The meeting went alright on Wednesday.
It had begun with the four of us at the office of this large conglomerate, it was a large spacious room with 5 chairs, and the four of us were waiting for the Director of this large company to come in. The LG Air con was running at 24 degrees, churning out cold air, cooling all of us on this hot afternoon. Delhi and the NCR does get to be very hot during the summers and especially the afternoons and this one was no exception, it was hot and humid. I was lost in my dreams when suddenly there had been a loud noise from the outside, the office was a ground floor one and overlooked the garden and the boundary wall. There was an ESI hospital just opposite this building and the generator had had a blow off. The noise had been akin to a blast, a short thud and then smoke. We all had got up to look out, though all we could see was smoke spewing over the boundary wall. Was this blast symbolic, I was already thinking, would the meeting go well, was this an Omen ?
"What happened ?" I asked the receptionist as I rushed out of the room to the reception with one of my friends.
"Seems to me that the DG at the opposite building went off," she said quietly, she was the epitome of efficiency with glasses riding up on her well upturned nose.
"We saw smoke coming up," I said equally efficiently, I kind of liked this lady and was looking to make an impression.
She was a plump tall lady, very efficient and totally at ease with people and her work. I had noticed when I had entered the office that she had beautiful eyes and as mentioned before, an upturned nose on which sat her designer spectacles. She had been busy behind the desk, writing a few memos I presume, when I had asked her if the Director was in. She had replied in the negative and enquired about my purpose.
"We are here to meet him for the Solar Requirement."
"Well, do you have an appointment," she asked politely.
"Yes," I said handing over my business card to her.
Receptionists are a unique breed, they seem to know the answer even before they ask a question. Glancing at my friends she pointed to the chairs and asked us to take a seat on some very comfortable looking sofas, while she spoke to the PA of the Director. A quick few questions and she glanced at me, I immediately got up and came to her desk.
"He is late, by half an hour, you will have to wait.
"Of course."
And here I was waiting in the Directors office with three other colleagues, still thinking of the receptionists. I had asked her name and she had told me, Sushma. Actually when the Diesel Generator had gone off, I had been waiting for an opportunity to speak to Sushma again, and like they say, there is an opportunity in every difficulty. She was busy, mulling over calls and other peoples waiting at the reception. I knew my only chance of getting a few words in was to engage her, after all I am a sales person, and it is my job to get the attention of people, so that I understand them. I talk to figure out whats going on in a particular office, start with a 2 minute pitch and then I listen for 10 minutes to them, this could go on for 15 minutes depending on how vociferous the customer is, and later I speak for another 15 minutes, most first meetings last for 45 minutes and before my sales call is over, I invariably have a lead.
"Do you read Dilberts," I had asked her when she had been free.
"Yes, I do, how did you know ?" she asked adjusting herself on the seat.
"Beat the 5 o clock rush, leave office at noon," I had recited the first Dilberts one liners that came to my mind.
"And do what ?" she had asked coyly.
"Lets go see a movie, Hangover III" I had replied back, tongue in my cheek.
From Suspects to Prospects, from Prospects to Leads and Leads to Orders
It had begun with the four of us at the office of this large conglomerate, it was a large spacious room with 5 chairs, and the four of us were waiting for the Director of this large company to come in. The LG Air con was running at 24 degrees, churning out cold air, cooling all of us on this hot afternoon. Delhi and the NCR does get to be very hot during the summers and especially the afternoons and this one was no exception, it was hot and humid. I was lost in my dreams when suddenly there had been a loud noise from the outside, the office was a ground floor one and overlooked the garden and the boundary wall. There was an ESI hospital just opposite this building and the generator had had a blow off. The noise had been akin to a blast, a short thud and then smoke. We all had got up to look out, though all we could see was smoke spewing over the boundary wall. Was this blast symbolic, I was already thinking, would the meeting go well, was this an Omen ?
"What happened ?" I asked the receptionist as I rushed out of the room to the reception with one of my friends.
"Seems to me that the DG at the opposite building went off," she said quietly, she was the epitome of efficiency with glasses riding up on her well upturned nose.
"We saw smoke coming up," I said equally efficiently, I kind of liked this lady and was looking to make an impression.
She was a plump tall lady, very efficient and totally at ease with people and her work. I had noticed when I had entered the office that she had beautiful eyes and as mentioned before, an upturned nose on which sat her designer spectacles. She had been busy behind the desk, writing a few memos I presume, when I had asked her if the Director was in. She had replied in the negative and enquired about my purpose.
"We are here to meet him for the Solar Requirement."
"Well, do you have an appointment," she asked politely.
"Yes," I said handing over my business card to her.
Receptionists are a unique breed, they seem to know the answer even before they ask a question. Glancing at my friends she pointed to the chairs and asked us to take a seat on some very comfortable looking sofas, while she spoke to the PA of the Director. A quick few questions and she glanced at me, I immediately got up and came to her desk.
"He is late, by half an hour, you will have to wait.
"Of course."
And here I was waiting in the Directors office with three other colleagues, still thinking of the receptionists. I had asked her name and she had told me, Sushma. Actually when the Diesel Generator had gone off, I had been waiting for an opportunity to speak to Sushma again, and like they say, there is an opportunity in every difficulty. She was busy, mulling over calls and other peoples waiting at the reception. I knew my only chance of getting a few words in was to engage her, after all I am a sales person, and it is my job to get the attention of people, so that I understand them. I talk to figure out whats going on in a particular office, start with a 2 minute pitch and then I listen for 10 minutes to them, this could go on for 15 minutes depending on how vociferous the customer is, and later I speak for another 15 minutes, most first meetings last for 45 minutes and before my sales call is over, I invariably have a lead.
"Do you read Dilberts," I had asked her when she had been free.
"Yes, I do, how did you know ?" she asked adjusting herself on the seat.
"Beat the 5 o clock rush, leave office at noon," I had recited the first Dilberts one liners that came to my mind.
"And do what ?" she had asked coyly.
"Lets go see a movie, Hangover III" I had replied back, tongue in my cheek.
From Suspects to Prospects, from Prospects to Leads and Leads to Orders
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