Sales Job Moving Forward, My Soul Still Intact

Quick Update on the Sales Job: I set one meeting for April and my boss set another meeting (will be my account if we get a project) in March.

It’s something.

Back to Reality (Update from Sales post)

Thanks to everyone who read and commented on the “sales” post. Most of the comments were about how people are in the same boat. That helped, actually. Knowing I am not alone (and getting a couple of pointers like, “deep breath before each call”) got me over my worries.

Yesterday, I made my calls. I don’t have too many, and I made them with loads of confidence. Even when I got someone on the phone and, after greeting me with much enthusiasm, the potential client asked me what project we had previously talked about and I COULDN’T REMEMBER! (Perhaps the next step is to prepare for each call.)

Also, I emailed a member of my book club and asked her to connect me with her husband who works for a consumer product company right here in my city. I had been promising myself to do that for 6 months. Did it! She agreed to the introduction and now the husband asked me to call him to help. This is a huge company that we have been trying to get into for years now.

A girlfriend gave me some perspective that was kind of hard to hear because I hate to sound ungrateful for what I have already. But it was good perspective. She reminded me that I am fortunate to have the choice to work or not (basic needs like a roof over our head are covered). That comment got me on the phone, calling. See, if I have the opportunity to do something that will move our family forward, I owe it to our family and to myself to do it. I know that we are very fortunate on this very day because my husband has a job. Tomorrow, well, who knows, right?

I am turning my focus from me and my fears and on to what is important to our family. And next week, when I go back to call these same people again, I will read your comments for courage and perspective (cuz you know I would rather be watching Scrubs).

And when I get my first project of 2009, I will let you know!

Apparently, A Soul is Worth One House.

I have only owned one home, for 7 months in Illinois.  My first night in it, I never felt more relaxed and satisfied.  Regardless of boxes to unpack or being strangers in the neighborhood, I had an overwhelming feeling of happiness.  I was in MY home.  It was luscious.

Soon after that we had to move again.  I cried for days.  While desperate to buy a new home in Texas, my husband and I decided to wait until we felt the economy (and thus his job situation) felt stable enough to make buying a home a safe idea.  That was a year and a half ago.  We continue to rent.

Since moving here, J and I have participated in “real estate porn”:  We look online at housing prices, we even got an agent and looked at used homes, and we’ve probably seen every new housing development in the county.  At some point, I couldn’t take the tease any more.  We would look, but J would say we aren’t financially ready.  So I asked: How much money would we need to have for him to feel comfortable?  His answer: double what we have in our savings.

Now for the reality check: J has a job but his salary won’t be increasing any time soon.  My book idea that could be an entire motivational products empire is still in draft form.  My brand design and marketing communications company is extremely quiet and needs to be revamped.

And then there is my sales job (and the point of this post).

Before I had my daughter, L, I worked for a Creative Marketing company.  I began as a leader of their focus groups but, on the great advice of J, I took on other responsibilities and made myself indispensable.  Until 4 years later when I was laid off.  I continued to perform some duties as a freelancer, but over time these duties were given to others.  When I announced to my boss that I was moving to Illinois, he offered a sales position.  Chicago is home to many consumer product companies (think, “Anything I can buy in a grocery store”) and since I know the business and his particular process inside and out, it seemed like a perfect fit.

I have been at the job for two years now (even after moving to Texas) and have only landed one project.  My problem is I hate cold calling.  I hate the nervousness before picking up the phone, having to be eternally grateful for having 30 seconds of their time and then having only 30 seconds to tell them why they should answer my call in the future.  I hate grovelling to them for their attention.  And I hate being blown off.  I feel like an idiot.

On the other hand, the money is goooooood.  Seriously good.  And I am fine once we set a meeting.  And I love working on the projects.  I get to be a part of a project, do a little creative work, go to meetings, get out of Mommy mode.

If I sold four projects, we would be at our savings goal (that includes withholding for taxes).   Doesn’t sound like a lot, right? But I have only sold 1 in 2 years!  Sometimes we gain momentum with contacts, but no momentum in selling.  So it takes a lot of cold calling, or extremely luke warm calling.  I already mentioned how much I hate that, right?

I find other things to do, knowing I am breaking my promise to myself, my husband and my boss.  I write my book, I work on my blog, I clean the bathroom.  And yet, I complain about what I don’t have.  I said I was going to give the job 3 months after the holidays and then, if no momentum is building, quit.  But how can it build momentum if I don’t do the work?

Here’s what I want to know: have you ever, in your deep, dark past, done a job you really didn’t like for a bigger long term goal.  Is it worth it?  What have you done that didn’t itself bring you joy in order to achieve joy later?