"Life in the office" - chapter 10

Steve White is conducting an interview for a salesman in his department.

STEVE   Hello. You are Peter, right?

PETER   Yes, Sir. That's me all right.

STEVE   Sit down Peter and tell me something about yourself.

PETER   Do you want the whole story or the one that is more impressive?

STEVE   I want you to sell yourself to me. Impressive or not, I am buying and you are selling. So do it!

PETER   OK! I work for WWW company and I am prepared to leave them and come to work for you.

STEVE   Is that the part that is supposed to be impressive?

PETER   No, but I am good.

STEVE   And you are prepared to prove it?

PETER   Of course I am. As you probably know, WWW company is in the same business, the same trade as you are.

STEVE   Yes, I am aware of that fact. So ...?

PETER   Well! For the past seven months I have been working on this new contract with the Japanese.

STEVE   Go on ...

PETER   Japs want to sign a contract for regular supplies of the product.

STEVE   How regular?

PETER   Every two months for the next two years. And I am talking a very big contract.

STEVE   How big?

PETER   Let me write it down ....

STEVE   That is impressive.  The problem is that I don't understand why you want to work for us instead for the WWW company. Why do you tell me all this?

PETER   Because I have been fighting hammer and tongue with my manager. For him results don't matter if he doesn't have the paperwork done. And I am not very good in paperwork. I am good in selling sand to Arabs. To tell you the truth, I am fed up with the atmosphere in the WWW company. One day I saw your ad and I decided to come to you with my client.

STEVE   How do I know if you are not a rat. It was sort of insolent coming here like that.

PETER   I know. I am not a rat, not a plant or whatever you call those people. I am genuine and I am good.

STEVE   Ok, Let's do it this way. You bring your client and you are hired. But we work here on commission, not the salary.

PETER   Good enough. This one is going to be enormous.

STEVE   You are young but if you play your cards right you might get to the top with this attitude.

PETER   I don't want to get to the top. I want to do what I know best. Sell.

STEVE   You sure passed this exam with flying colours.  Sign the contract with the Japanese and I can promise you the moon in this company.

PETER   Sky is the limit, right? Thanks.

STEVE   Welcome to the company.

Vocabulary:

to be in the same business, the same trade - być w tej samej branży

to be aware - mieć świadomość

go on - kontynuuj

Japs - kolokwialna forma: Japanese

to fight hammer and tongue - walczyć zażarcie

to be fed up - mieć dosyć czegoś

a rat, a plant - wtyczka (w firmie), informatory

insolent - bezczelnie

to be genuine - być prawdziwym w tym co się robi

commission - prowizja

to play your cards right - rozegrać coś dobrze

to pass exam with flying colours - zdać coś śpiewająco

sky is the limit - niograniczone możliwości