The New Guy

They recently moved my desk at my office. I’m only there for a few hours every couple weeks, so it’s not a huge deal, I’ve been moved several times. I’ve been put in the middle of administrative assistants, and customer service, and for a long time I sat with the marketing department.

This time, they moved me right in the middle of the sales floor, so I sit right behind a [brand] new guy, who has just gone out on his own. I hear him making cold calls and it’s….well, rough, and it’s awkward, and I know he’s struggling…. I have to fill in the other side of the conversation in my mind, but, I know they are telling him no, blowing him off. But he keeps asking questions and he keeps dialing. I haven’t heard anyone make cold calls since I was in that position myself when I started at TQL 6 years ago.

Last time i was in, I leaned in close while I was walking by and whispered to him “You’re doing a great job, keep it up.”

Hearing him again today, I can hear the marginal improvement and the slight increase in confidence he’s gained (not saying i had anything to do with that), but he’s still getting his footing.

I don’t know if he’ll make it at TQL, but I do know he’s learning some great lessons for his life right now, the most of which is to not take no for an answer, and not to give up. He’s learning perseverance and persistence, he’s learning to relate to people from all walks of life, from all parts of the country, different nationalities…. he’s learning that only he can motivate himself, no one else is going to do that for him, no matter what he decides to do.
By sticking with it and pushing through, he’s earning his own self-respect, which is the most valuable asset of all. Hearing his relentlessness warms my heart.

Good luck new guy! I hope you take everything you can from this experience and remember these phone calls for the rest of your life.