Tammi's World

On Demand

So I was at Corporate yesterday, meeting with one of my smaller dealers to figure out his new line-up.

I spend more time at Corporate than any other sales rep in this company. Mainly because it's MY local office and well, the showroom is incredible. It just makes things so much easier to show the line when the beds look so fantastic in that setting.

Anyway.....getting ready yesterday I was really feeling lazy. I just wanted to go business casual. It's cold. It's snowy. I just didn't want to put the effort into "gussyin'" up.

Thank goodness I did not follow that instinct.

Half way through the drive I got a call from one of the girls in Florida. She asked if I'd heard how the Board of Directors meeting was going.

BOD meeting? Today? Shit. Where?

Yep....the Chicago office. I was heading right in to the middle of the vipers nest.

Lovely

I was going to have to do my song and dance with a MUCH bigger audience than was originally planned for.

Lovely

Turned out fine. My dealer had a blast. He loves the line, we made some real changes and his store is going to do great. If people start shopping again.....

But...you know there had to be a few "moments". You know it. Hell, *I* was there.....

At one point the Exec. VP came storming through the showroom. He didn't see me sittin' quietly at the table waiting for my customer. He hollers at MY boss's boss as he sat in his office.

"What the F*CK is so hard about selling off a damned price list? Why the HELL can't these reps do that?!?!"

My boss simply looks over the EVP's head and grins at me.

You see, I had just had a very "lively" discussion about that very thing. I REFUSE to NOT use the price list. It takes all the guess work out of things. Easy Smeasy - and I love me some easy. Here's your category, here's your price. What's not to love?!

So the EVP glances around and sees me grinnin' like my boss. He demands to know what's so funny.

Boss explains that I'm having the opposite problem. I WON'T budge and everyone's trying to make me.

His response? That's why we love Tammi.

See....not everyone hates me!!

But I'll admit it's rather nerve wracking to do the song and dance with all those big wigs around. I don't mind it if I know ahead of time. But I'm a "shoot from the hip" kinda girl. I tend to talk off the top of my head. And if you've talked to me you know I tend to sometimes say things....ummm.....wrong.

Like referring to our #1 brand by a major competitor's name. A major competitor that most of my upper management has worked for. A major competitor that will not hesitate to sue if you do stuff like that.

Yeah.....that was sorta awkward.

Anyway - today is catch-up. I was going to drive a few hours to hit a store, but I just can't. Not today. So that means I'll work this weekend. Not thrilled about it, but it is what it is.

At least I won't have to feel like a performing circus bear!

Posted by Tammi at February 27, 2008 07:37 AM | TrackBack