AGH! The boss wants me to go to a sales seminar in FL Jalopy Showdown weekend.....

Surely there's a racetrack in Florida we can rent for the Showdown!

Or go independent...take your customer list outta the computer and...take along the address of the nice Chinese who make the whatever...

Or go independent and become a professional hotrod celebrity! Look at the weirdly varied group of pro celebs in our Zoo: Linda Vaughn, the Milner guy, Boyd, Jungle Pam, Ryan...surely you and the cookies could carve out a niche there!

 

Make him a chart that shows peaks in your sales figures that coincide with show attendance - and maybe a couple valleys that relate to previous sales seminars. That way he'll see it's more important to attend the Showdown.

(Just remember this idea is from a guy who's been out of work 14 months!)

 

Can't you be a slaesperson anywhere, especially somewhere that isn't frozen? Lots of work in Houston. It's 75 degrees here today, and the roundup is only 3 hrs. drive.

 

I don't want this to sound negative nor have anyones feelings hurt but here goes. Keep in mind, everyone has an opinion and you may not agree with mine.

I am a GM for a smaller company that makes performance parts for Vipers. I have had to sacrifice over the years by working holidays or weekends and sometimes traveling out of state for a week or more. I have missed MANY shows, swapmeets and races that I have wanted to go to because I felt the future was more important than the "here and now". A little sacrifice can go along way.

I may be wrong in others eyes, but if I ask an employee to go to a seminar where they could learn something to better the business or thier position, I expect them to WANT to go. If I am willing to spend the money to teach them, they should soak up as much info as possible. You never know when you may need that info, be it with the company you are at now or a different one in the future. Knowledge is power, power is money, money is business.

Missing a show may not be what you want to do, but keeping your job, learning more and showing the boss that you sacrificed for the better of the company can go along way! I know that if I were in his/her position and knew your request, I would be extremely impressed if you came back to me, after trying to tell me why you shouldn't go to the seminar, and said you would go to the seminar without whining or arguing about it. (that is the key) DO NOT try to make him/her feel guilty about it or make any comments about how great you are because you didn't get to go to your "car show". From that point on, my respect for you would be much higher.

I have hired and fired many people and I am sure I will have to do it many times again. My biggest pet peeve is getting a feeling from an employee that they don't care. Well, that and "no call, no show". But if I feel that if you have a "don't care at***ude", yer gone. End of story. I don't need people working here that don't wanna be here producing the quality of product that our company has become known for. That can lead to incorrect orders, poor installs and pissed off customers. Not only that, it is extremely contagious with other workers.

So, with all that being said. Would I go to the seminar... yep. But I would also handle it in a way that would impress the boss and I would make damn sure I learned something there so I could continue to impress him/her with my new found knowledge. The bump in pay will follow and so will the increased time off... then you can go to the show and probably with a nicer car cuz yer pockets are lined a bit better too.

I'll step down from the soapbox now. Good luck!! Dave

 

I'm with 57 Buick. Explain that the seminar would be the biggest benefit to the company if it was applied to someone that needed to improve their current position.

Someone that would be willing to go to that weekend.

Barring that line of thought or the fact that another seminar may be scheduled at another time, you may just have to do it.

On the bright side, my business trips are always to lovely Michigan. I travel almost every week and have NEVER gotten a trip to Florida.

Good Luck.

 

Jalopy Showdown? Never heard of it. Do you like job interviews? If so, go to the show.

 

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on" width="100%"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Denise, I always said "The reason I work is so I have the money to enjoy my hobbys (hot rods and hunting). if I can't enjoy my hobbies what is the point in working!!"

Seriously,If you can't convince your boss the you would have little to gain from the seminar. you will probably need to bite the bullet and miss the Showdown.

It seems that any seminar that I attended, I usually learned as much or more from the partcipants as I did from the facilitator. It could be they are planing to pick your brain in order to bring other the sales people up to your level. Maybe??

Jim (38mag)

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Sometimes bosses remember you for what you DON'T DO, not for what you DO. Don't jepordize your job for any car show. Think back about how you felt when you didn't have a jo, needed to pay bills, and wanted the job you now have. You are replaceable.

 

Lady,
All ya gotta do is go to th' Showdown website, and forward the man a cuppla photos of traditional rods, flying around that little fairgrounds track, covered in mud from stem to stern. That guy will not only free you from all future seminar obligations, he will be begging for directions (and a Ride) to York Springs!

 

Thats one of the dumbest things ive ever seen posted ..
Sure help her get in deep **** with the boss.. Remember he aint no car guy...
Dave

 

Spoken like a boss! I'm not saying that is a bad thing or wrong though. You are just giving a different viewpoint. I am a dedicated employee and give my all for my employer 1/3rd of my life and that is enough. Life is all about balance. Balancing work time, family time, hobby time, ect. They call it work for a reason.

 

Sorry you cant make it----was hopeing to see you again and say HI!!!!!----Send cookies with some-else for me!!!!!!!!.....stan----stans-stainless

 

chev,
I'm guessin' you've never been to the Showdown?

 

No problem kid,have Lucie explain it to your boss.

 

Do I need to kidnap you again?

 

Was it a scheduled vacation, put in months ago.? If it was he should honor it. If it wasn't ...oh well, looks like you should go to the seminar if needed or cannot reschedule it at another time. ****s but I've missed a few also.

 

I will probably never go to the Jalopy Showdown because of work, I am barely able to sneak away for The roundup....I still don't know if I am going to that next week.

