Edit: Doing Too Good of a Job

Today I am thankful for people who express honest anger.

I am thankful for Tim.  Tim is the guy who trained me to sell insurance.  I met him at the Phish concert a little over a year ago.

I took the weekend shift because those are the days no one wants therapy. In all my years being a therapist, I've only had one Saturday client and one Sunday consultation.

It's nice to have a job working for someone else.

It's nice to be someplace with high security and safe from the stalker.

I also like getting away from the ex who is squatting in my home.

To be more fair, the weekends are the days my ex is supposed to be with the kids.  When (or if) he moves out, he'll be with them on the weekends and I can work long hours doing something that I feel is worthwhile.

Besides....I feel like I don't belong in my own house because he somehow has the money to spoil the kids.  When he's here, he does things for him.  He buys things for them.

I don't have that kind of money. 

It's best if I am not there when he is there.

I work twelve to fourteen hour days during the weekend.

That's going to change next week.  I hear they will cut my hours and award the most coveted schedules to individuals who rank highest in performance. 

I wanted the crappy schedule.  I'm new.  I thought I'd rank the lowest because I'm new.  I figured I'd get the schedule no one else wants. I wanted the heavily disliked weekend schedule. 

I guess I was wrong. 

*****

I happily came to work yesterday, set up my desk and overheard Tim's co-instructor complaining about some woman who has only been with the company three months being ranked higher than her.  She was really upset.  She wondered how some newbie could steal her schedule and threatened to quit.

I didn't even consider it was about me.  I know this woman is an asset to the company.  I had a hard time believing that the boss wouldn't want to keep her happy.

I respect this woman.  She's a wonderful salesperson.  She has a good heart and an understanding nature.  She makes her client's feel cared for.  She has a very high closing rate, somewhere to the tune of 70%. 

Tim has a closing rate of 93%.

My closing rate is only 54%.

I am no one.  Compared to these superstars, I am no one.

I figured that my job is on the chopping block. 

I've been learning everything that I can about insurance sales.

*****

Tim approached me yesterday.  I looked at him and told him that I wanted to be like him.  I wanted to reach those numbers, too.  Did he have any tips for me?

No.

He wanted to know why I was ranked higher than he and the other trainer.

I was shocked.

I asked the site manager about it and was told that the rankings came down from corporate.

I just don't understand.

I know I wrote to corporate to help them get out of paying a tax to the city I live in.  This is the city I ran for office in and the city where I was involved in a lawsuit against the tax and license department. I know that department has an evil side.  It was the head of that department that told me I needed to pull a business license to have a garage band!  I remember receiving an email from her, her name was Robin, claiming that I needed a business license in this city because I bring my briefcase home from my office in another jurisdiction. Let's just say Robin is the reason I'm a tax activist. If I can take money from Robin's coffers and put it back in the pockets of the job creators - it's a win.

Sadly,  I actually had to argue with the payroll manager a little bit because she thought I didn't know what I was talking about.  I had to track down a tax auditor for the city they own offices in to explain it to them. The city they are licensed in does not have a head tax.  They were able to save a bundle of money and ask for a refund.

Could that be why they kept me?

When it comes to job performance, I don't make as many sales as the trainers.

In the end, it is the sales that count.

*****

I stayed a couple of hours after my shift to talk to the best salesman in the department.

He explained it to me.

They see raw talent.  They see that I can calm anxious people down and that I can sell to people who call to complain.

I just need to be smoother in my presentation and I'll do very well in sales.  He spent two hours mentoring me. 

His advice - go off script but don't let it sound like you're going off script.  The customer has questions he or she doesn't know she has.  Intrigue the prospect.  Get the prospect to beg for more information.  Get them to say yes....yes....yes.

Apparently, my 54% closing rate is actually fairly high considering the shift I work.  I work the hours that customer service is closed, so most of my contacts are customer service related.  I get very few sales calls. 

Apparently, I make the most of the contacts that I have.

If I get the shift the trainers want, I could have their numbers.

*****
Competing with my mentors and taking their shifts is truly an uncomfortable place to be.

I've decided to start looking for another job.

I still don't know how corporate did their rankings.  I don't know where I rank. I don't want to know.

All I know is that corporate decided who to keep and who to fire.  They decided who would get the best shifts.

I don't know what to think.

The more I see people I respect, people who trained me, people who mentor me being fired or ranked lower or given crappy shifts - the more I wonder how I'll be rewarded when I reach those numbers.

You can do too well at a job. I understand now why other companies turned me away for being overqualified.  It's weird when someone you train looks better to corporate than you do.

Wow....

I'd best get to writing cover letters.

Love ya,

S.

Edit two weeks later: I really respect my boss and colleagues.  The operations manager is incredibly smart.  They found a way to keep the trainers happy.  I don't want to give away too much but they see the value in keeping the most productive members of the team happy despite orders from Corporate. 

That means I'll get great training as long as I stay.  The commissions are not very good.  My counterparts at other companies make $210+ for each sale.  I make $5. 

If I learn to sell, the sky is the limit.  The great training is worth the small commissions. 

Thought I'd share.