As of yesterday I am employed. Name tag, clipboard and a
stack of flyers. Cheesy spiel and pleasant smile. I’m not just telling people
about how much they will save on electricity bills, if they install solar
panels. I am bettering the future of Melbournians. Enlightening home owners of
the investment that could be beneficial for the great great grand kids.
My interview was for 11 am and I got off the train at 10:42 ...
a 15 minutes’ walk away, according to Google,
from the office. As if nervousness wasn’t my first obstacle , my only choice
was to run and get there sweaty and windblown but on time. Surprisingly in
dress pants and a blazer running even feels professional like I’m chasing deadlines
or possible investors. I got there 10 minutes before 11.
It’s one of those shared
office building with a set of stairs in the middle and like 600 doors with company
names. The guy I spoke with told me first door on the right. But the sign on
that door had a different company name. . WOE IS ME... I was way to hot and
bothered in this moment.. Luckily a guy was at the desk and I asked for my
interviewer person and he said “ oh yeah take a seat those guys are always late”.
The job description was flyer distribution/lead generator. I
had no idea what a “lead generator” does so I spent the night before reading up
on marketing terminology and why companies need lead generators. Essentially it’s
a form of marketing or networking to aim a product/investment at a target
demographic and then have a business follow up and make the sale. Aka I am a
pown going door to door so someone else can get a king.
On the phone I was
asked questions about my previous experience in sales, marketing and cold
calling. My last similar position was in about grade 7 selling meat to
fundraiser for an end of the year trip.. I did good too I think I paid for more
than half my trip! Anyways door to door-man-ship is a whole new ball game with
your not a cute kid who wants to see parliament.
My interview turned out to be “great so you said you can only work with us
for one month. That’s fine, we’ll get your name badge and have you starting
today.” Okay...great... I knew nothing about this company besides what I had
read on the flyer as I filled out the form for my employment details. Electricity
costs are estimated to increase 40% in the next 10 years. The cost of solar
panels about 2 years ago was $10,000 which has now dropped to $3-4,000 because
people are realising the potential. In fewer than 3 years the panels will have
paid for themselves, just by the amount you’ll save on your bills.
I went out straight after that, it was me and a lead manager
out on “the field”. He spent 45 minutes, about 30 houses, having me observe than
he stepped back and observed me. The first house I did on my own, a guy asked
me “so what’s the cost per kilowatt”
THIS WAS NOT ON THE PAMPHLET.
This lead manager is smooth, knows his solar knowledge and
has great shoes. He is like a guru. I feel like I got sold this job and I have
no idea what to do with it and it’s just going to sit in my living room until the
day my kids are grown and start cleaning out old toys and my collection of
useless junk. ..We were both pretty
disappointed by my overall performance but understandable as it was my first
day. We (well he) did make one lead! Which out of maybe 150 houses is bad but
in the field a lead is a lead so it’s good.
After I came home, I couldn’t stop rehearsing my spiel. I
even woke up to write it down in the night because I had rehearsed myself to
sleep and thought of a great one. The main thing is we’re not actually selling
anything. We are just informing people that the government is offering a $4-5,000
rebate to home owners who install solar panels. That’s what this is allllll
about. THE GREATER GOOD OF HOMEOWNERS. I have a feeling I’m going to do well.
Once I know what I’m talking about and am practised it’ll come naturally.
Connecting with strangers is literally my 6 sense. I try to
have a good variety of useless knowledge to be able to start or jump in
conversation with anyone. Classic cars, superstitions, antioxidants, shades of
lipstick....I started watching the movie American Honey last night which
incidentally is about these kids travelling and selling magazines! Shia Labeouf
plays the kind of lead sales dude. He says a line like “the most important
moment is when they open the door and you make eye contact. It’s all about
being what people want in their lives at that moment.”
Deeeeep.. Door to door marketing could very well be my
calling. Or I’ve been unemployed too long and in desperation I’ve grease myself
up on movie quotes and solar facts in an attempted to shift gears and keep up
with the working class socialite’s. Only Monday will tell...
Until next time. I recommend watching American Honey if your
into indie ish films and Shia LaBeouf <3
No comments:
Post a Comment