Chapter 200
From the First Department Store to the Eighth Department Store, all are under the management of Binjiang Department Store.
Binjiang City Department Store is a professional company under the Commercial Bureau.
What Ye Manzhi asked Section Chief Liu to do was like asking the factory director to put a few apprentices into the workshop team, the kind that didn't need to be on the payroll, but could do the work and earn money.
"Director Ye, is this the only thing?"
"Yes, this is extremely difficult for us."
Section Chief Liu spoke gently and gently, "Director Ye, it's just a small matter. You can just give me a call. There's no need to go to such a big fuss and organize a dinner."
Ye Manzhi smiled, but secretly thought, If it weren't for Qingmei's introduction, do you know who I would be?
"The bureau holds quarterly training for grassroots salespeople," said Section Chief Liu. "Submit the names of the salespeople in our retail stores. Then, along with the others, you'll be assigned to various department stores to learn from the masters."
Ye Manzhi asked worriedly, "Our factory's sales department will specialize in electric fans. Can you assign us to the electrical appliance counter?"
"Sure. Salesperson training is assigned based on specialized business." Section Chief Liu glanced at his watch and said, "We'll call you later for the details. I'm going back to the bureau for a meeting."
Ye Manzhi did not try to persuade her to stay, and together with Lin Qingmei, she sent the other person out of the hotel.
After they had gone away, she put her arm around Qingmei and said, "It's a good thing you were such a big hit at all the big company dances back then, otherwise I really wouldn't have anyone I could talk to."
Lin Qingmei pinched her waist and said, "Use this connection while you can. It might not be useful in a few years."
"What do you mean?" Ye Manzhi pulled her back to the table to eat.
"I might stay on campus as a teacher after I graduate next year," Lin Qingmei said, opening the cap on her soda can and handing her a bottle. "If I don't return to the Cultural Bureau, my connections with these agencies will gradually fade."
Ye Manzhi was shocked and asked, "You want to be a teacher? Is that true?"
"It's possible. I'm still considering it. The department branch secretary just asked me about it a few days ago."
In the second year after Ye Manzhi was assigned to the Industrial Department, Lin Qingmei was recommended by the unit to go to Binjiang College as a transferred student.
Both of them are not good at studying, but they have good organizational skills.
Lin Qingmei is even more active than Ye Manzhi. Ye Manzhi was only the class monitor back then, but she has already become the president of the student union of the Department of Political Science.
"Didn't you say you liked working at the Cultural Bureau?" Ye Manzhi recalled what she had said before. "You even said you wanted to go back and be the deputy director after graduation!"
Lin Qingmei rolled her eyes. "Becoming a deputy director is not that easy. We have several college graduates in our bureau, and none of them have become deputy directors! University students have two winter and summer vacations every year. It's more comfortable than working at the Cultural Bureau, where I have to look forward to holidays. It also makes it easier for me to take care of my family."
"That's true." Ye Manzhi sighed, "It seems your little doctor Sun is even busier than Wu Zhengrong."
Wu Zhengrong is engaged in scientific research and his workplace is right next to his home. Although he is busy with work, he can arrange his time reasonably and does not delay picking up and dropping off his children every day.
Comrade Xiao Sun was carefully selected by Qingmei from a group of suitors. He has thick eyebrows and big eyes, is tall and handsome. He works in the emergency department of the provincial hospital and is famous for his busy work in the emergency department.
"It's not just because he's busy with work," Lin Qingmei whispered. "Last year, two of our seniors were assigned to high school politics teachers. Although I'm a transfer student, the bureau may not have a position for me to go back next year. The policies change every year, and if I can't go back, I'll have to wait for a unified assignment. Politics isn't a scarce major, and there are many graduates. If I'm assigned to be a middle school politics teacher, I'd rather stay in school; it's safer that way."
"I see you're doing very well in school. Maybe you'll even become a principal in the future. But, if you become a teacher, will you still be able to paint your lips red and draw your eyebrows?" Ye Manzhi asked with a smile. "When I go to Guangzhou this year, do I need to bring you lipstick and eyebrow pencil?"
Every time she went on a business trip, whether to Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou, she would bring a lot of things for Qingmei. In addition to watches and cameras, she also brought a lot of vanishing creams, lipsticks, and eyebrow pencils.
"Why can't I draw?" Lin Qingmei took out the shopping list from her bag and gave it to her. "If there are other cheap goods at the Canton Fair that don't require tickets, please help me buy some."
Ye Manzhi agreed with a smile, and the two of them ate while chatting about their studies, life and work.
