Twas the Recession Before Christmas
Twas the Recession before Christmas, and all down the hall
The Sales Manager was yelling, “Just make one more call”.
The reports were hung on the manager’s door with despair
And all hoped that in the new year their jobs would still be there.
The salespeople all tossed restlessly in their beds
While visions of resumes and job searches danced in their heads.
The manager with his laptop and his boss with his spreadsheet
Had just closed the door to evaluate the sales numbers of Sally, John and Pete.
When from the Home Office their arose such chatter,
The Sales Manager flipped on his e-mail to see what was the matter.
Scrolling down the screen with great velocity,
He realized corporate had just launched the latest company-saving …“strategy”.
The moans on the lips of the hard-working sales team
Proved to the manager that it was time to devise a scheme.
When, he realized something he would do without remorse,
He, with his team, would choose a path and stick to one course.
With a small, determined sales team, full of attitude and skill,
He knew they would succeed if even just by sheer will.
More powerful from trials his team they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
Now Sally! Now Peter and Jackson!
On, Charlie! On, Randy! On Matthew and Paxton!
To the conference room! With your creative ideas don’t stop!
We’ll end this year strong and start the next one on top!
And, then from the cubicles, he heard the team’s hoots
The gathering of pens and papers – they were now in cahoots.
As he drew in his head, and was turning around
Down the hall the manager saw enthused salespeople coming with a bound.
They were all dressed for battle, from their heads to their feet
They carried account reports and would not give in to defeat.
A burst of new energy they brought down the hall
And they looked like winners who always gave their all.
Their eyes how they twinkled! Their attitudes so amused!
No more knee-jerk corporate “strategies” leaving their customers abused!
They pulled up their chairs and let the ideas flow,
No matter how crazy, the momentum would not slow.
The morning turned to afternoon which turned to night
The white board was covered with ideas so bright.
It was refreshing to be free to think without borders,
They knew in no time their pipelines would be full of new orders!
It was time to narrow the long idea list to the most productive few,
Ideas that lead to success and that everyone could actually do.
With everyone’s “yay”,
The manager high-fived and then captured their plan,
Posting it on the door for the eyes of every woman and man.
They spoke not a word, but went straight to their work,
And followed the careful plan, without promise of perk.
And day after day, they stuck to their plan,
No matter the chatter, no matter the distraction.
At his Monday sales meeting one month later, the manager got to share
The plan they created had taken away all the despair.
The numbers were soaring!
And the team heard him exclaim as he called them to meet,
“Congratulations to you all, next year you’ll be the team to beat!”
