i want to go in life. I think i was holding on to the opportunity because i was wishfully thinking something could come out of nowhere and solve my gripes with TV Station. Put good vibes that in the next month or two someone else comes at me with a great idea, or a great recruitment potential.

Likes and Dislikes of TV Station Job

LIKES (TO DATE...WHO KNOWS WHAT THE NEW BOSS WILL BRING)

Semi-relaxed hours. If i need to take care of something, i can leave in middle of day without worry. I am good about not abusing this. Nice to know i can come and go as i please.

My boss. Both of them. They are my number one fan, and have been great leaders.

Monetary potential in Sales

When I am on, I am on. When i am in a meeting, or with a new client, i am good at what i do. I am really good. It doesnt seem like work to me. (getting meetings, cold calls, a different story.)

I will come back to this...

8 month review

Friday was my 8 month review, and client list conference. The 8 month review is just that, a review of my performance thus far. The client list conference is where we go over my list, and meticulously go over what i am doing with each client, and where i need help and where i think there is money coming in. It is not fun.

so, my 8th month review was my boss telling me how great i am doing. I registered all excellent marks, except for my billing, where i got a 2/3 because i have to continue to try to get my billing up to anything. I have clients billing money to the station, but i have been striking out hard for new business. big surprise there. not. my boss said i was just great, and that i have "management" potential, and she handed me a big time account, which was siphoned from Iret, who is the older lady who has been struggling. I feel really bad for her because she cant keep up with her work and she is being forced to take classes at a JC to learn Excel and Powerpoint. I fear for her future profession, because of her age, and because she is having some major issues with her clients. I dont know what to think about getting the big account, but i know it will just come with larger scrutinizing when they deny to spend money on us.

The review was what i expected, but it didnt make me immediately love my job. lately i have been leaning to taking the job at the Athletic department. But I am really torn.

The New Captain

The TV Station ship has been manned by a new man. The new GM arrived today, and was introduced over a pizza lunch for the entire staff. Lots of question marks above peoples head. Will Loman had lots spinning in his head today as well.

As everyone settled down to shitty pizza, and a cramped lunch room, the COO of our mother company, Marble TV, began his introduction. He mainly talked about why us employees should not be worried about the station going up for sale, and that times are a-changing, and the ship is not sinking, but rather is rising with the new GM. I am still not convinced.

The new GM seems like a good guy. He is young, maybe 35, two kids, has a sales based career that started in my position, at my same age, so...there is things you can do in this industry. I fear our sales department will be under a new found pressure. Even more accountability, and even more calls and after being here 8 months, higher expectations. i will keep the developments on the blog daily, i swear.

Team Building

Wow. Friday we had to go to a Go Kart Racetrack for team building. First off, we are no longer in middle school. Second off, when trying to build a team, why do you go to a competitive car racing venue, and have a contest who can win the race? And let me tell you, because salespeople are competitive by nature, we all took the racing semi serious, and IT DID NOT BUILD A TEAM. rather, it furthered some divisions in the team.

long story short, because my fingers are tired and my battery low, Barbie+all the male sales people got into it, humored Barbie for putting this together, and we all got in our cars. We all race at once, and it was semi fun. Those fuckers go fast, you could potentially get hurt, and to keep the race save and, to be honest, FAIR, you cant hit one another. Its not bumper cars, since you are going 25 MPH on an indoor track. This is also a rule, because it makes the race more competitive and fair. We all started the race, and again, long story short, FRAT hit both myself, and Jameson (who by the way have since reconciled our differences over lunch, and are back to the mentor/mentored relationship) to win the race. Now, i was going to let this go when we got out of our cars, but Boss1 comes up to us and starts telling Jameson (who was unreal car drver must say, he started in last, and even while following the rules and not hitting people, made it into first place, passing me putting me in second, then Frat hit my rear end, making me throw out my back, and then did the same to Jameson, to win the rce). Anyway, Boss1 mentioned this, and Jameson actually lost his shit. This was OBVIOUSLY venting about a deeper disliking for this loudmouth train wreck, but he let into him about cheating, and how "It is hilarious to see how Go Karts just showed everyones true character. Will here was competitive and going to be pissed if he didnt win, but we already knew that about his character. You, you would sell the shirt off your own mother to turn a profit."

So, when the award was given to Frat, there was no team being built. The lines drawn in the sand were ever deeper. It showed that he was in fact not a nice guy. It is too bad.

Note to any Bosses out there. Please dont make your employees do some stupid team building shit on a friday. Just give them the day off, that will make people MUCH happier.

Ahhh...the Holiday Spirit!

Tis the Season.
In my line of work, differentiating TV Station, and myself, from the rival stations, and fellow crooks, it is up to Barbie and Boss1 to utilize the given budget for Xmas/Holiday gifts. Now, we have about 150 bucks a month to work with individually, but that gets tied up in lunches, bridge tolls, and what not rather easily, and lemme tell you, HR Lady gives you the fricken SHAKE DOWN on everything you try to get TV station to pay for. It is border line ridiculous.

anyway, i digress. So, let me enlighten you on how cheap, scuzzy, and overall shitty my TV Station is.

A) We dont get bonuses. "Our commission checks are our bonuses." however, you the reader has become savvy and knows "commission checks" are non existent due to the fact TV station can not afford to pay us commissions. However, each Salesman is supposed to give 50 bucks to a common fund to give another department a cash bonus for all their hard work. I am ALL for this. however, if we are rewarding those who work for us, shouldnt our bosses be rewarding us for working hard for them? Jelly of the month memberships are not even tossed out way. Dont call me greedy, but for what we put up with, this is bullshit.

B) The TV Station gift to those we think are worthy is "Money donated in [insert name here] to the SF Food Bank." How much money was donated? can i see my name listed somewhere? Who else did you donate money for ? These are ALL valid questions I would come to if I was handed this as a gift, because it is rather different, its not just another bottle of booze, it (IN THEORY) is a rather interesting and useful way to spend money for a present.

Here are the answers to those questions, and you tell me if TV Station has some bad karma coming there way. TV Station donates a few grand in THEIR NAME. In return, they get something like 100 cards with FILL IN THE NAME spots per 1000 bucks donated. Dude, follow this: TV Station donates money, in THEIR NAME, and we hand out cards with words of bullshit saying we did it for this special little media buyer. Talk about low class.

Icing on cake? Last year someone confronted a fellow salesperson, asking all these questions. needless to say, the person was not to impressed when he found out the details.

C) We do not get Xmas eve off, however, we get Columbus day off? Need i say more. WHO AM I GOING TO CALL OR MEET WITH THAT REQUIRES ME TO GO TO WORK ON XMAS EVE?

D) We do not get New Years Eve off. Again. WHO AM I GOING TO CALL OR MEET WITH THAT REQUIRES ME TO GO TO WORK ON NEW YEARS EVE? Dude, the people that handle marking and spending money with me are lazy, and not required, no ever do, work more than 3 days a week, and are on vacation from xmas-new years. TV Station, get with the program.

Happy Holidays.