After dinner, we went to the cinema together to watch "Lin Hai Xue Yuan".
It was not until the girls' dormitory was about to be locked that the two said goodbye with reluctance.
*
While Ye Manzhi was looking for external help, Lei Wanyuan also found a deputy director of the Commercial Bureau and had a drink with him.
He felt that the regional price difference increased by the Price Commission had a great impact on the development of local industry.
It’s not that there can’t be a price difference, but if you suddenly increase the price by 8%, the profit will be much higher than that of local products. How can our local companies compete with them?
The deputy director has not given him a definite answer yet, but Ye Manzhi has received accurate information from Section Chief Liu.
Shuguang Factory can send people to Binjiang City Department Store to participate in salesperson training, and then they will be assigned to major department stores for training as needed.
Ye Manzhi informed the factory of the news and asked the personnel department to post a notice in the factory and organize the recruitment of sales clerks.
Anyone with good eloquence, a good image and affinity, regardless of gender, age or educational background, can apply.
Section Chief Wu listened to her request and said in a dilemma: "Director Ye, the Commercial Bureau's training is only two or three months at most. Our Shuguang Factory has no other sales clerks except for the hardware store. If the sales clerks are only temporary, the employees may not be willing to go."
After being away for several months, when I came back, my original position had already been replaced.
Ye Manzhi said, "The factory is planning to apply to the District Commerce Bureau to expand the hardware store. In addition to selling hardware, we will also add two counters to sell other Shuguang brand products. We will also hire two salespeople at that time."
"There are only two spots left. What about the remaining six?"
Ye Manzhi waved her hand and said, "The Personnel Department should post the notice first. If the conditions are too good and employees rush to sign up, it will be difficult for us to select people. So, with the conditions neither too good nor too bad, we must recruit eight people as soon as possible within two days."
The Personnel Department acted quickly and posted the recruitment notice on the bulletin board before lunch that day.
It attracted all the employees who came out of the cafeteria after lunch.
"Chen Xia, didn't you want to be a salesperson before? This opportunity is perfect!"
Chen Xia stared at the vague notice several times and hesitated, "Our factory's sales department is not very big. Can we really use eight salespeople? What if we don't need so many people after the training? Then I'll have to go back to the workshop. And it doesn't mention salary or benefits."
"Since they're recruiting eight people, there must be a reason for it. Why are you overthinking it?" Lv Fangfang pointed to the last line of text and said, "Look, it says here: Under the same conditions, admissions will be based on the order of registration. If you hesitate any longer, they'll fill the eight spots!"
Salesperson is the best job these days.
Standing behind the counter, you can be sheltered from the wind and rain, have an easy time working, and have the opportunity to buy defective products inside the store.
If a family has a salesperson, he or she will definitely be very popular among relatives and neighbors.
Chen Xia had always wanted to work at the counter of the county supply and marketing cooperative, but unfortunately she had lice on her head at that time. In order to completely get rid of the lice, her mother shaved her long hair.
The supply and marketing cooperative didn't like her short hair and bad image, so they didn't hire her.
Later, when Factory 833 was recruiting apprentices, she applied with a buzz cut and was hired.
Chen Xia hesitated for a while looking at the notice board, and when she saw someone heading towards the factory headquarters, she hardened her heart, stopped thinking about her job prospects which were shrouded in mystery, and ran towards the Personnel Department.
She ran all the way, overtaking the four or five people in front of her. When she arrived at the door of the personnel department, panting, there were already six people queuing in front of her.
She is the seventh!
Then the eighth person followed behind her.
Chief Wu asked the others to wait outside and called the first eight into the office first.
There are six women and two men, and their images are all above the passing line.
He talked to the eight people one by one. Except for a loud-mouthed male worker who was dismissed because he was too noisy, the others seemed to be suitable.
After the ninth person outside is brought in, the recruitment is completed.
It only took two hours from posting the notice to the end of recruitment.
When Ye Manzhi arrived at the conference room, she exclaimed in admiration, "The HR department is so efficient!"
She didn't expect that things could be done in two hours.
"Let's first discuss the issue everyone is most concerned about," Ye Manzhi said to the eight people with a smile, "Starting the day after tomorrow, everyone will be assigned to work at the electronics counters of eight department stores. The training will last no more than three months."
"During this period, everyone's salary was paid by the factory. Besides learning from the master, the most important task for the eight of us was to assist the salespersons and recommend our Shuguang brand electric fans to customers."
