Progress Check

RECOUNTING what took place throughout the past 2 month ever since my graduation show on 7th March 09.

Attended a workshop teaching me how to sell from the heart. I feel an urge to add this to spite those who thinks that workshops are pointless. YOU'RE BROKE!

The workshop taught me how to sell from my heart instead of hard selling. Hard selling is the primary cause of hatred for salesmen. The key lesson I took away from the workshop was: you sell because you want to help people, not because you want their money. Anyway, the mindset one salesperson has will make a lot of difference in his performance. If you come from a stand point of really serving a need people have, people will be more willing to accept your offers.

Another thing I took away from that workshop was: MOVE!

In physics, if object is not moving, no work is done. Meaning, if I don't do anything to make something move, I'm not doing any work. I can think and think and think and still no work is done. So... 3 days later, which is a Monday, MONEYTHOLOGY LLP is born.

I'm the manager/partner and Leroy is my partner.

On Thursday or Friday, I can't really remember, one guy from OCBC called. That guy mentioned something about coming to my office to open a bank account. I realised that I immediately turned into defensive mode.

Woah woah woah, you call me straight away ask me if you can come my office open bank account. You didn't even inquire what business I do and whether I need a bank account. Or even better, you didn't even let me see how this bank account will benefit me. All I hear from this guy was: Hey, you sucker, you just started a business right, so you should open a bank account with me. I want to earn that commission so don't wait already. I go your place open your account for you and I can earn my commission liao...

F*** you man... This is what I would classify as hard sell. So my natural response is to throw up my rejections. I pretended to inquire for more information before finally saying that I do not intend to open a bank account yet.

That guy probably sensed something is not right, he said that he would send some information and get back to me a few days later.

I didn't pay attention to that matter for some time. The letter containing the information of opening a business account was sent to my place. I looked at it and gave some thought about it. There would be benefits. It would make the transactions much cleaner. And cheques are wonderful, I'll feel wonderful if I can sign cheques.

So I arranged with Leroy to go down to AMK Hub's OCBC branch and asked to speak with somebody who can give us more information. After waiting for some time, the manager in-charged of opening business accounts came and met with us. We posed our questions and he answered them appropriately. He didn't not press on making us open the account as soon as possible. Talking to that manager felt better than that guy on the phone.

Funny enough, 10 mins after we walked out of the branch, that same guy who called me last time called back to ask me if I want to open the bank account with him. I told him that I just went down to the branch and spoke with the manager. He panicked and asked me who I spoke to. Then, he told me the bull crap of him being the one in-charged of my business profile and if anything, I should look for him. Then, he continued to press on the benefits of opening the bank account. I was totally pissed. After the call, I told Leroy that I would rather travel all the way down to the branch than to ask that guy come to my office to open the bank account.

This is my personal experience of being hard-sell(ed).

After I registered my company, I spent 3 to 4 days blanking out. I was totally at the mode of "NOW WHAT?".

Until suddenly I realised. I should get some cash.

Before I registered my company, I arranged for some of my friends to sell me their talents. We arranged to talk more about it after I have registered my company name. Buying their talents need $$$. So, I need cash.

I signed up for 2 online job searching engines. I put my job scope interest as sales. Soon enough, I found a job of selling.

I'm now working as a salesmen, selling from my heart, serving customers and helping them lead a better life.

Ya right! How I wish that was the case.

It is only about 25% true. My job involves going door to door promoting services that customers might want to take up. The deal was good. I believed in the deal. But somehow, as I opened my heart to hear customer's needs, conflicts arise within me.

Though not all customers had issue with the product and the company, it doesn't mean there are none. Some customers poured their complaints to me and all I can say is: "I'll do what I can."

Which is nothing. I'm only a salesmen. Your complaints reach me and vapourise. Yes, I want to help you. But I'm only a salesmen. I can only offer you information I have and service I provide. That's all. Suggestions as to how to make the services better reach me and disappear.

It is not that I'm complaining about customers telling us all those things. I'm really glad I can hear feedback from customers about how to make the service better. What I feel bad about is that I'm powerless in making the change. It puts me in a dilemma. If I want to sell from the heart and help the customer as much as I can, I have to limit myself to the amount of things I can offer, which will make me conscientious about helping at all.

Well, I'm getting used to the pangs of guilt every time customer relayed their hopes of change to us. But it will serve as a burning coal under my butt to tell me that I have to start my own business and sell my own things. I want to be the boss and bring the change customers desire. My own product and my own service that I can be proud of.

OK, source of income secured. So, I slogged. But something behind keeps prodding me to do more. It keeps screaming: IT'S NOT ENOUGH!! YOU NEED TO MOVE MORE!!

This is ultimately still active income.

I was reading Warren Buffett's new biography: The Snowball. The book was inspiring, it made me realise that I have some things in common with the world's richest man. But he is many times more brilliant than I am. Reading his books gave me two inspirations: I need to find a girlfriend so that I have someone to work hard for; I need to find more sources of passive income.

April 3rd is my ex's birthday. On that midnight, I wished her happy birthday. For the first time in eons, she replied me a thank you. Even though it was a generic thanks, I felt really good. It showed that there is a possibility she might want to talk to me again.

So, I asked her out for dinner at a restaurant near her place. She didn't say whether she will go. We didn't have any arrangements agreed upon. But I turned up at that restaurant any way to have my dinner. Miraculously, I saw her there having a meal with her mom. The sight of her ignited a volcanic eruption never seen in 4 years. I was so happy that I didn't know what to do. So I sat at a table far away but near enough to peek at her. She didn't change much. Still beautiful and maintaining her figure. She still have long straight hair, though I remember that she mentioned she might perm her hair. The best thing about her is the glasses she wear. It gave her the mysterious look. She's feels so special to me.

So naturally, the heart that never really died starting pumping harder. For the next 5 days, I tried to get her to reply to messages. Eventually, I borrowed a book called Mars and Venus On a Date.

Reading the book gave me a lot of insights into her world. She is avoiding me because thinking about me hurts her. But the book also mention that if a relationship ended in hurt and guilt, the next one will not be happy. I felt guilty and she felt hurt.

I don't know what to make of this emotion.

I can't let go. Something is telling me not to let go. But I no longer know what to do about it. If by any chance you are friends of my ex, can you help me tell her how much I want to be part of her life again?

To drown the chaotic feelings about BGR, I devoted myself into making money. I'm now working on starting a manga drawing class. I'm not the one teaching it, but some of my very legendary classmates I met in NYP. They can earn more money, I can start my business, more people can learn how to draw, everybody wins. This is the best thing about doing business. Win-win situation.