Chapter One
After leaving university in London at the turn of the millennium with a large student debt I did feel some anxiety about the future but the internet revolution was well underway and the money making opportunities in the big city helped to alleviate my fears.
I had a sales job interview with a midsized IT reseller that sold any type of IT products that their clients required and this was a golden opportunity to break into the tech industry that was exploding at the time. It was clear that the Director of the company that interviewed me, Chris my future boss, was only interested if he thought that I could get on the phone and start selling and would train me up on any tech knowledge that I required.
The two weeks of IT training was pretty intense and there were weekly exams on all the Microsoft products as the company was a certified partner so this was a requirement for all the sales personnel. The company was fairly young formed by a group of experienced sales professionals that specialized in specific areas of IT that had come together as Directors to hopefully thrive in the booming tech market.
The open plan office was a good sized space in Central London with a nice decor so it was good to arrive at work each day ready to do business. A few of the junior sales execs had lunch together regularly in a local pub, so myself, Damien, Steve and Dave got together to discuss potential new client prospects and I formed the closest friendship with Damien as we both smoked and would pop outside a few times a day to light one up. He was a typical sales character, very cocky and hungry for success and he was leading the pack when it came to bringing in new business.
There were a number of ladies on the sales team that were fairly attractive, one in particular called Samantha was stunning and most of the other sales guys liked to flirt with her, even though she made it clear she had a boyfriend she did seem to enjoy the attention.
I had been with the company over three months and well past my probation period with my feet firmly under the table when I noticed something on the database that I thought was an error initially. It appeared that one of my main clients had been switched over to Steve for some reason so I didn’t waste any time in raising it with Chris.
‘Hi Chris, how’s things?’
‘Not too bad Jonny, and yourself?’, they called me Jonny in the office as opposed to John that the clients called me
‘Good….Chris I just noticed that one of my main clients has been switched over to Steve so I was wondering if you knew what was going on there?’
‘Let’s take a look…..ok, I can see that….let me look into it and I’ll get back to you, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about’
‘Cheers Chris’
I hadn’t had any clashes with any of the other execs so far but there had better be a good explanation for this as I wasn’t going to stand for it. Chris came over later that day to explain.
‘Yes Jonny about that client thing you asked me about, it’s a bit tricky but the MD wants Tom and Steve on that client now’. Tom was one of the Directors that handled all the IT Security solutions for clients.
‘Ok but Chris I landed that client, I have a relationship with those guys so what’s going on?’
‘Well apparently they called up when you weren’t here and Steve was working late. They asked him about a new security system they’re looking into and he gave them the works probably with Tom around as well to help him, so they saw an opportunity and they jumped on it. It will be the biggest project they’ve taken us on for so far and will mean more business for the company’
‘So I just lose the client as obviously the commission will go to Steve and Tom?’
‘It’s the company’s client Jonny and if you ask me the MD is making the right decision, we would have to pass it across to Tom’s team anyway as it’s security so I’m afraid that’s just how it works. You knew this Jonny, if anyone’s client is looking at DM then that client would come to us’
‘If I’m working late and you’re around as well. Ok, I get it but I hope Steve doesn’t fuck it up’
‘Haha, well I think Tom can handle it but we’ll see. Alright then?’
‘Yeah it’s fine mate, I’m a team player’ I said with gritted teeth.
I emailed Damien that I wanted a drink after work in our usual pub and didn’t say anything to Steve or Tom. We met straight after work as we often did for a pint or two to avoid the rush hour crush on the tube.
‘Hi mate, you look a bit pissed off’
‘Yeah, one of my biggest clients got handed to Steve with their biggest business yet, so that’s a big hit on my sales figures for this month’
‘What? How can that happen? Speak to Chris about it’
‘I already did and the MD signed off on it, it’s because it’s security mate, I’ve got to hand it to Tom anyway because Chris can’t deal with it. He better not blow out my client mate I tell you that now, it’s declaration of war if that happens’
‘So you gonna get the client back?’
‘Yeah of course, once the projects complete, 6 to 8 weeks and I’ll talk to my guy over there the whole time anyway, just to make sure he’s happy’
‘I’d be careful there mate, if the client thinks two sales guys aren’t on the same page you might lose them anyway, you know they hate that and then your job here will be in the shit. I’d leave it well alone unless they come back to you’
‘Mate whose side are you on? It wasn’t easy getting that client, and their operations manager is a right prick so I don’t want to have eaten his shit for nothing’
‘You know I’m on your side, we know Steve is a slimy little shit the way he kisses Tom’s ass, but if the operations manager doesn’t like you anyway maybe you’re better off rid of them’
‘I didn’t say he didn’t like me, I said he was a prick. Just the way he is, got nothing to do with me’
‘Listen, bad day mate but didn’t Sam look gorgeous today?’
