KC | Chapter 100

The KA exclusive meeting room on the last working day of the month was not as bright as usual.

There were no PPTs, no lights on, Lin Yiran stood at the front desk with no microphone in his hand, and KA stood in the open space in front of the seats. The atmosphere was oppressive, solemn, and tense.

The room was very quiet, so quiet that they could hear the breathing of the colleagues on both sides. KA had never held a meeting on the last day of the month, and the seasoned people sensed something was off, something was seriously wrong.

Lin Yiran’s voice was still very low as he opened with something that was neither grand nor hard to answer: “What kind of profession are we in?”

Everyone looked at each other, unable to figure out what the leader meant. Several KA members answered quietly, “Sales.”

“Are we in some kind of shameful profession?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Then why don’t you even dare say what you do?”

No one dared to lift their heads.

“Everyone standing here is an industry expert, top talent in the advertising sales field. Where did all that confidence go when introducing yourselves to the client?”

Everyone came to a realization: today the leader was looking for trouble.

Trouble from a leader was unavoidable in the workplace, just like the sky would rain and a mother would get married. The traditional way to deal with it was: when the policy came from above, countermeasures came from below.

Keep in mind the nine-character maxim: yes, yes, yes, right, right, right, okay, okay, okay. Whatever the leader said was what it was, the leader’s views were all right, and whatever decision the leader made was all good.

“When I joined 13 years ago, the first lesson President Zhang taught was ‘self-introduction.’ When I met key clients and visited bosses, the thing I said most was ‘self-introduction.’ If you aren’t confident in the profession you are in or in your own experience and resume, then how are you supposed to make the client believe you can fulfill your promise?”

The seasoned people lowered their heads and admitted their scolding under the pressure of hard power, not daring to breathe loudly.

Although Chen Xi had made up for the performance gap caused by Meng Hai’s resignation this quarter, it was still far from enough. Because the completion rate of the other KAs was less than 30% of the overall total, and month over month it had dropped by 20%. The Yu Cheng KA ship was clearly about to sink.

When the helmsman could no longer move the big ship with team-building or motivation, the only extreme method left was to abandon part of the crew.

Lin Yiran said, “Some of you got into KA because you wanted to make a living, some because you wanted to get insurance, and some because KA sounds more high-end than traditional sales.”

Chen Xi, Zhang Yuanji, and Li Hua all took it personally.

“No matter what reason everyone had for boarding the KA ship, now that we’ve run into a storm, there are only two ways to get off the ship: 1, jump into the sea; 2, stay in the same boat and get through the hard times together.”

Lin Yiran was like a towering mountain, holding the power and authority that came from the accumulation of years. The KAs looked at him with awe and fear.

“For 3 years, Yu Cheng has been number one in the three provinces all three years. We’ve won countless awards, and everyone standing here has once received honors. Honorable things that come too easily become too light. You all turned into obedient little sheep, and on the last day of the month you don’t go out to collect orders, just stay at home waiting for performance.”

“You once stayed outside key clients for months in order to sign them, got yourself dead drunk, said every good word you could, and didn’t mind abandoning yourself… you used every possible method, all just to sign the contract. And now? You’re smoking and walking around on the 19th floor wasting time. When you realize the assessment can’t be finished, you start complaining and arguing. What’s wrong with you, are you fucking brain-dead?”

“I’m telling you, performance doesn’t come by waiting. The only thing you can wait for is the assessment.”

This meeting was not brainwashing, there was no chicken soup. He wanted to use the sharpest, most direct words to wake up the people who were pretending to sleep.

Those in power used the most precise and direct wording to create a mountain of pressure, pressing so hard that everyone could not breathe.

The more sales experience one accumulated, the more at ease they became in their own field, and the easier it was to control clients. But sales experience was also a shackle on thinking, a roadblock to creative strategy, a stumbling block on the path to success.

KA recalled the past of dealing with key clients. Now they really were bound by experience, living too comfortably, no longer having the drive and fighting spirit they had when they first entered the workplace.

“My original intention in founding KA was to let the best people in sales earn more money. I want to live in a luxury house, wear a famous watch, and dress in luxury brands. I have a strong desire for material things, but the premise is that I have money.”

“Being poor is not noble. You can choose to be poor or to be rich, but every time I choose to be rich.(1)”

“If this sales job makes you miserable, then you can go be an hourly worker at KFC.”

Lin Yiran’s eyes were like two sharp knives, their blades fierce and sharp, accurately stabbing through the polished surface of KA’s pretended peace.

Pursuing career ideals, realizing oneself, and training social experience were all just excuses. In this chaotic society, there were countless kinds of jobs, but if it weren’t for being broke, who would want to do sales?

No matter what reason had led them into this profession in the first place, money was the common goal of sales.

Lin Yiran’s voice rose slightly, carrying the unquestionable pressure of someone in power, and asked again, “What kind of profession are we in?”

All the KAs answered together, “Sales.”

Lin Yiran asked a third time, “What are we doing?”

All the KAs shouted, “Sales!”

“What does sales need to do?”

“Sign contracts!”

“What do we need to do?”

“Sign contracts!”

“What do you need to do today?”

The KAs screamed hysterically, “We need to sign contracts!”

KA had been established for 3 years, and because Yu Cheng KA had always been number one in the three provinces every time, Lin Yiran had never spoken such harsh words before.