"The eight department stores will be ranked by sales volume. With the exception of the First Department Store, which has exceptionally high customer traffic, the other seven stores have similar customer traffic. Therefore, after the First Department Store's performance is halved, the top two salespeople will be able to work as salespeople in the Shuguang Factory's hardware department after completing their training. The others will return to their original jobs. If the Supply and Marketing Department needs personnel in the future, they'll select the best candidates from among these six."
The eight people listened silently to Director Ye's introduction. After hearing the first part, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.
Choosing two out of eight, the competition is too fierce.
After all the trouble, I still have to return to my original job.
However, when they heard the last sentence, their hearts became clear again.
It’s not bad to work in the Supply and Marketing Department. Then you will have the opportunity to be transferred from a worker to a cadre!
However, the most crucial point in Director Ye’s words is actually “admission based on merit.”
Whether you are a salesperson or a supply and marketing department cadre, you have to monitor the sales of electric fans.
In case someone feels that the conditions are too harsh and doesn't want to be a salesperson anymore, Ye Manzhi left everyone a way out.
She said sincerely, "Some stores are quite far from the family housing complex. If any comrades feel that the location is too far and it is inconvenient for them to take care of their families, they can tell the factory directly and the personnel department can choose someone else to replace them."
Those who come to the personnel department to sign up as soon as they see the announcement actually have strong judgment and action capabilities.
So, after waiting for two minutes, no one in the meeting room raised their hand to leave.
Ye Manzhi clapped her hands happily and said with a smile, "Then let Chief Cheng from the Supply and Marketing Department introduce to everyone the precautions in the sales process."
Cheng Liangcai had never been a salesperson, so how would he know what to pay attention to?
I can only say, based on my recent sales experience, that "our Shuguang brand has three distinct advantages over other brands of electric fans. The first is its affordability. For those on a tight budget, our Shuguang brand is the first choice. The second is its ease of operation. It doesn't have all those fancy features. You just plug it in and it's ready to go. There's no need to adjust the wind speed or timer, so even the elderly and children can operate it."
The sales clerks who are about to take up their posts: “…”
He describes the device as simple to operate given its limited functions. No wonder he can become the head of the supply and marketing department!
"Third, we're a military-to-civilian enterprise with high-level technology and excellent product quality. We promise a 30-year service life and a lifetime warranty. As long as it's not caused by human damage, all faults can be repaired free of charge. This is something that other foreign brands can't guarantee. You can focus on these three points."
…
After a simple training by the Supply and Marketing Department, the eight sales clerks were quickly assigned to various department stores and officially took up their posts.
Chen Xia went to the Seventh Department Store, and when she was initially assigned a job, she was assigned to the sporting goods counter.
When she heard the result of the assignment, she was completely stunned.
Wasn't she supposed to sell electric fans? How could she sell her products if she was assigned to the sporting goods counter?
She gritted her teeth, mustered up the greatest courage in her life, and talked to the head of the personnel department for a long time before she was transferred to the electrical appliance counter as she wished with a male comrade.
The leadership team of Shuguang Factory was all paying close attention to the effectiveness of this "penetration into the enemy's interior."
The first few days were calm and everything was normal.
Ye Manzhi thought she would not hear any good news before she went to the Canton Fair.
However, on the morning of the fourth day after infiltrating the enemy, the Supply and Marketing Department received a call from the First Department Store for replenishment.
The other party placed an order over the phone to purchase another 15 direct-blowing fans and 10 oscillating fans!
The next afternoon, the Third and Seventh Department Stores also requested to replenish 20 direct-blowing fans and 10 oscillating fans.
A total of 55 units were restocked across the three stores!
Lei Wanyuan slapped his hands on the table and laughed, "Great, great! This is just the result for three stores. In a few days, the other five stores will probably need to restock! Luckily, we haven't stopped working these days. Let's quickly contact the fleet and deliver the goods to the stores!"
Huang He complained: "There's only one vehicle, why call it a fleet? Just notify the driver to deliver the goods and that's it."
"I'd love to hire a fleet!" Lei Wanyuan boasted. "After we have a big sale at the Canton Fair, I'm going to buy ten trucks! Director Ye, Kang Jian, you two have to work really hard on this trip to Guangzhou! The folks at home are waiting for good news!"
The pressure on Ye Manzhi and Kang Jian's shoulders doubled, but they both patted their chests with confidence and promised to complete the task.
*
After attending the foreign affairs discipline training, Factory Manager Xiao Ye is going on a business trip to Guangzhou.
Dr. Wu Da left three days later than her and also had a business trip, his destination being Shanghai.