‘I don’t know why you waste so much time with her, she’s just a prick tease and whenever she gets flowers from that boyfriend of hers the whole office knows about it. Don’t get me wrong she’s great eye candy and I’d rather look at her all day than Dave but I don’t waste my time playing her games’
‘Maybe it’s not all games mate. You never know, some of these sales chicks are very promiscuous, I’ve seen it before’
‘Well I had enough of that sort at uni but at least they usually didn’t have boyfriends. Anyway mate I’m off, not in the mood tonight so see you tomorrow and next ones are on me’.
‘You bastard, Ok see you then!’
I came into the office the next day with a different feeling than I usually had, I was normally very enthusiastic and raring to go but now felt a bit betrayed, I knew the honeymoon period wasn’t going to last forever though so I thought best put it behind me.
I was going to be pleasant with Steve to his face as usual and I didn’t really speak to Tom anyway.
‘Alright Steve’, I said when I joined him to get a coffee from the office kitchen area
‘Sorry about that client thing Jonny, Chris said you weren’t too happy about it’
‘No, it’s fine. I just didn’t know what had happened when I noticed it first thing yesterday, that’s all. Chris explained and it makes sense, I would’ve handed the client over to Tom anyway’
He just nodded and smiled but I wasn’t quite finished yet.
‘So it was Jim that called up here when you were working late a few days ago?’
‘Jim?…..Ah yes Jim Webb, he seems alright but I don’t really know till Tom meets with him properly. He could be full of shit, who knows?’
I was biting my tongue now, that’s why you needed me in the mix you little prick but I just said,
‘well, he’s a fairly new client but they all are for me I suppose but I will say this, if you spoke with him for more than quarter of an hour he’s serious?’
I looked at him waiting for a response but he just walked off and I thought what a wanker and he definitely was on my shit list now.
I was having lunch with Damien and thinking how I could fuck Steve out of his commission from my client.
‘You know I spoke to Steve to try and be friendly and possibly help him out with my client and the little bastard just walked off’
‘I could have told you not to do that, Steve’s been here longer than any of us and him and Tom are bosom buddies, it’s the best way to keep your job crawling up the boss’s ass the way he does’
‘Ok but the company was only born yesterday even if he’s been here from the start. Did Tom take him on when the company started up?’
‘Most likely or near enough, I don’t really speak to him and we stay out of each other’s way when it comes to clients, so far anyway’
‘Well there you go, if he’s willing to shaft a colleague I should teach him a lesson a bit then. What do you think?’
‘What did you have in mind?’
‘Just fuck him up with the client’
‘You would have to have known the client a lot longer than you have mate to get away with that. No, just wait till he’s not looking, something will come up’
I agreed with Damien for now but when I got back to the office I just couldn’t help myself. I gave Jim Webb, the IT Director from my ex client a ring to see what was what.
‘Hi Jim, it’s John from Innotech, how’s things?’
‘Oh, hi John, I’ve been speaking with one of your colleagues over there about updating our IT Security here, did he mention it?’
‘Yes that’s why I was calling, Steve’s a good guy but as you are my client I just wanted to check with you that you’re happy on how it’s progressing. Our Security expert here is Tom so I’m sure you’ll be meeting up with him shortly?’
‘Yes, we have a meeting scheduled next Thursday’
‘Great, ok Jim I look forward to hearing how that goes and I’ll let you go for now. Speak soon mate, bye’.
I put the phone down thinking well that is how it’s done. The client was now firmly back in my pocket and I just needed to speak with Tom quietly to let him know and the commission was back with me.
I asked Tom for a quick word and explained that I had a relationship with this Jim Webb and after speaking with him now on the phone the best way for the company to close the deal would be for me to liaise with him on this Security upgrade. He gave me a funny look and said,
‘ok Jonny, this time’, and he walked off sniggering.
Just before leaving time Chris came up to me and asked me into the MDs office for a quick chat and I thought shit of course Tom went and told the MD, looking after his little boyfriend Steve.
Steve, Tom and Chris were in the MDs office as well and the MD said to sit down to sort this out. The MD looked at me sternly and said,
‘look Jonny about this client, Chris made it clear that the client had been moved over to Tom’s team as they have the experience with Security solutions, so none of us are too happy that you went behind everyone’s back and took back the client without even speaking to Chris’
‘Ed I’m sorry about that but I felt that I should be involved in the deal to give it the best chance of going through as I have the relationship with the guy’
‘Ok, I understand that and of course you don’t want to lose the commission but this is the last time you go behind anyone’s back, especially Chris’s. The next time a client is given to another team everyone better respect the decision or there will be formal warnings. Try and work together better guys. Ok, you can all go now’.
I apologized to Chris but I could tell he was still pissed off and I hoped I hadn’t fucked up our relationship too much.
I met Damien in the pub as usual and I shouted out,
‘that’s how it’s done mate!’
‘What did Ed say about it then?’
‘The MD gave everyone a slap on the wrist for not working together as well as we should, so no harm. Except Chris is a bit pissed off’
‘Well mate I have to hand it to you, you got your commission back and taught Steve a lesson in humility so I’ll drink to that’
‘Cheers!’
