8 months as a salesgirl

Assalamualaikum & Hi,

I planned to write about experiences & lessons as a salesgirl every 2 months (read previous posts here), but was really lazy to do so. But there were some things that happened in life recently that made me got the idea to write this.

Remember when I always said I finally found the dream job? Great bosses, nice pay, amazing team & the job I love doing. Complete package all in one. My boss once said, you won't get 4 things at once like you expect in terms of salary, location, environment & boss (TFN, 2021). But I did anyway. All perfecto, alhamdulillah!

Despite all the blessings I have, after 8 months, the challenges start to kick in.

I started to feel bored, exhausted & lost.

January & February were considered as honeymoon months because the targets were quite low. It's doable to achieve all the targets. When March came, I already felt so scared because it's the highest target of the year. But I still keep my mindset that I'll survive. I'll just give my best like always.

On the 2nd & 3rd week of March were when the problems started to kick in. Stocks were running out & there were delays in deliveries. But it's still manageable for me. 

However, there's one day, a doctor called me & I got scolded so bad because he hasn't received his medicine. Few clinics also followed up with me. It felt so overwhelming. On top of that, my sales started to slow down, & reaching to my customers felt so heavy. 

Of course I cried, I have even thought to quit. But to where? I have found everything I was looking for in a job. 

Then I started to realize this was where I got tested.

When I read back my previous posts before (you can read it here), there had been at the times earlier in my career when I didn't reach my target for few months. But I didn't give up at that time. I kept finding ways & went extra miles to seek for solutions. 

Now, after things already easy & cozy, when it started to be hard again, all I do was crying?

"When the sparks started to fade away, lights begin to dim & fire no longer burn"

Things were hard because, I stopped doing what I did before - putting so much efforts & endured any challenges like in the beginning.

That's human, when we wanted something we'll work so hard to get it, vowed to always be strong no matter what happened. When we had it all, got comfortable, even the smallest challenge will feel like the hardest one. 

Life will never be always rainbow & butterflies. There will come times when of rain & storm coming in. But would you quit life when things get hard? No you don't. You'll find solutions & get motivated again.

"You'll be the one to put the sparks again, make the light brighter & pour more oil for the fire to burn"

It's you. You can't depend on your surrounding to be happy & motivated. It has to be started within you.

Back to my story, after all the dramatic moments I felt, I decided to tell my bosses about my problems. So they set up a meeting & we communicate about the strategies to do. During that meeting I realized, what I was lacking was product knowledge. Recently too, we have a knowledge sharing session with one of the salesperson who's been here for so long & I was so inspired by that session. He shared about the essential qualities of a salesperson & I'll use it as a guidance for myself.

The second lesson I learn here - to always communicate. Nobody knows what's your problems until you tell them. Whether it will be solved or not is another story. But you have to step forward to communicate what you're facing. If you keep running away, you will never solve your problems. Then it will pile up until it becomes a burden to you & everyone around you.

So after all the sessions I had, I spend some time thinking about what should I do & executed them. It's started to work & I found my momentum again. Let's pray I will succeed excellently in shaa Allah. As always, never give up. 

Another key is to be grateful.

You could be blessed with all the good things in the world, but if you're not grateful, & think what you have are never enough, one day you will definitely lose everything.

Anyway isn't that life is all about? To always be tested, during ease & hardship.

Till then,

Adlina