I was also able to close my first sales today, it was one of those in the right place, at the right time sort of situations and not a customer that I actually worked hard to follow up and finally clinched type. The customers knww what they wanted and they simply needed a sales person to confirm the purchase for them, I happen to be the sales person who was there so they came to me.
They got a study table and a chair for their daughter, the combined amount was about $6000, which is fucking nuts for just a table and chair. All the furniture in my own bedroom combined, along with my desktop set up, cost less than the table and chair, and the clients actually got it for their daughter so nonchalantly. I will never be able to understand the way rich people spend their money.
Anyways, I got one of my senior colleague to help me prepare the invoice and everything went great, I felt accomplished that I was finally able to close my first sales and happily went to grab my late lunch right after saying goodbye to the customers, everything was well and dandy and I was in a terrific mood, got my lunch and as I was on my way back to the Showroom to eat it, my colleague sends me a picture of the chair I had sold and asked me if I had quoted the client the correct item.
I told him the picture was the item the customer wanted, but if I had indicated and sold the wrong product in the invoice and he just went...
"Yes"
... I sold them the wrong fucking chair.
 |
| I sold them the green chair thinking it was the same as the orange chair. It's fucking not the same |
I fucked my first Sales up and underquoted the item, this what was I had been bloody afraid of when I first join the company and saw the price list, I knew the items were going to be bloody expensive and if I underquoted an item, it could potentially lead to a loss of a few thousand dollars.
This isn't one of those things whereby I can absorb the additional charges like I usually would when I miscalculated my Renovation Quotations, I am earning a fixed salary, so if I fuck up and undersell an item, especially items from the store that sells luxury high end furniture, I am pretty much fucked.
My colleague then started calculating the pricing for me and told me to give the customer a call to let them know I had underquoted them, and that they will need to top up the additional amount, he calculated that they would need to top up about an additional $400 and I assume that was probably to cover the chair's cost price. If we were to calculate based on the selling price, I had underquoted $1,200 for the chair, against their $6000, it really is quite a bit of money.
I knew the customers weren't going to take this very well, but it had to be done, so I called the wife and naturally, she wasn't very happy, her tone was completely different from when I first met her earlier that day and I felt like shit to have to make that call, she kept talking to her husband while she was on the phone and after some time, just passed the phone to her husband and had him deal with me.
I tried to explain that the price had been misquoted and I will need them to do a top up, I really hated telling them that because if I were in their position, I would be pissed off as well, the husband than tells me that they have already made full payment and that if this was the agreed amount, the company should honor the price, he then goes on to question if this is how a company of my caliber works and the thing is, I completely agreed with him because it is not right to suddenly have them do a top up, if I could absorb the cost, I really would, but I can't because I am not making any commission from the sales, so there really isn't anyway for me to absorb the cost unless I request to have it taken out from my salary.
The initial call didn't really go anywhere, the customers just didn't want to pay, so I told my colleague that they will probably not pay up, and he tells me...
"Actually what they paid should be able to cover the cost, I just wanted them to feel bad. The price they paid is just barely enough to cover the cost, so we probably won't be earning anything from this sales."
... and that made me feel much better. I felt horrible towards the company, but at least I didn't have to make an awkward phone call back to the customer and demand for the top up. But I didn't really understand how the customer would feel bad after that call though because I think they only got more upset that I was calling to request for a Top-Up.
I called the customer back eventually and told him we will honor the original price, he thanks me and I slowly felt my appetite coming back afterwards. Still felt quite shitty throughout the day though because I actually fucked up my first sales and made it a profit-less one, and I could sense the customer was still a little upset even after I made that call back.
My boss actually dropped by the Showroom in the evening and I just had to break the news to him about that shitty sales. He was quite taken aback and when I told him that my senior colleague had assured me the price is able to cover the cost, my boss goes...
"He doesn't know how to calculate the cost price, there are still shipping and freight cost involved. Only I actually know the actual cost price for these items."
... and I just went "oh fuck" in my head because this meant that not only was the sales a profit-less one, it was probably at a loss. My boss then contemplates for a while and tells me he will allow the mistake this one time, after which he informs me to call the customer and try to guilt trip the shit out of them, which I probably will at a later date.
I was so grateful, it was like a weight got lifted off my shoulder because now my boss knows and he was actually really nice about it, which means I no longer have to worry about the finance department calling me to question me, and even if they do, I can just tell them the boss knows.
Anyways, after that first sales, I actually felt more comfortable talking to the customers that were coming in, even though I fucked up, it gave me a confidence boost, that an also the walk-ins were just more reactive when I go up to them, I still had a few...
'Just looking."
... and then move away reaction from those who were just window shopping, inevitable, but there were more who were actively asking me what the prices for some of the furniture were, what other materials they could choose from and the configurations they could get, it was nice to be able to actually have conversations with the walk-ins that last for more than 5 seconds.
I will be working tomorrow as well, so we shall see how the crowd will be like on Sundays. Hopefully as good as today so I can close more sales soon and make up for today.
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