Bulls Eye


It’s weird being sold at. And knowing that you’re being sold at. I’m used to salesmen. I’m used to the tricks of their trade. I know how they work. And I don’t mind. They have to ply their trade, and I have to ply mine. They put everything they do, and they hook you on the benfits of their product. You cannot live without this thing you never knew you needed. You cannot.

Say it enough times and you can believe that it’s true. No matter what it is, you can believe it’s true.

So, I think I’m going to an interview. That’s how they sell it. They say that I’m due to meet one of their staff to discuss my career opportunities. It’s not unusual. Some Recruitment Consultants and Agencies sell themselves to their ‘clients’. People like me. I’m a commodity. I’m a product.

After a while, they start to say things like “Of course, we’re not a charity.” But they never mention cost until the very end. Once you’re hooked, once you’re convinced you need it, it’s as if cost is merely an afterthought. They’re not selling the price. They’re selling the benefits.

But for me, that’s too late. For me, I know what I want. I have a vision. And if I can afford to achieve that vision, I will. I will never buy anything I don’t want. No matter how cheap it is. And I never buy anything I can’t afford, no matter how much I want it.

After that, it’s all about the cost. How much does this cost?

What they want is for me to pay them for career advice and career mentoring. It is mildly flattering that they think I have the position and the potential to be a product worth buying. But then they mention the price tag.

As an aside, they say. “£4,250”

“Plus VAT” they say.

I think, how much can I get for free? I’m thinking, how far can I stretch it before they want to invoice me? I’m thinking, this is a little odd. A little underhand. Sleight of hand and power of suggestion.

From the start, it didn’t sound quite right. The usual words, the usual tones weren’t quite there. But I took it for what it is. I suppose, in many ways, like many of us, I saw what I had trained myself to see. I saw what I expected., and not what was really there.

I’m thinking, I’ll take what I can get for free. If I had £4993.75 I wouldn’t spend it on that. I don’t have that much money. Right now, every penny is at an absolute premium.

So I’ve been sold to. I’ve been targeted and marketed as a high-profile client. I’m a target. Put a Bulls Eye on me and get it over with.
- posted by Mark @ 10:24 pm