The Toneyard

Major update time, so strap in ladies and gentlemen.

The morning sales meeting on Wednesday began with the sales manager, Michael Lawless, doing a double take at me. "Tony...is wearing a blue shirt...with a green tie." Everyone's eyes turn to me and chuckles are exchanged. I smiled and said my girlfriend, who is a professional costumer, told me that it matched up and looked great. They chided me for letting my girlfriend dress me. I really don't care what they think.

Last week was a painful grind of training videos and studying. The first few days all I did was study the pamphlets and spec manuals for all of the Subaru models. Product knowledge is required, and you have to know the details of 5 models, each of which has 3-4 subtypes within that model line. I didn't study that hard in COLLEGE (which is probably why I didn't do so well).

Aside from that, I was repeatedly quizzed by Pete, who has been here since February. He knows his shit, and he's a pretty cool guy. He definitely fits the mold of a car salesman. He's kind of a sleazy guy, and is very good at talking people into buying. He has a girlfriend and a daughter, but also gave me his e-mail address to deliver to a girl who works with Anna and Trix. She came in on Wednesday and Thursday to look at cars with Trix and Pete was digging it.

On that subject, the "natural" didn't work out so well. Trix was more than willing to buy a car from me and the Car Store, but the bank that does all of the financing was hesitant to let her do so. We looked at several different makes and models, ranging from a 2000 Saab to a Chevy Equinox. None of them were acceptable by the bank's standards. So Trix still does not have a new car, and I never got that first sale.

Yesterday, I had an interview at BJ's Wholesale Club, a big store similar to a Sam's Club. They are hiring for full-time loss prevention, and I applied a couple weeks ago. The Operations Manager Charles called me back on Tuesday to see if I was still interested, and I told him about the Car Store. I wasn't sure at the time that car sales would work out, so I still wanted to explore other options.

The interview went well. At this point I am waiting to hear back from him. He has to do the usual beareaucratic bullshit that every job offer requires. Check references, drug test, etc etc etc. It sounds very promising. I'm sure that if those work out (they will), I have the job. So this morning I called and told the Car Store that I am not cut our for car sales, and would not continue to work there.

The thing about car sales is that you have to be 100% confident in yourself, the product, and your ability to sell that product and work over the customers. I just am not in the mode to do that. Sure, I could make a bunch of money. I suppose I could try and coast through this week to make sure I have a job to replace this one. But I can't. I'm not confident in my ability to sell cars, and there's no way I could hit the lot and try and sell one to a customer.

I hope I didn't fuck myself over again. I hope BJ's works out and doesn't pull a K-Mart on me. I just want to make money so I can afford to stay here over the summer. If I can't...I don't know what I'm going to do.