How to make competitors relax their vigilance and lower their guard?
During those days as a translator, when he had finalized his plan, Tan Jincheng had already inquired and found out that these few stalls only had salespeople soliciting business, no bosses.
Not all bosses, like Cheng Yongjun, personally oversee operations.
The boss of the company he previously translated for did not come.
Although orders are directly related to the salesperson's commission, employees are still easier to deal with than bosses.
Without a directly signed order, a business card is a threat, but the threat is also limited.
Opponents are ordinary people, and there are only two methods that can be used: the first is verbal provocation, through constant flattery and boasting, to make the other party relax their guard; the second is to use a challenge or taunt to provoke and divide them.
However, this method shouldn't be overused, and verbal taunts shouldn't be too excessive.
Truly angering the other party wouldn't be good either.
The situation was not in his favor, so he could only play nice and act humble.
After several rounds of flattery, perhaps thinking of their own difficulties when they first became salespeople, the salespeople's hostility towards Tan Jincheng diminished.
Tan Jincheng also promised to only hand out flyers here for one day and move to a different spot tomorrow.
Although they still felt a bit uncomfortable, the matter passed just like that.
The main reason, in fact, was that there were enough customers, and everyone's resources were limited, so there was enough to go around, and it wasn't worth making a big fuss.
When social resources are sufficient for distribution, conflicts often greatly diminish; it is so now, and it will be so in the future.
After a small interlude, Tan Jincheng didn't encounter any other trouble and continued to shamelessly hand out business cards near the various stalls.
In one morning, nearly a hundred business cards and brochures were distributed.
Although no orders were directly signed, the effect seemed quite good.
Approaching noon, Tan Jincheng finished his morning work early, ran out to buy 10 bento boxes, and then hurried back.
He spent another 200 yuan.
The money spent this time in Yangcheng was from his reserved 20,000 yuan.
At this rate, if he stayed until the end of the exhibition, he wouldn't be able to return to Beicang.
What kind of experience is it to encounter 2023 prices in 2004?
"Brothers and sisters, it's time to eat. I wasn't sure what you'd like or how your appetites are, so I bought a few extra portions."
There were three booths that had conflicts with Tan Jincheng, and each booth had two employees manning it.
At lunchtime, everyone usually bought bento boxes from outside and ate a few bites while watching their stalls.
Although they didn't cause trouble later in the morning, they ultimately didn't show any good graces, and two employees would occasionally make sarcastic remarks.
Although he had a thick skin, this feeling was always unpleasant and also affected the impression passing potential customers had of Tan Jincheng.
To ensure a smoother afternoon, Tan Jincheng had no choice but to resort to this strategy.
"Ah? No need, we'll go buy our own later."
"That's right, young man, you don't have to do this, we'll buy our own later."
Tan Jincheng's move left these salespeople somewhat flustered, as they were usually the ones currying favor with others.
In reality, they weren't much older than Tan Jincheng and hadn't been in sales for many years, so it was hard for them to remain unfazed.
"Hey, since I've already bought them, I can't eat all this by myself. It would be a waste, right? Isn't that reasonable?"
"Come on, everyone, let's eat together. You've worked hard all morning. Even when making money for the boss, you need to take a break."
Without further ado, Tan Jincheng first pulled over the two salespeople who had shown a better attitude that morning.
Such people are more thin-skinned and easier to break through to.
When it came to strength, Tan Jincheng was quite strong.
With a casual pull, one of the thinner individuals was directly pulled to where the bento boxes were placed.
Amidst a mix of pushing and yielding, the two who were pulled over first had no choice but to accept, and when the others saw this, they followed suit.
What this young man said was indeed true; since they were already bought, they couldn't just be wasted.
"Young man, what's your name? You don't look very old, do you?"
"My name is Tan Jincheng, Tan as in sandalwood. I'm 19 today."
"You started working at 19? That's quite tough. Why aren't you studying?"
"I didn't get in, so I had to come out and find a living. And thanks to you, brothers and sisters, for being so tolerant this morning, otherwise, I would have had to run around everywhere."
"Hey, we were just kidding around this morning. It's not easy for anyone working away from home, and we've all been through it."
"That's different. You, brothers and sisters, are generous. Knowing to offer an umbrella after being drenched yourself, that's called not forgetting your original intention."
"Haha, young man, you have a way with words. You're a natural at sales, I believe you'll succeed."
"Then I'll take your auspicious words, Big Brother. With water instead of wine, let's clink glasses, Big Brother."
"Alright, you know how to handle things, not bad."
As they ate and chatted, the atmosphere transitioned from initial awkwardness and opposition to harmony.
Everyone even started giving Tan Jincheng pointers.
"In the afternoon, don't just hand out business cards. You can also try striking up conversations with foreigners. I see you're wearing a translator's badge, so your English should be good."
"That's right, these foreigners like to pretend to be gentlemen. Most won't refuse if you approach them, but you need to be mindful of your approach."
"Exactly, don't be afraid. Bring out your thick skin. Your company only has you soliciting business. If you don't secure an order, it'll be hard to get your travel expenses reimbursed when you go back."
"That's true. The first time I went out for sales, I didn't get anything. My travel expenses were delayed for a long time after I got back, and I ate instant noodles for a month."
"Bosses nowadays are all like this. If you can land big business, you're the boss; if you can't, you're nothing."
Unconsciously, these people began complaining about their bosses.
Employees cursing their bosses is almost a consensus among every worker; no matter what treatment they receive, the boss will be criticized.
Tan Jincheng couldn't join this topic; having never worked for more than a few days in this life or the last, he could only quietly eat his meal.
"Xiao Tan, how many people are in your company? The Canton Fair is such a great platform, why did they only send you?"
