I recently changed jobs – left middle management I.T. in a mid-range retailer and became *the* IT guy for a new startup company thats very exciting.
One of the things you notice when your LinkedIn profile shows a change of position and an increase in seniority of your title is people come out of the woodwork trying to ‘touch base’ and keep in touch.
One such operator is Sunny*. Sunny was an account manager for one of the consultancy firms I had used in previous employment and it seems she left that company at round about the same time I left my old job. She is quite an attractive woman in her mid-late 30’s, slender figure, a good smile and an exotic European accent and has managed thus far to avoid hitting the wall too hard.
So one day I looked at LinkedIn and found a message from Sunny in her new role for a large office supplies company suggesting we catch up for a coffee. I’m a complete sucker for anyone who gives me a legitimate excuse to get out of the office for an hour – particularly if they are female and easy on the eye, so I cautiously agreed wondering where this would go.
We sat down and chatted away talking about how and why we’d both moved jobs and it seemed like she had a permanent grin on her face and a twinkle in her eye that I recognised as not being entirely professional. Then just subtly slipped into the conversation was this gem, “After my relationship ended a few months ago I needed to find something that really kept me going a bit better. Living on my own is tough – I need to make sure ends meet and this jobs helps”.
..and as if my magic the conversation then morphed seemlessly from a discussion about moving jobs, through her current availability status and on to the range of services and products her new company offers that would be fantastic help for my new growing business. They are of course, more than a office supplies company and provide IT provisioning and facilities management services in a unique and easily managed pay model that really helps manage OpEx v CapEx (etc etc etc). What was this peculiar blend of personal and professional sales pitch?
Anyway we left the coffee shop and went our separate ways and Sunny followed up with an email that firstly contained a number of documents relating to her business proposition, but also contained the siren like call of the line: “Was great to catch up with you again – you look really good and happy! I’m so pleased things are working out so well for you.”
So there I am… master of my domain, faced with an attractive woman seemingly laying herself out there, happily discussing private details whilst smiling at me and complimenting me, but trying to sell a really luke-warm business proposition that I had no great interest in. I decided it was time to call her bluff. If she really wanted just a bit of me – then I would be happy for a temporary liaison to scratch an itch – but if this was a slimy sales technique then she needs to cut that out.
I sent her a quick text: “Figured since you’re recently single you might want to catch for a drink somewhere on Saturday evening and not talk about work?”
Her response was thought out, considered and diplomatic – a polite rejection on the grounds that she ‘mentally not in the right place’ right now. Firm enough to make it clear that there’s no Sunny on offer here, but pleasant and sugary enough to try and keep me interested enough to sign her business deal.
NO DEAL!
If you’re gonna try and use sex appeal to get business decisions your way – then you gotta be prepared to lose when someone calls your bluff!
I’m sure the old me would have wanted to keep Sunny around just on the off chance of some future action. The current me is a little more happy to see her vixen business ways fade into history.
*name changed to protect the guilty.
PuniShredder 2 years, 8 months ago.
