I'm beat. During the course of a 12+ hour workday today, I sold 9 subscriptions. Assuming no chargebacks and no bonuses (which I hope to earn tomorrow), I get $108.

By the standards of most of my fellow sales people (and me), this would be considered a pretty lousy day. But then again, it was a very slow day at the Safeway in Littleton, and I'm a newbie who sucks at sales, so I have an excuse. Anyone who works in the grocery business knows that Sunday is often the busiest day of the week (rivalled by Monday). I hope to sell 16 orders tomorrow, which would bring me up to the first bonus level. (Thus adding $3 to every order, which would add at least an additional $75 to my total pre-tax take for the weekend.)

I now begin to see why some of the better sales dudes have been known to occassionally work several hours after their shifts end in order squeeze an extra sale or two in to reach to the bonus. In addition to the significant financial incentive to hit the bonus levels, there is a psychological factor that almost resembles a slot machine.

This morning, between the hours of 0800 and 1300, I got a nice steady stream of people buying orders, and ended up with 6 before I took lunch at 1330. Returned at 1400. And stood. And stood. And pitched. And pitched. And stood. Hour after hour passed, with not a single sale. The clock hit 1800. I had spent 4 hours without a single sale.

It's a depressing thought to think that the past 4 gruelling hours have been earning me a grand $0.

Then, at 18:30, within a span of 5 minutes, 2 people bought weekend subscriptions almost simultaniously. That's $24 in the bank for me. In an instant.

It's like a fucking slot machine (albeit with odds more in my favor). No wonder some people get addicted to sales.

(Dad: "9 orders is good for that store on a Saturday. I've worked that area before, and it's is terribly slow around there.")

I'm going to cut this rambling shorter than I'd like to, since I want to get a bite to eat before I fall like a brick into bed, where I will remain until I arise bright and early tomorrow to do it all again.

Prognosis: Too early to tell for sure whether this is going to work for me as a replacement to deli, but odds look reasonably good, based on the available data.

Peace out.