“Today’s meeting is because the Yu Cheng KA overall numbers are short by 500,000 in sales gross profit.”

Lin Yiran turned on the lights. The blinding incandescent lights were like flames, instantly igniting the emotions of all the KAs. The passion and heat lurking in their hearts were pushed to the highest point by those repeated questions.

“I, like all of you, have assessments. The completion rate of the Yu Cheng overall numbers is the death line for the assessment, and I do not allow us to come in first.”

Salespeople all had strong pride. Team honor did not allow this ship to sink. Facing key clients, KA would never retreat!

The sales blood in the KA big shots woke up, and the desire for money stimulated the central nervous system. The air was filled with indescribable tension and excitement. Everyone seemed to be in an arena, urgently wanting to compete and fight with key clients.

“I need everyone to contribute performance.”

Lin Yiran’s deep voice was like a great bronze bell, echoing in every corner of the meeting room, hammering and shaking KA’s very core.

A leader who lacked client advancement strategy and only knew how to brainwash people and pump them up was an idiot. Lin Yiran had never been, was not now, and would never be an idiot.

“I just sorted out the key clients everyone currently has in hand. At the moment, KA has 640,000 in signed contracts that haven’t been collected yet, and they can contribute 300,000 in gross profit. Our key work today will also revolve around these key clients.” Lin Yiran said, “Of this 640,000, excluding the 100,000 in dead accounts that haven’t been collected for 2 years, the remaining 540,000 must all be collected today.”

Lin Yiran opened his phone memo and continued, “I’ve ranked the key clients according to how hard they are to collect from. Whoever can handle the key client I read out below, please raise your hand to indicate it.”

KA’s key clients involved trade secrets, but now time was tight. In order to push through orders, Lin Yiran could not bother with de-identification. If they dragged any longer, the orders would be gone, the ship would sink, so what was the point of hiding and covering things up anymore?

“Wang Dan’s ‘Feima Education’ contract was signed at the beginning of the month, 320,000 in payment, 120,000 in gross profit. The boss has always refused to release the funds on the excuse that finance has no funds.” Lin Yiran said, “Does Wang Dan have anything to add?”

Wang Dan shook his head. Zhang Yuanji, the connected client, raised his hand. “I can handle this order. TMD, finance doesn’t have money? I’ll have my dad check him!”

Lin Yiran nodded and ticked Feima Education off in the memo.

“Yang Bin’s ‘Daoxiang Food’ signed the contract at the end of last month because they were dissatisfied with our proposal. 240,000 in payment, 100,000 in gross profit. After signing, they have dragged out the settlement for a long time.” Lin Yiran called him out directly. “Can Director Wang help Yang Bin settle the proposal?”

Wang Shuang nodded. “Don’t worry, leader, this order will be collected today for sure.”

Although she was not as good as the other KAs at negotiation, when it came to data analysis and writing proposals, even the dedicated planners at Lanhai felt inferior.

Lin Yiran ticked again.

“Li Hua’s travel agency, which he contacted at the beginning of the month, has always been tangled up in the rebate. The contract amount is 200,000, with an estimated gross profit of 50,000. Now we can add a rebate.” Lin Yiran asked, “If we keep 40,000 in gross profit and give the client 5 points, can the client side agree?”

Li Hua shook his head. “The reason this order has never been collected is that a competing advertising company intervened. They gave the client 30% points, this order…”

Chen Xi raised her hand. “I’ll handle this order.”

Shining rebate differentials were far higher than 5 points, and even traffic-heavy clients burning 30,000 a day could be handled. This kind of small fry was just cutting vegetables for Chen Xi.

Li Hua said uncertainly, “This… I’m just afraid brother made a trip for nothing.”

Lin Yiran directly ticked it off and said, “Bring the contract, let Chen Xi go with you.”

Liu Xueying raised her hand. “Leader, my Zhongdao Real Estate signed the contract last month, 100,000 in payment, 40,000 in gross profit, but their marketing director still hasn’t come back.”

Lin Yiran did not even look up and ticked another one, saying calmly, “This order can be signed. I’ll go with you later.”

Everyone: ?

Chen Xi: O(∩_∩)O haha~

Lin Yiran: “I am their marketing director’s ‘top spender.'”

The knuckles lightly tapped the tabletop, like war drums, like the prelude to opening battle.

A thousand days of raising troops were for one moment of use. The battle between KA and the key clients was about to erupt.

“We are not a small or medium company. For KA, one key client can absolutely solve all assessment problems.”

“In order to achieve the goal, when negotiating we can cater to the client’s preferences and temporarily not be ourselves. The so-called win-win means letting the client win in feeling, and letting us win in benefits. We need to sign key clients, for money, for team honor, and to avoid being assessed.”

“KA is a fierce wolf, biting the competing companies to death and seizing all the budgets of the key clients. Success or failure depends on this one battle!”

Everyone: “KA will never retreat!”

“It’s now 10:00. After the meeting, follow the division of labor I just mentioned and do your own part well. All collections are to be sent synchronously into the group chat. Not one of the clients I just named is allowed to be missing.”

The sharply defined contours held the authority that came from the accumulation of years. The helmsman of KA did not allow failure.

“If the plan is not completed, today no one can go home.”

Author’s note:

(1) From the film The Wolf of Wall Street