Excuse of the day…

Today it’s pouring with rain, and I mean pouring. It’s been hard at it most of the night and it hasn’t stopped. There’s thunder, lightning and rivers where there should be none. But, the “team” is in the office…so where is everyone else?

• I have a customer meeting (that’s fine, but you drive past the office on your way home again…?) 
• I have a doctor’s appointment and my car is in the garage so I’m not coming in.

That’s great…I have a doctor’s appointment today – but I’m still here…what’s the difference?
I’m not in sales!

Excuse of the day…

A new feature of my blog…

Every time our wonderful sales team introduce a new excuse for leaving early/not coming to the office and/or being late in – I’ll record it here.

Today’s excuses:

• I need to pick up my car
• I’ve got someone coming to look at my boiler today

I’m waiting for “the wrong type of rain”. Let’s face it, it’s going to happen!

Cold All Over

Have you ever had that feeling when something happens – it feels like the blood is draining from your body starting at your head and moving down. It leaves you feeling cold all over. You’re slightly dizzy or light-headed. And, you feel empty with it. I hate this feeling.

Today, I had this feeling. It wasn’t triggered by something had happened today, but a memory. Yes, a memory. I felt awful. I also had flashbacks to the event and it has been playing on my mind ever since. I want it to go away.

Favourite Excuses

There is a core group of us that turns up to the office everyday. Of this team, some of us regularly put in 10-hour days, others do the full day and some a little bit more. Most of us will go the extra mile when it’s needed.

And then, there are “the others”.

These people ‘choose’ to come to the office when it suits them (to raise perception), but only on their terms. We, the team, have started talking about our favourite excuses for not being in the office…here are just a sample of those that have been uttered recently:

• I felt a bit tired today, so I’m not coming in

• My boiler is broken so I need to go back home again

• There’s been a crash on the M25

• It’s too quiet and there’s no atmosphere

Being that our core values are: Teamwork, Excellence, Customer Orientation, Innovation and Integrity we’re beginning to wonder whether we should come up with an alternative list:

• apathy

• tardiness

• deceit

• niggardlyness (if that’s a word!?!?!)

I am sure as time goes on we will come up with more!

Week whatever…run number?

Last night’s run was ok. Yes, ok. It’s moved up to a walk, followed by a 90/90, 3min/3min, 90/90, 3min/3min plus the usual warm-up/cool-down portions and it really was ok. Last week it felt like my chest would explode, but last night was good (for me anyway ;-)). I can actually say, I enjoyed it. And, I wanted to run some more. Ahem, I didn’t really say that.

Today, should be a golf day, but “I” is not fit to play. Can we, should we run instead? Probably not, but I feel the desire to run.

I did not really say any of that, did I?
There is no way that I could enjoy running…well, not outside anyway? (Helps that it was sunny and warm, I guess)

The instructor

Last night, after my run, I went out to get some bits from the supermarket. While there, I bumped into my golf instructor…the old one. It was an interesting conversation, one that led to a discussion about my golf and how it’s going. He was quite shocked when I told him of my recent success at Lavender Park and that I beat “I” in a round of nine…

I told him about hitting the pin on the 9th and putting for a birdie…he didn’t believe me. Full stop.

I have one more lesson with him – already paid for. It’s going to be interesting!

3BTs – Smile, help, and cats

1. Today started with tears. I can’t explain the reasons, not right now, but that’s how my day started. Tonight, one of my colleagues made me smile and it’s nice to be able to laugh at ourselves at the end of what’s been a trying few days.

2. Being helped out by someone special. My trying day meant I wasn’t too happy – but, my special someone was on hand to dole out big helpings of advice, calm, hugs and smiles. (Thank you).

3. I got home from the trying day to have my cats fight over which one would be first for a cuddle…

Golf lesson

On Monday this week “I” and me had a golf lesson with Simon. What a fantastic lesson. During one hour, I picked up more tips about my swing than I have in all the lessons with my other instructor.

It just makes sense. The swing from out to in. The position of my left hand – in line with the head of the club. My balance – or lack of it.

One of the most interesting things we found is that when I play wearing my glasses, I often top the ball or duff the shot completely. Then, without glasses (whether I wear lenses or not!) I generally manage to hit long and straight. Bizarre coincidence? No. Apparently it’s to do with the position of my head and neck. With glasses on I “stoop” and “hunch” to enable me to see through the glass. Without them, it’s much easier for me to “see” the ball without trying to avoid the frames…

 Strange but true. Little quirks. Oddities. Frustrations. Yes, that’s golf!

Tonight I went with a friend to introduce her to golf at the range. It was great. By the end of it – just practicing a half swing with a pitching wedge, she was hitting most of the balls 50-75 yards…straight! I think she’s got the bug!

Woes…

11th July – I’m nervous.

Why?

Let’s just say that there’s stuff happening at work that makes me feel uncomfortable. I’ve got an uneasy feeling about the way things are happening – or – not, as the case may be. And, what the consequences will be…

I’m just not convinced that we are getting this right. I’m beginning to doubt my abilities. I doubt what I have achieved – what I am tasked to achieve and what I can actually achieve. That’s not right, is it? What makes me nervous is that I’ve been here before. And, I know how this works.

To give you an idea of what this is about – one of my friends came up with this:

SALES RESCUE 101:

Question: what can we do to rescue Q3

Answer: get marketing to do it

Question: No, what can we do?

Answer: blame marketing Question: You’re missing the point…what can we do, as sales people, to turn things around in Q3

Answer: get marketing to arrange a seminar later in Q3

Question: let’s start again….we didn’t sell anything in Q2 and we have to sell something in Q3…what can we do?

Answer: move marketing people into sales….

Sunday’s golf in the sun

After an appalling round (for me personally) during the team-building, we decided to play the course again yesterday. The sun came out and the wind dropped, so we loaded up the car and headed out.

It was a great round. I kept in mind all of the tips and hints that the two instructors had mentioned on Thursday and played my best round ever. I went round that course knocking nine of my personal best to date! Stunning. On the ninth I hit a great shot with a six iron – 123 yards onto the green – straight down the fairway and hit the pin!!!! I putted in for a birdie – my first ever!

I had a great round with some lovely tee shots on the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eigth too. Don’t know why, but everything just seemed to work. The tee shots – straight and onto the green (or in some cases, just beyond!), and then putting out. Putting still not quite there – but a damn sight better than I have done in the past.

Today we’re having a lesson with Simon. Tomorrow, perhaps another round?

Right now, I’m still grining from yesterday’s game. Not because I’m competitive – because I’m not – but because I’m pleased with the improvements I’m making.