I’m sure Mr. Murphy would agree that its foolish to mentally spend your commission on a deal that hasn’t concluded, but sometimes we just leave our brain back at the office. Sure enough I lost a deal that would have represented a major jolt to my struggling finances at the time.
To say I was pissed would represent me having to calm down about a 100 decibels. So I did what any sales professional would do . . . I threw a hissy fit (not really but I didn’t want to use the “S” word) back at the office. And I did it right. I stormed into the sales office, threw my keys down at my desk and wove a tapestry of profanity that resembled a carpet bombing of “F Bombs”
My Sales Manager poked his head out from his cubicle, gave me a sincere “I understand your pain” look and asked “Bad day?” I remember thinking “Cool, a friend who wants to listen” I responded in my best voice reserved for those occasions when Paul wants to be looked at as a victim of a cruel, cruel world. He then asked me “Didn’t make any money today?” By now the whole department was looking at me (I think I heard crickets but I was too caught up in the moment to be sure) “No I didn’t make any F’n money Tom! ” “Terrific Paul, Now none of us are making any money because of your moaning. You can’t play the game if you are on the sidelines bitching about the game”
I’m confident that his statement was written up in a sales history book after that as” the groin kick felt round the world!” because it hurt!
I won’t lie to you, I felt stupid. Really stupid! I got back on the phone and did the best I could to shake off a bad series of events.
At about 5ish Tom said that I needed to join him and the others for a beer. Huh? Was some this some kind of carrot and stick approach? Any who I have a policy of never refusing free alcohol so I went along with the group.
I don’t even think I had the first taste of beer when Tom turned to me and said “You know Paul, what you did back there was wrong and quite frankly we don’t care if you had a bad day” I arched my hand back to let him know that I had no reservations in slapping him with a “Power of Christ compels you” but then he continued. “We don’t care because when you interrupt our game to complain about yours, you don’t care about the team. We brought you out tonight to let you know that outside of work, we care, in fact, we’d like to know more about what happened today and how we can support you”
Tom was spot on and although I still think he’s possessed by some Machiavellian spirit, the lesson is valid.
When its game time, play the game! And that also means . . .
Don’t get caught up in negativity. How does one sell when their attitude needs an enema?
Don’t partake in the Sales Manager, President, Ops dudes and dudettes are A holes thing. There’s no money in that dialogue.
Just play the game!
And if you must puke on a sales parade, learn from Uncle Paul’s folly and do it after hours and for God’s sake don’t let it consume you! Life is too short for that. No?
Oh and shut if off and put it away when you get home. Nothing is worth infringing on your ability to conquer the world at home my friend! 
Now lets all stop reading about the game and get back in and play it!
