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jay. the boy behind the blog. most recent zygote of estelita and florencio. has been around the sun 26 times. likes hip hop, funk & jazz, lonely planet guidebooks, orwell novels, spike lee films, steamed jasmine rice, backpacking, mom's porkchops, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, independent film and music, sunshine and lime jello. has an affinity for jet-black haired asian girls with brown almond eyes and gleaming smiles, german dogs and old skool sneakers. rocks hard and fresh - day and night 'till kingdom come.
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Sunday, August 12, 2007
the takeover (back to square one?)

one of the reasons i hated retail, specifically in my store, was the fact that i had to meet quotas and sell my ass off. i'm not saying im great in sales and i'm not claiming the ability to sell pig's feet to a muslim, but during my stay at mexx, i could hold my own in sales.

leaving retail i thought i was finished with selling.
i was, actually, i am a personal trainer. call it my outreach mentality, call it my piscean ability to empathize, call it what you wanna call it - i love to help people with their health. specifically, i love to help people who need it; i can't overemphasize that.

however, taking it back to university and reviewing all the sociological studies that have been done, it's no secret that good health is something you pay for. good health is for people who can afford it.

it's not cheap to eat healthy. it's not cheap to buy cheap cuts of meat, the finest fish or the purest organic food. just the same, it's not cheap to train with someone who will get you results, keep you on track and keep you motivated.

my question is, does it have to be that way?
another question is, why does it have be that way?
finally, do i really want to be a part of this?

i'll say it again, i'm a trainer. fuck that, i'm a fitness professional, and as much as i try, i can't deny the fact that i have to wear the hat of a salesman too. the last thing i want to do is imagine myself as one of those old school car salesmen from the 70s, with the polyester single breasted suits, complete with the hair comb-over. i love training people and there are very few things i gain enjoyment from other than seeing the expression on the faces of my clients when they drop in pounds, body fat percentage, or just seeing improvements in strength. i actually give a shit. it's true.

starting out at my company, at my gym, the atmosphere was nice. sales and quotas had to be met and they were met. i knew my role and my role was performed. about a month ago, we were taken over by a larger gym/corporation. and with all aquirements and changes in management, abrasion is felt and bumpy rides are felt during the trip. now, my role is told; actually, it's dictated.

now, i feel like i'm being asked to be a full time salesperson.
when management basically states that you'll be canned if you don't meet your quota in sales for three months in a row, the pressure becomes apparent and you feel it. we're all feeling it.

on the one hand, i have my clients that i want to continue training but on the other hand, i'm forced to constantly find ways to feed this ugly beast and scout for new clientele. when it boils over to the point that it's taking away from you as a trainer, and you start losing heart and passion for what you do, everyone suffers. my growth stops, more importantly, and without my well-being and health, how the hell can i help people with their's?
i try not to let it interfere with my current clients and their training but i can only go so far.

right now i'm simmering.
right now it's feeling like i'm 25% trainer and 75% car salesmen.

who knows? some tracksuits are made of polyester too.
stay tuned. in the meantime, pass me the paper, i'm reading the classifieds.

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jay d [ 9:54 AM ]

1 Comments:

  • i really liked this post. working for a software company, i know how it goes. i'm very happy that i'm not in sales, although, i'm still encouraged to upsell training for our application. and i really hate that feeling of pressure. there's a reason why i'm not a sales[wo]man. anyway, i don't blame you for looking for options. the important thing is to enjoy what you're doing, always.

    By Blogger smiling abs, at 11:40 PM  

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