The salesman picked up the paperwork, and strutted into his well-furnished office, put down his fifteen hundred dollar briefcase and sat down at his desk. He stared at the questions for five minutes, and shook his head in disbelief. He looked again, and his shoulders dropped.
"I know I have no choice, but this is an OUTRAGE!" he said out loud.
Then with a sigh of embarrassment, he reached down, untied and pulled his feet out of his highly polished $800 Brooks Brothers cap toe dress shoes and then peeled off his black silk business socks as well.
The now barefoot salesman then stuffed the socks in the shiny, expensive shoes and dropped them in the garbage can.
A few minutes later, he shook his head again with frustration, slowly untied his $150 Hermes silk necktie, plucked the matching pocket square out of his suit pocket, unfastened his monogrammed gold cufflinks, and slid his Rolex off his wrist. He threw them in to the garbage as well. His silver tiepin and his paisley braces followed.
A moment later, the salesman dropped his head into his hands and groaned. No longer confident and dignified, he looked around furtively.
Then he angrily shrugged and stood up. He then stripped off his $2,000 navy blue pinstriped Armani business suit and his starched white shirt, and folded them before stuffing them in the garbage.
The salesman finally sat down in his underwear and finished his work.
A colleague came in, looked around, saw the stripped salesman and his expensive clothes piled in the garbage and was stunned. “Why did you do this?” he asked in bewilderment.
The formerly well-dressed and impeccably groomed salesman angrily and wearily picked up the paperwork.
“Why didn't’t you warn me about this? It says right here: Instructions MUST be followed exactly! ALL questions MUST be answered in brief!”
Moral of the story. True sales professionals realize that in order to be successful in sales one has to be prompt, efficient and brief. One should never leave their paperwork until the end of the month. The end of the month is for closing deals. Remember, you never want to get caught with your paperwork pants down at the end of the month.
"If you wear clothes that don't suit you, you're a fashion victim. You have to wear clothes that make you look better." - Vivienne Westwood
