Welcome! I hope you would enjoy reading this blog. This is a chronicle of my journey with my new job, as a salesman of the country's leading beer company; San Miguel Beer.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Christmas in SMB?

It's December. High time for bookings and high time for parties. For the first time in the history of my existence, I haven't felt the presence of Christmas. I have been so engrossed with work and work that I failed to appreciate this season of joy and Christ. Fortunately the company gave us additional bonus and gift certificates enough to compensate our hardships for this season.

So it will be. High targets. Proper compensations and benefits. We have Christmas party though. I thought we wouldn't have a party for the same reasons with plant personnel; massive production for this season. I sell beers to restaurants. And this season, where people does have extra money for celebrations bookings are coming very fast. And with that I have this tendency to forget about this season and just focus on bookings.

I pray that I may have time, ample time to reflect on what is happening in my life. To ponder on the message of this Christmas season for me, with my new job and with my new environment. I worked so hard only to find out that I failed to give my self that time. Time to be alone. Time to be silent. Time to socialize and mingle. I claim that the Lord will give me this time!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Merchant Meets the Beer Man

Just this morning as I was in the outlet transacting orders, I was able to see this old man. Like me he was also a salesman. This man is poor and indecently dressed. This old man sells sweet potatoes. Walking in a very slow pace he approached the owner of the restaurant who happens to be my client. I was paused and I just looked at him. I saw in his eyes the desire to market his goods. He was very old, but he was able to carry those crops.

Again he motioned to the owner and told her to buy some sweet potatoes. The restaurant owner told me that she is not interested in buying and eating sweet potatoes. Out of her generosity and kindness, she just buy those things simply to help the old man. The lady left to take some money to pay for the old merchant and for me, the merchant of beers...

The old man told me his undertakings in life. He went to school but he failed all of his subjects and was not able to graduate. He did not have a decent and stable job but he was able to send his children to school. Yes they finished their education. That was just the dream of the old man, to see his children have the proper education which he was not able to attain. He was disappointed though to see them getting married earlier that expected and soon left him all by himself.

The restaurant owner returned and gave the payment to that old man and to me. I received thousands he received a hundred. Quite a difference. After printing the receipts I left the restaurant and went to the nearby outlet, again transacted business. The old man arrived in that same place. I went into my car then we never saw each other again.

In this life we all have our own problems, our own undertakings and our own fate. Both of us were sales man. He sells crops and I sell beers. God is indeed fair, though there are things that I do not have but the old man possesses and things that he doesn't have that I own. One thing is clear about this experience, that I should be thankful because I have this job, I have this company, and I have customers who are willing to do business with me. And I should show it with a heart that is filled with gratitude. That I make myself as an instrument of showing how the grace of God flows in me so others would know how bless they are.