Sales Calls
So I mentioned the other day that I had the chance to attend follow up meetings at government bank branches across the city. Yesterday was even better.
The manager of corporate sales for the company had invited me to attend a company meeting two days ago. At 11 AM yesterday I get an email:
"Good Morning Andrew ,
I have planed to go out at 11,20 ýf you come to me at that time we will go out.
See you"
I took a rain check on my English class and hurried out the door. It turns out that we were going to two company meetings, and they were outside of Istanbul! I crossed the Bosphorous bridge the first time (making a wish) and rode with the manager 45 minutes until reaching Gebze. Sine we were an hour early we ate fish on the Marmara Sea and talked about our personal visions and some about religion. This manager really impressed me. She has been with the company for 7 years, and she is the only one I've met that actually has a true vision for the company and for herself. She would be an amazing general manager, and if anyone is determined, it's her.
We first met the branch manager of Ziraat Bankasi for a tea, then we went to the offices of Sea Horse and Bericorp. Yeah, these two meetings were in Turkish, so I couldn't understand a thing, but because of that, I noticed many other things that slipped by the manager. Even small things like what music was playing, facial expressions, body language, etc. Haha, and the standard process for these meetings are:
1.) Introductions and small talk
2.) Tea or coffee?
3.) Small talk until tea arrives
4.) Tea arrives, light cigarettes
5.) Talk about the real business
6.) Small talk, usually about football
7.) Thank you and goodbyes
From body language and expressions, I thought these meetings went terribly. It turns out that they went really well, and these body expressions are just different from my culture. I got back to the office 6 hours later, long after everyone else had left. Regardless, it was quite an adventurous day.
The manager of corporate sales for the company had invited me to attend a company meeting two days ago. At 11 AM yesterday I get an email:
"Good Morning Andrew ,
I have planed to go out at 11,20 ýf you come to me at that time we will go out.
See you"
I took a rain check on my English class and hurried out the door. It turns out that we were going to two company meetings, and they were outside of Istanbul! I crossed the Bosphorous bridge the first time (making a wish) and rode with the manager 45 minutes until reaching Gebze. Sine we were an hour early we ate fish on the Marmara Sea and talked about our personal visions and some about religion. This manager really impressed me. She has been with the company for 7 years, and she is the only one I've met that actually has a true vision for the company and for herself. She would be an amazing general manager, and if anyone is determined, it's her.
We first met the branch manager of Ziraat Bankasi for a tea, then we went to the offices of Sea Horse and Bericorp. Yeah, these two meetings were in Turkish, so I couldn't understand a thing, but because of that, I noticed many other things that slipped by the manager. Even small things like what music was playing, facial expressions, body language, etc. Haha, and the standard process for these meetings are:
1.) Introductions and small talk
2.) Tea or coffee?
3.) Small talk until tea arrives
4.) Tea arrives, light cigarettes
5.) Talk about the real business
6.) Small talk, usually about football
7.) Thank you and goodbyes
From body language and expressions, I thought these meetings went terribly. It turns out that they went really well, and these body expressions are just different from my culture. I got back to the office 6 hours later, long after everyone else had left. Regardless, it was quite an adventurous day.
posted by amartin4 at 11:32 PM
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