Friday, June 4, 2010

BloggeRhythms 6/4/2010

A few days ago I mentioned a guy, Tom C., from early on in my career. He’s the one who took his direction from “upstairs.”

Well, Tom was terminated shortly later, not because of me, but no matter, I was promoted to a sales-managerial position.

In that business, salespeople identified prospective customers, and submitted their financial information for credit review. And approval was the most important thing, because without it business couldn’t be conducted. The person heading our credit department was a man named David S.

I spent considerable time with David, because I submitted a lot of transactions. And naturally, we didn’t always see eye-to-eye regarding various applicant’s credit standing. Our disagreements varied from mild to open hostility. Of course, since the matters weren’t personal, we always seemed to work things out between ourselves in the end.

Then one day, for reasons never known to me, David S, was suddenly replaced. Someone new arrived from a highly regarded financial organization, who was also a seasoned professional. At the same time, our president, Mike M., came into my office, closed the door and said, “I need to ask you something, Berkey,” his nickname for me. I winced, replying “Uh, oh.”

“No, No,” Mike went on, “This isn’t trouble. In fact, I need a favor.”

It turned out he was quite upset about David S. being replaced, and asked if I‘d take him into my department. Because, as Mike saw it, David certainly understood our business, and when it came to applicant’s credit qualifications, no one knew more about that than David. So, in Mike’s opinion this was a perfect solution. And all I had to do was teach him how to sell.

Naturally, since Mike M was our leader, I agreed.

David and I felt that calling on prospective customers immediately was the fastest way to get him up to speed, because he could apply his skills from the outset. And, in almost no time, he began submitting transactions for credit approval like everyone else in sales. And, soon after, also like everyone else, he faced credit rejections regarding some of his applicants. That was astounding to him.

He complained to me that he couldn’t understand it, but applicants such as he’d readily approved himself when he was in charge of credit were, for no valid reason that he could see, being turned down. He found that both confusing and upsetting.

I suggested to David that I thought it best we review the situations together, but outside the office. So, I met him for dinner at a Great Neck restaurant called North Shore Steakhouse. On Northern Boulevard for years, it was very popular and had a well established clientele.

We were immediately shown to a remote corner table, and were the only diners. David looked around, said he knew of the place, but had never been there, asking “Is their food good?”
“Of course,” I told him, “don’t worry about it“
“Can I get a drink?” he asked.
“Certainly,” I told him, “Whatever you want. Just ask the waiter.”

After several more questions like that, he finally said he feared there was something wrong with the place, because no one else was there. I told him not to worry about it because I came there often enough, and knew it to be fine. It was just that Monday nights were slow with this place’s regular crowd.

Then I suggested getting down to business, asking him to go through his various problem transactions with me.

As he began explaining situations one by one, and his disagreement with credit decisions, he suggested that, perhaps, because he was the former credit honcho, the new guy might be personally trying to prove a point, maybe even wanting to insure David’s failure entirely.

Very shortly later David worked himself up into a rage, screaming and shouting, now certain there was a credit conspiracy involved. People were out to get him. And, as his tirade grew louder and louder, his faced turned several shades of crimson. He then rose out of his chair, pounded the table and began waving his arms in the air.

At that point, I leaned forward and quietly said, “David, maybe now you understand why I picked this particular place for tonight.”

That’s it for today folks.

Adios

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