"How would you like to earn a bonus of $100 today?" That was the question that started the afternoon meeting that John Binaroud V had with Jessica Janey. She worked at an insurance company that was well established and her boss had called her in for the meeting.
"Well, I could definitely go for a bonus," said Jessica. She'd been hard at work answering calls all day and any chance of going above her $10/hr rate had her all ears for what her boss was talking about.
"Well, here's the reason why I ask, Jessi." Her boss never called her "Jessica". It was always "Jessi". "I have been going over your performance charts and, well...of our 3 major areas, you need work on two of them and the last one you're doing a superb job at. Do you have a clue as to what I'm talking about?"
Jessica's head dipped as she looked to the floor. Her brown eyes closed, dark lashes matching her dark brown hair. She tried to appear deep in thought, but already had a pretty good idea of what her boss was trying to say. "I know I'm pretty good in customer service; I need work in sales, and I suck at door-to-door interaction."
"Yes, that's what I was referring to," said John as he shifted in his leather chair. "You are outstanding in the Customer Service Representative area, but really lacking in the other two areas. However, I can help you change all of that. I would, based on your performance charts and follow up calls that have been made to your customers, have to say that your best asset is your voice. Have you ever considered a job that involves your voice?"
Jessica was totally surprised at the direction the conversation was heading. She was under the impression that her boss would only pick out her bad parts and not even talk about her good parts. But, now it seemed just the opposite. "Well, I'll put it like this. When I'm on the phone with a customer, I find it almost pleasurable to be able to hide in my cubicle, yet still be able to to communicate with the person as though they were sitting right beside me. I don't know quite what you're saying on the parts I'm lacking..."
"Well," and he shifted in his chair again, "I think you've already identified your key weakness that I would like to help you make your key strongpoint."
"I'm not following your thought process, "said Jessica. If she'd been confused as to what order the conversation would go, this part was DEFINITELY not in any of the sequences she had dreamed up.
"Ok, let's start from the beginning. Would you, Jessi, like to earn a bonus of $100 tonight? She nodded, eyes expectant. "Would you consider earning an additional $150 in bonuses after this evening?" John was not making much sense, so he continued on. "What I mean is, I have the ability to help place you in a high earning job where you'd be working almost full time and still be able to work with me and earn those bonuses."
"Well, is it hard work?" The possiblity of earning $100 was starting to deminish as she thought of all the places that money would have to go.
"I prefer to call it a "job", and as such, it will be as hard or difficult as you make it. The offer of additional amounts of no less than and no more than $150 per job is based on how well you do this job for $100."
"When would I receive this bonus?" Jessica's interest was definitely there and she was warming to the unknown task.
"After I declare the job to be complete." John could see his convincing was working, but he still had to be careful.
"When can I start?" Interest had been replaced by eagerness and Jessica was almost at the edge of her seat. Whether or not she'd get the job and get more jobs afterward, it was sounding like an easy job.
"You already did." John's coy answer caused her eyebrows to shoot upward in surprise. "Ok, let me change tack, now that I have your interest. However, let me stress to you that not completing this job will get you no bonus. You know little about the job except that the difficulty level is up to you and that it is a one time offer that can extend to larger bonuses for further jobs. Now, let me up the ante: Jessi, how would you feel about taking this bonus and multiplying it by 10?"
Jessica's mouth dropped open in shock. Her boss had just taken her bonus and made it $1000. Where she thought she'd have to squeeze that bonus out now sounded like she could splurge on items of comfort she'd been denying herself for too long.
"From your reaction, I'd say you're either shocked that you could earn this or shocked that you WANT to earn this. Which is it?" John knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from her.