When you first took the sales job that you currently have you thought that
you were set for life. However, you soon found out that because you doubled
your production in sales and exceeded what management thought you would do
they cut your commission percentage in half. Now you have to work twice as
hard for the same money.
True, they increased your base pay a little but nothing to compensate for the
cut in your percentage rate. Feeling disappointed and disillusioned you are
now seeking another position.
How could you have avoided this in the first place? Are you kicking yourself
because you didn't plan properly? What do you do now? How much time have you
wasted? What about that non compete agreement you signed and how will it
affect you? These are things that you didn't think about because you were so
happy to get the job and trusted in a management team or person that was far
ahead of you in their thinking the situation through. So how do you recover?
There was an individual I knew that would get a job and then immediately
spend 90% of his time going after a new job that would make him more money.
He would stay at his current job just long enough to look right on his
resume and then structure an exit scenario perfectly so that he could get
into the next job. Then he would repeat the process over again. He became a
wealthy man.
Another person I knew worked as a programmer for a very large bank in New
York City. He was the only one who knew a particular program that the bank
was making $6 million dollars a week on versus his pay of $45,000.00 per
year. One day, management decided to downsize his job. The person left
quietly, but within a few days the bank was frantically calling him back as
the program wasn't working. This man told them that he would gladly come
back under the following conditions. He wanted a 5 year contract that he
could renegotiate at any time and his new salary was $1 million dollars a
year. Further, he had no set hours and could work whenever he wanted.
From these 2 stories there is a constant - CONTROL. You have to control your
situation. If you cannot control your situation in a job you are working for
day wages. Management will seek to offer you as little as possible unless
you have something unique to offer. You have to figure out your uniqueness
and then sell it to the market in a strategic manner.
A business has itself to look after. You have your family to look after.
Don't let anybody tell you any differently. A business can call themselves a
family, but in reality, they are only looking at their bottom line while you
are at the same time looking after your bottom line. Therein lies a
fundamental difference. Don't treat your job like family - treat it like a
business.
One final note - it is a waste of time to get emotional or upset about a
business situation in which you have been burned. Look to the future and
learn from your mistakes. After all it's only business and when 1 door
closes 3 other doors open. This is one of life's truisms. |