The New Guy

At 5:04 the night before, the GM informed us we were going to have a morning sales meeting the next day. I responded saying I had an appointment at 10:30, so we needed to make sure to wrap up on time. We actually wrapped up at 10am because one of the Classified Reps had an appointment as well. As I walked upstairs to gather myself for my appointment, the Classified Rep and her client caught me. I shuddered. I knew I should have belly-crawled around the back way to avoid being taken captive.

“This is your Ad Rep,” she said. “She will be joining us.”

“I actually have a 10:30 already scheduled this morning, let me get your contact info and we can set something up.”

“I scheduled this meeting through your GM. I was told you would be available,” said the client.

Great. the GM had scheduled me to be in 2 meetings when I had already told her I would be out. This is of course ridiculous, but fixable, if you are told about the meetings. I, of course, was only told about one. They like to keep me on my toes, and by toes I mean stumbling around in complete darkness.

The client cheerfully responded, “I have $4000 a month to spend, and I want you two to fight over it.”
“We have a mud pit in the back, but it’s a bit too cold to use today,” I shot back. That actually slipped out!

“We do not like to fight over accounts, we prefer to place ads where they will get the best response.” He agreed to reschedule.
Ironically, my 10:30 canceled. As I started to head back downstairs to meet with this new client, the Mentor walked in, with a client of hers in tow.

“We had to come up here because that client of the Classified Rep’s is being belligerent, and we were told to move up here.”
I then think better of walking into that lion’s den, and sit in on the Mentor’s meeting. A few minutes later the GM waddles upstairs and tells everyone individually about this new client, and what a jerk he is. After hearing the story 7 times she asks to meet with me to discuss him, because he will be my account. Score one for me!

She tells me word for word everything I had already overheard, and nothing more. Nothing important was shared, not the ad size, start date, budget, company name, nothing. Oh, except 2 things:
-She scheduled a meeting with him for me. I think to myself “At least she told me this time.”
-He is very interested in the school publications (the newsletters for the local school districts). I ask “Why?”

“Because they are a great target market.”

“But they are not a great target market for that type of company.” (He does stamped concrete!)

“But he is very interested in the huge distribution.”

At this point I drop it. The GM has a tendency to think all clients are a great fit for the school publications. I know one day I will walk by her office and hear her say, “The school publications are a great fit for you, Mr. Adult Book Store Owner.”
For the next 2 days the new client is the talk of the office. When I finally meet with him, it goes smoothly, no fights, he loves his spec ads, he loves me. The only flag that goes up… “Does that include my 20% discount?”

“What 20% discount?”

“The GM said I could have 20% off if I prepaid.”

The buy he was doing -the only buy he was ever interested in- was a buy for our papers plus 3 other newspaper groups. This means he was getting rock bottom rates and there was no room to take 20% off.

I try to cover up my shock and awe.

“Oh, that’s right.” I honor the rate as I have no choice. The promise was made by the GM, and I was left out of the loop again. The worst part of this discount was that he would have paid full price, without thinking twice. But now I have to lie to the other sites, fudge paper work, and take less of a commission. (Have I mentioned in the past that the GM has a tendency to give away our Pot of Money?)

When the GM called the other sites, she threw me under the bus. “It was the only way she could get the sale closed,” she explained.

I gave the new client my cell number, and asked him to always call me on it. The little troll’s fingers need to be kept out of my accounts. He agreed.