Sometimes work time just has to be more important than play time. After all who else is going to pay you to be on the internet all day? Ha Ha Ha

 

jusjunk:
Sorry if I offended -- being elderly gives me a weird outlook on jobs and work (and a sense of humor I used to keep bottled up).
If you're lucky, someday it might happen to you ...........
Stomp'n'Steer

 

I doubt the people that put on this seminar only do one once a year (if so, get a job with them, 2 days out 365 works for me ).

Find out when the next one is and tell him you'll go to it.

Where in FL? it's a big state.

 

Welcome to my life!

As an Operations Manager in a heavily used college arena, I just have to ***ume that most of my weekends are not available to make plans for. I have to put in for vacation time, sometimes months in advance, to insure that I'm off on the few weekends when something isn't already scheduled. When I read about show after show that I know I can't attend, sometimes it doesn't seem like much of a trade-off.

But, I have doubled my salary over ten years ago, have great health insurance, and am vested in one of the best state employee retirement systems in the country.

The weekend of the Showdown? I'll be working a formal ball hosted by one of the local chapters of an adult fraternity. Cue the music, cue the lights, cue the mirror ball....whoop-de-do

Maybe I can get Larry to print up an extra 3X or 4X t-shirt for me, anyway.

Later, y'all, *****6

 

Show your boss the photos of Matt leaning over the ****per blowing chunks in Detroit. Tell him that you have him in AA now and that you are his sponsor. The Jalopy Showdown is his next big "test" and it's your moral responsibility to be there for him..........

 

I've learned that no matter how many sacrifices you make, how much knowledge you learn(no matter who pays for it)or how many hours you work your still expendable. You know it's just "business". Don't ask me how I know, the world ****s these days. later shawn

 

I hate to say it, but I will.

You need to do the seminar. Its your day job that pays the bill to go to all those shows. Sometimes you need to sacrafice for your job.

I know I may not be popular for this but, oh well its my opinion!

 

Given a work commitment and a social occasion it's a no brainer. Having employed a lot of sales people over the years I have often had the problem with them that they become a Legend In Their Own Minds and don't think they are bound by the same rules and obligations as others. If I make an exception for one person in a case like this then suddenly everyone has reasons why they shouldn't have to attend and use the person who has been excused as a precident. Get over it .... no one is that good they can't be replaced!

 

Sounds to me like he's trollin' for an invite.
Al

 

I did that with my boss ... he is a golfer ...

I asked him if playing a round of golf at Augusta GA ... with the other three golfers being Tiger, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer ... He said YES ...
I said the LA Roadster show in Pomona is like that to a 32 Roadster guy

I got the two weeks off ...

 

It's a 'Nam based reference, and maybe a bit too dramatic, but it speaks volumes. Is this the hill you want to die on? I don't think it is. You can can always come back and fight (play in this case) another day.

 

This is why I work for myself, at least I get along with the boss most of the time. Good luck Denise.

 

Guys, guys, guys, some good points made BUT I certainly am not going to jepordize my job and career with this company over a car event.

What I'm looking for is creative ways to convince the boss that this is very important to me. There is a few really good ideas that I will try. If I didn't try something I believe my boss would think I was sick because he does know how important my car weekends are.

To clarify, my position is a 8 to 5, Monday thru Friday. In over four years with this company I have never worked a weekend so this was a surprise. My department never works weekends, period.

I am not on salary, everyone else in my department that is going is. No one is happy about this little trip.

I am the only one that when it was announced was excited about going. My boss knows this. I like to travel and meet new people. When the EXACT date was determined thats when I had an issue.

The whole company's sales force all across the country is attending. It is a company sponsored sales seminar, not one that can be rescheduled. I either go on those dates, Friday morning thru Sunday nite, back to work on Monday or I get "excused" from it. This means working 12 straight days and I'm sure being completed exhausted come Monday morning....not exactly perfect for starting the next sales week off with a positive start.

Where is the line drawn?? What about if it was the Lonestar RoundUp weekend where I already have airfare purchased? What about if it was the first weekend in June where I already have a pig roast planned here at the house and have given the pig cooker a deposit on the pig and stuff? What about if it was a weekend during my "scheduled already" two week B'ville trip? Would it be "excused then?

Why is it "just" because it's an event I'm driving to is it any different then a "more seriously" scheduled something or another.

Of course, him and I will discuss it and I've present my points in a clear and thought out manner and if he says "Denise, you have no choice, you have to go" then I will BUT I'm hoping after hearing in detail my year long plans for the Jalopy Showdown and how time off on the weekends really helps regenerate me for the following weeks tasks, that he'll state something like "I understand how important your weekend is and go ahead and go. The other guys will take notes and fill you in on what you missed when everyone gets back on Monday monring"....well thats my hope at least.

Actually this isn't a bad idea. I could certainly come up with a chart that shows I'm much more productive after a relaxing car weekend. I certainly have enough data to prove my point. GREAT idea thanks.

Rod.....I don't HAVE to get over myself. I do an AWESOME job for my company and my bosses realize it and do thank me each and every day for doing my job and doing it well. There are ALOT of ****ty employees out there and my bosses know when they have good ones and they really do want us to be happy in all aspects of our lives. I'm not going anywhere and they don't want me to either. We will come to a compromise I'm sure. This is NOT about my job vs the Jalopy Showdown....I might be blonde but I'm NOT stupid.

 

What city is it in? Maybe a local HAMB'er could drive up there do some burn outs in the hotel parking lot for ya. Would make the weekend a little bit more like a hot rod show.