Wu Yuzhuo was very angry when his parents left at the same time.
There are three people in the family, and two of them are gone. What should she do?
Captain Xiao Wu first ran to find Director Ye, who was the easiest to talk to.
"Mom, can you take me with you on your business trip to Guangzhou?"
"Baby, Mommy is leaving with her boss and colleagues, so she can't take you with her!" Ye Manzhi hugged her daughter and kissed her cheek. "You live with your great-grandparents. Daddy will be back in half a month at most."
The Canton Fair lasted for a month, and she was gone for forty days.
Wu Zhengrong went to Shanghai to assist in completing some key project. This kind of work usually has an uncertain return date.
But Dr. Wu was well aware of the difficulty of the project and promised with certainty that he would be back in half a month.
Anyway, since he said half a month, Ye Manzhi believed it without thinking.
"When you go to the old house, you can watch TV and don't have to go to kindergarten. How great is that!"
Once the child was sent to the Wu family's old house, the possibility of her attending kindergarten was very low, so Ye Manzhi simply decided not to let her go to kindergarten.
You can learn anything from Grandpa Wu.
Wu Yuzhuo pouted unhappily, "I still want to go to Guangzhou to see Brother Liangyu and Liangchen!"
"You can write to them and I'll take it to them for you," Ye Manzhi reminded her. "You just became a team leader, so you have to perform well. Don't forget, the last time you went to Guangzhou for several months, the leader of the children's group didn't let you be an accountant!"
It’s easy to lose your job if you stay in Guangzhou for too long.
Wu Yuzhuo pondered for a while, then ran to the study and leaned over the desk to discuss: "Dad, can I go to Shanghai with you?"
Her father is only going to Shanghai for half a month, and she won't lose her job if she goes with him.
Wu Zhengrong didn't ask if he could take her with him. Without even looking up, he asked, "Mom and I aren't home, and you're not home either. So how are Lihua and Kuihua going to get food?"
"You can send them to my great-grandmother, or give them to Aunt Fangfang."
"Everyone has things to do, how can they have time to feed the cats and dogs every day?" Wu Zhengrong looked at her and asked, "We also have a flock of chickens at home. What will happen to them after you leave?"
"Just let my great grandfather and great milk feed you!"
"They've never raised chickens before, so don't count on them," Wu Zhengrong concluded. "You're the backbone of our poultry farming industry. Dahua and the others still need you."
“I, I, I…”
Captain Xiao Wu's eyes became redder and redder, and she was finally driven to tears by her father!
*
On the day Ye Manzhi set off with the team from the Provincial Foreign Trade Bureau, young comrade Wu Yuzhuo was still in a unilateral cold war with her father.
Both of them were on a business trip and couldn't bring their children, but Ye Manzhi received a reluctant farewell from her daughter, while Dr. Wu was only treated coldly and scornfully.
Factory Manager Xiaoye believes that this is the difference between the two people's working methods.
As the deputy secretary of the factory party committee, she is very capable in speaking and doing things.
whee.
Coming to Guangzhou again after a year, Ye Manzhi felt as if he was in another world.
The prefix of "Export Commodities Fair" on the banner changed from "17th" to "19th".
Her colleague also changed from Yu Youfang from the food factory to Kang Jian from the Shuguang Machinery Factory.
This is Kang Jian’s first time attending the Canton Fair and also his first time in Guangzhou.
Like Ye Manzhi, he studied Russian in middle school, but he learned it as "mute Russian." He could understand Russian technical materials and recite professional terms, but he was completely helpless when it came to daily communication.
Therefore, he did not attend the opening reception at the Yangcheng Hotel. Only Ye Manzhi attended with the leader of the light industrial products group.
The first time is unfamiliar, the second time is familiar. When she attended a cocktail party last year, she sat in her seat the whole time and only chatted with the foreign businessmen sitting next to her and across from her.
This time she summed up her experience and chatted with the merchants at the same table. After eating and drinking to her heart's content, she stood up with her glass of wine and went to greet last year's old customers.
Among the customers who signed big deals with her last year, several were middlemen from Europe.
For example, Mr. Miller from West Germany was able to purchase concentrated fruit juice and also obtain a fruit juice production line.
Such middlemen do all kinds of business.
Therefore, Ye Manzhi cast a wide net and greeted all the familiar old customers at the party.
The most enthusiastic among them was Mr. Ivanov, a Russian-British businessman.
Ivanov shook her hand enthusiastically: "Ye, why didn't I see you at the last conference?"
