I don't know whether to use it as
main essay or not but i want to see how good or bad it is.
Selling what but Saris!
I still remember the helpless humiliation of showing the suit dress for the shawl to a group of ladies. (Ladies and their paraphernalia have been supernatural to me from before-out of my perception!)I was resentfully conscious of being unable to tell customers the price of every sari. (My sisters who had tagged the prices didn't bother to put the tag at the conspicuous outer side of the sari-only they could decipher the prices from the folds and wrinkles of the adamant saris!) I even didn't know how to fold the long saris in the right way. (To my relief some saris were folded and tied with string at both ends to preserve the fold-But why some saris were left untied with string? To make a fool out of me in front of customers-I would never know!) My face had turned black and I was not able to sell a single sari to a group of four ladies who had tested my nerves for half an hour. I was about to give up for a better person than me when suddenly a short period in the lavatory changed the whole scenario.
I have to confess I am a very bad buyer; my mother had to choose and buy the clothes for me. In the race of complexity of clothes and my simplicity in the outer manifestation, I call my mother for rescue. They say- A bad buyer can hardly be a good seller. I reason- The opposite must also be true. So, with a hope of being a good buyer I was carrying myself through this ordeal. But most importantly it was for the charity purpose that I was volunteering in this campaign of selling handmade and readymade (donated) clothes to collect money for a hospital.
Sister Mina appointed me at the baby's counter, I didn't know why. The socks, caps, Mickey-mouse ear cover, the Baba Set, inners, pajamas, gloves, and frock-set; items were many but due to increase in birth rates, I thought, or the babies liked me, how could I know?, the flow of the sale in my counter was unbroken. Later I realized Sister Mina's move- it was rather easy to sell baby items; first a baby needs no persuasion, he is dependent on his parents. Second, parents generally don't care that much of the price when it concerns the baby than themselves. (I was touched to see a poor rickshaw-driver buying nothing for him but an expensive frock-set for his two-year daughter).So I was gaining at least some confidence at selling for the first time in my life.
From the very beginning saris were the one thing that was being least sold. Further problem arose when the sister who was appointed at the saris counter fainted in front of a customer due to dehydration and weakness; she was observing a religious fast that day. (Is God concerned with empty stomach or a pure heart? Why can't the ladies see that? I would never know.) To fill up her place Sister Mina appointed Ram, against his will, in the saris counter. After all he was the best seller among all of us! Ram's former counter was that of Gents Jackets and he was the best at it. From five hundred Jackets he had already sold three hundred Jackets in five days. In Ram's place Sister Mina kept a boy who was formerly looking after the stock of clothes.
I was sweetly surprised to see ladies gathering at Ram's counter. I thought he must be selling numerous saris. Though the crowd was clinging at the Ram's counter, his former stall of Jackets dried up in his absence. Guided by her sixth sense, Sister Mina asked Ram to carry on his former counter and surprisingly ordered me to face the ladies crowd. Before taking on Ram's shoes, I managed to ask him two quick questions:"How many saris did you sell?" "None" I dropped my jaw. Overhearing a concern of lady from the quibbling crowd, I asked "Which is the blouse and chuni part in the sari and what is the length of the sari?" With childlike innocence and courtesy he replied"I don't know...Bye" and hurried to his counter. A short time later a fresh crowd came and I showed the ladies all the saris we had rather in an indiscriminate way in order to fend off the obvious questions of the price, cloth and length. I literally had to hunt down the price tags of some saris and in that time the prey-customer would have been gone away. Half an hour of showing saris and the result was that the ladies group went without a single piece. Ironically ladies' departure was euthanasia for me and before giving up I got the time to go to latrine finally.
Looking at a mirror I was afraid to see myself. Moist eyes and black bloodless face exposed my inner state. Repeatedly splashing cold water on to my face and to my eyes I finally felt at ease and my countenance regained its natural lively look. Somehow washing with water inspired me philosophically. "Wait a second! If Ram could not do much then I am not doing as bad as I am thinking. In fact I must wipe out this negative assumption and see for myself the positivity surface out itself like my invigorated face". So, with a fresh face and a detached mood I carried myself to my counter.
Wondrously uplifted I tried not to try too hard and hence initiated to manage the saris in whatever way I can on the short length of my table before another customer arrived. First I humbly accepted my defeat from the adamant unfolded and inconspicuously price-tagged saris and some without any tag at all and completely excluded them from the stall. Next I put the saris grouping them on the basis of the price. Finally about the cloth and length of the saris I prepared myself to learn from some of the witty customers themselves and to say confidently whatever that comes to my instincts of course being ready to face the humiliation cheerfully if any at all came by the way. For some time I was still unable to sell a single saris. The reason I perceived was that unlike the babies the general ladies need persuasion in compatible to their nature- they love the expensive saris but when it comes to buying they need the good-looking saris at cheaper rate. Hence instead of showing them all the saris I consciously focused their attention and fob them off with the saris with cheaper rates. Thus the table turned around and I was able to sell seven saris till the close of the day- the highest sale of the saris in a single day so far! For the remaining two days where else could I be except at the Saris counter!
"Mom, please buy some clothes for me and I shall buy some nice saris for you" Thanks to Sister Mina I have become a good buyer if not for myself than definitely for my mother (and my future babies). Trying too hard sometimes may not be the right way to go about a problem and before surrendering to the urge to give up when it is too pressing one should once revert oneself to the natural inborn inherent positive side or at the least go to the toilet!
it's too long.
it's over 1000 words, you are comitting suicide. I would say 700 at max.
the essay itself is not bad, but since it's too long, I am annoyed and I'm sure adcoms will be annoyed as well.
please cut the essay in half and repost it.
when suddenly a short period in the lavatory changed the whole scenario.
Ha ha, wow, your writing gets better and better. I had to stop at the end of the first para to tell you it carried my attention along... your great style.
Wondrously uplifted, I tried not to try too hard, and hence
initiated began to manage the saris in whatever way I
can on could in the short length of my table...
Hence instead of showing them all the saris I consciously focused their attention and (fob ??)them off with ...
Here is a good word I recommend for you:
...right way to go about
attacking a problem ...
