The Bubble Burst and So Did She, Into Tears
Chapter 2
Confessions of a Girl Who Sold Dreams and Then Regretted It
“… okay great, so I am sending the payment link to you on your registered email ID now, you can go ahead and make the payment. Make sure you do it within the next half an hour because otherwise, the link will expire… sure! Thank you”.
She frantically mailed the payment link to her first-ever customer she converted. Taking a deep breath to release all the anxiety she was feeling, she went for a cup of tea hoping that by the time she returned, the payment would have been done. Maybe sales was something that she could do well at. Eventually.
When she returned, she refreshed her inbox, but nothing. She called her lead, no one picked up. She called again, her call was disconnected. She called an alternate number, no one picked up. And that’s when something broke inside her. It was not her confidence. That was long lost. It was her perception of herself being a successful professional at a job that she proudly chose. But she had a little something in her still burning — the last flame of hope. Remember, she’s not one to give up easily.
“Let me try calling them again… hello?” the lead answered. She stood silently with the receiver to her ear and listened. The lead on the other end said that they did not have the financial resources to purchase your product. When she tried to convince them further, the lead who was actually a 14-year-old student, turned angry and retaliated. He eventually disconnected the call, while she was still trying to do her best to get him to pay. That was a door shut slam on her face. Silence.
Here she was, who always considered herself more capable than the rest, on the losing end. Something did not seem right about this job. Red flag 1. Firstly, she didn’t believe in the product that she was being asked to sell. She curated a great sales pitch for herself, but that was more likely useful for affluent adults with kids who have the same needs as what the product provides. That’s a pretty narrow funnel if you ask me. Secondly, she was given a set of phone numbers of school-going students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to cold call. There was a mismatch in her abilities and what the job expected of her. Poor thing, she didn’t directly see it, but she felt it and didn’t know what to do about it.
Read More : When Dreams Become Reality, Reality Becomes Imagination
Stupid little thing, chose to handle it herself. At home, she put on a front of being strong, liking her job, and being good at it. But only she knew that she was struggling. At this point, pretending to be okay was a better option than accepting that she made a mistake by choosing this job. Speaking one’s mind frankly and being vulnerable without being blamed for the mistakes that led to feeling vulnerable is not common in middle-class households. She was contributing financially to her house too. How could she choose to quit the job that’s been paying her for the past many months? But she knew enough was enough.
To be continued…