"I went to school for further studies last time and didn't have time to attend the Canton Fair."
She was studying in the theoretical backbone research class at the Provincial Party School last fall.
"And I changed my job this year. I used to sell canned food," Ye Manzhi said jokingly, making a shooting gesture. "Now I sell guns!"
Ivanov was surprised and asked, "You can export arms now?"
"Hahaha, it's not a firearm, it's an air rifle used in shooting competitions!"
Upon hearing this, the Soviet big brother laughed heartily.
"Mr. Ivanov," Ye Manzhi said with a smile, "I'm currently selling air guns, toy pistols, electric fans, and applesauce. We're old friends. If you have any clients in this area, you can introduce them to me. The commission will be generous!"
"Okay, Ye, I'll keep an eye on it for you."
Ye Manzhi didn't know if any of these people would really introduce customers to him. After all, it had been a year since their last cooperation, and the little bit of interest-based relationship had long since faded. Moreover, most of these people were purchasing food.
But she still tried her best to greet every customer whose surname she could remember, in an effort to help Shuguang Factory get orders.
It doesn't have to be much, as long as she gets one order, her efforts will not be in vain.
The scale of this Canton Fair is twice as large as last year, and there are more visitors than last year.
After the cocktail party, everyone also watched the opera "Ayiguli" performed by the Central Opera and Dance Troupe.
Ye Manzhi often watched art performances with Wu Zhengrong, but this was the first time she had listened to a serious opera.
She couldn't help but sigh in her heart that business trips were great because they always allowed her to see new things.
The Canton Fair officially opened, and there were basically no orders in the first few days.
Especially for machinery and light industrial products, there are very few customers placing orders.
Ye Manzhi was able to remain calm thanks to last year's experience, but the newcomer Kang Jian was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Every day I say, “Why haven’t you opened the order yet?”
In fact, it’s not that the order has not been placed, it’s just that Shuguang Factory has not placed the order yet.
They were assigned to work as salesmen in the light industrial products exhibition hall.
This exhibition hall was also quite new to Ye Manzhi, so she had been looking around for the past few days and saw a lot of new things.
There is a universal electric sewing machine in the exhibition hall that is allowed to be exported for the first time. It is said that this sewing machine can reach the world's advanced level and can embroider more than 300 patterns.
Ye Manzhi likes to make her own clothes and has always been interested in fabrics, sewing machines, needles and threads.
Therefore, before the customer tried it out, she used a sewing machine to embroider a chick on the fabric.
The clicking sound of the sewing machines attracted many customers to come and watch.
Then, she was assigned by her team leader to the sewing machine to demonstrate to the customers...
In just one day, two orders worth ten thousand pounds were signed.
On Sunday morning, Kang Jian ran to the sewing machine and whispered, "Director Ye, don't just sell sewing machines to people! Think about what to do with the goods from our Shuguang Factory too!"
Ye Manzhi comforted him: "Don't worry about this kind of thing. The unit price of light industrial products is high, and it's not as easy to sell as food. Let's wait a little longer!"
Kang Jian said anxiously, "Don't wait, an electric fan factory just opened! They signed an order worth over 7,000 pounds!"
"Really?"
Ye Manzhi couldn't sit still anymore.
If all electric fans are not sold, then it can be said that the time is not right.
By now, electric fans from other factories have already been sold, so it’s not a matter of timing!
While the two were communicating privately, applause was heard from the office again.
Kang Jian went to inquire about the news, but soon came back with a depressed look on his face, saying, "Another order for floor fans!"
Ye Manzhi stood up and walked around the venue several times.
Mainly look at the situation in the electric fan exhibition area.
Then, she turned back and whispered to Kang Jian, "Why don't we try it according to our previous plan?"
“Will we be criticized by other manufacturers?”
They had actually discussed an idea a long time ago, but they were burdened with too much psychological pressure and had not made up their minds to implement it in the past few days.
"Oh, think about the thousands of mouths in the factory!" Ye Manzhi seemed to be talking to him, but also to herself. "You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing your child. We both have to bear this infamy!"
Kang Jian exchanged a look with her, nodded heroically, and went to the electric fan exhibition area with her.
They didn't do anything excessive, they just plugged in several electric fans on the shelves.
By the way, turned on the switch.
When each fan is blowing air individually, there is no problem.
However, at this moment, the five electric fans in the same row were working at the same time, some of them were shaking their heads, and some were blowing straight.
Compared with the Shuguang brand electric fan, the other electric fans are shaking more obviously, as if they have the sequelae of cerebral thrombosis...
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