To All, I am SOOOOOOOO glad to be back in Houston and no more 14 hour work days and living in a hotel and riding a bus to and from a training center and, worst of all, learning about "the business" from some very nice, very bright people who earned their stripes during a huge bull market and have never seen a bear in their short careers.
Some notes: 1. I actually had fun in Hartford. Many thanks to those local SIers and a Taiwanese buddy who were able to meet with me and provide some non-bullish conversation to take my fried brain off the griddle for some R&R. You were my manna from Heaven. You don't get anything for that, of course, because I'm a cheapskate, other than a Laurel and a Hardy handshake. Apologies to Mel Brooks for that one. <g>
2. I was very impressed with the intelligence and ethics of the 107 folks I trained with. And I did not expect to be. Ditto for the trainers.
3. I was absolutely starved for market news and securities prices. I guess if I joined Mcdonald's I'd never see a Big Mac. Very weird.
4. I met Jimmy Connors at the hotel yesterday. He asked me for a card. I don't have any cards yet. I think he was just being polite and I don't think he bought my story about so many celebrities in town begging me for them that I didn't have any cards left. <g>
5. Physically, this was an unhealthy trip and I am surprised that I am not sick. Long hours, questionable food, little recreation. We did have a great gym at the hotel and I was able to get to it fairly regularly.
6. The training was probably great for newbies. It wasn't really meant for somebody with my experience. However, I did learn some things and I loved the class role playing. Whenever the trainers wanted a tough customer, they called on me. Part of it has to do with something I said that was meant to be a slam dunk for a classmate. We were taping client presentations and I was playing the part of a reluctant client. The woman playing the advisor was a very nice person so I didn't want to trip her up, but I was required to have an "objection." She had mentioned municipal bonds as one of things we'd buy, so my objection was that "I don't want any Marsupial Bonds." I thought that was a real softball floater pitch, but she didn't pick up on the municipal/marsupial relationship. She handled it well, but everyone thought I was throwing her a tough one to handle and I had meant it to be easy as pie. No wonder nobody laughs at my jokes. <g>
7. The flights were great and that half a centimeter of extra leg room American has put on their planes really does make a difference. Again, I was surprised by this fact.
8. I spent much more than my per diem. That Mayflower Madam is a price gouger. <VBG>
I'm back. I'm ready to do the real job after 14 weeks of far-ing and tickling. I'm ready to look at the net every day for more than 5 minutes. I'm ready for my own bed and support group and Sam Houston Race Park.
BTW, the hotel found the shirts they'd lost. |