"Ah? Our company is newly established, just four or five people. We didn't originally plan to attend the Canton Fair; the boss just sent me here to try our luck."
"That makes sense then. For a company of three to five people, it's good that they could send one person. But your products are too few, so foreigners don't have a wide range to choose from."
"It's a small company, just starting out. It's good enough to experience a big event. Go back and tell your boss to increase investment."
These people hadn't seen the business cards Tan Jincheng handed out and didn't know that Tan Jincheng himself was the boss.
Tan Jincheng didn't expose this either.
By the end of the meal, everyone's relationship had grown much closer.
Occasionally, Tan Jincheng would also join them in cursing their bosses a few times, and the awkward atmosphere was gone.
In 2004, on the eve of a massive information explosion, the working people, not yet overwhelmed by various material things, were full of simplicity and kindness.
In the afternoon, Tan Jincheng tried striking up conversations with foreigners according to the pointers given by his seniors, and the results were quite good.
Although there were indeed some arrogant foreign businessmen, overall, as the seniors had said, most would stop and listen to Tan Jincheng's introduction, even if it was just to maintain the appearance of a gentleman.
The effect was much better than simply handing out business cards in the morning.
Compared to the morning, Tan Jincheng collected several business cards in the afternoon.
The first day's results as a new salesperson were much better than expected.
This greatly invigorated Tan Jincheng.
Soon, it was time to close up the stalls.
As the exhibition was ending, Tan Jincheng once again invited his seniors, wanting to treat them to dinner.
Although there was a mercenary element to this, there was genuinely also gratitude.
Collecting several foreign businessmen's business cards in the afternoon had given Tan Jincheng hope.
Since meeting Cheng Yongjun on the plane, Tan Jincheng's luck had been quite good.
Along the way, people had provided help to varying degrees.
"Haha, Xiao Tan, you want to continue handing out business cards here tomorrow, right? It's fine, as long as they don't have a problem, I have no problem at all. But don't treat us to dinner, you've spent enough today."
The one speaking was a Big Brother with a Northeastern accent, bold yet not lacking in thoughtfulness.
One bento box cost 20 yuan.
Xiao Tan bought 9 extra today, plus some drinking water, cigarettes, fruit, and other items, totaling at least around 300 yuan.
In those years, even in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, the average national salary was just over 2,000 yuan.
Today alone, Xiao Tan spent almost a week's worth of salary.
And this money was clearly non-reimbursable.
If they accepted Xiao Tan's dinner invitation as well, it would seem a bit unkind.
"That's right, Xiao Tan; no need to treat us to dinner. You can continue coming tomorrow to hand them out. We saw today that it didn't affect us much anyway, and our boss isn't here, so it doesn't matter."
"Exactly, it's not easy for you to earn money, and you've already spent a lot today. No need for dinner."
"Right, right, we still have to write reports when we go back. We don't have that much time to eat out. We can just grab a bite ourselves back at the hotel."
The Big Brother spoke first, and everyone else, whether genuinely or feigning, followed suit.
For a moment, Tan Jincheng couldn't help but sigh, reflecting that compared to later generations, human relationships in these years were indeed different.
Truth be told, he was a bit unkind, taking advantage of them; yet, with just one meal and some pleasant words, everyone could understand him.
In later generations, in that self-centered environment where everyone put themselves first, this would be unimaginable.
For a moment, Tan Jincheng didn't know what to say.
Nevertheless, he still had to treat them.
He might be short on money, but this particular expense couldn't be saved, otherwise, it would be difficult to come back tomorrow.
"Brothers and sisters, I genuinely want to thank you. You taught me a lot during lunch, and it made me realize many of my shortcomings. This isn't for the company's business; it's my personal thanks to you."
"Just give me this chance. To be honest, I definitely can't afford anything too expensive, so I'll make it up to you later. Let's just eat something cheaper today."
"Also, I'd like you, brothers and sisters, to teach me a few more tips for being a salesperson. You don't mind, do you?"
"You kid, we told you not to treat us, but you insist on spending this money. You're young and don't know how hard it is to earn money after all. Alright then, let's just eat together. Meeting each other is destiny."
The one speaking was still that Northeastern Big Brother.
"Thank you, Big Brother Zhang. Then, brothers and sisters, let's pack up and go. If you need my help, just say the word,"
Tan Jincheng quickly said.
Old Zhang was the oldest among the salespeople from these three companies, though only 35 years old.
He was also the most approachable and quite enthusiastic.
While Tan Jincheng was helping clean up, Old Zhang quietly discussed with the team leaders.
Immediately after, Old Zhang said to Tan Jincheng:
"Xiao Tan, I heard the pork trotters rice here is quite famous. I've been eating bento boxes exclusively for a few days and haven't tried it yet. How about we go try it tonight?"
"A bowl of Longjiang Pork Trotter Rice, a taste of a man's romance."
As soon as Old Zhang finished speaking, that famous quote from later generations, renowned on the internet, popped into Tan Jincheng's mind.
At this time, such a saying definitely didn't exist.
"Alright, no problem, I haven't tried it either. Let's go taste it together."
Tan Jincheng was grateful internally.
No matter how famous this dish was, it was actually quite similar to a certain county's international grand hotel—very cheap, a working-class consumption.
The brothers and sisters were simply trying to save him some money; who among them hadn't eaten this kind of thing before?
For dinner, they ate pork trotters rice, but Tan Jincheng wasn't that casual.
He added a few more dishes and ordered a bottle of beer for everyone.
Everyone present, except Tan Jincheng, was a true salesperson, and drinking was no big deal for either men or women.
However, they still had work that night, so they couldn't drink much.
One bottle of iced beer was enough to quench the heat.
This season, Yongcheng was already in its most comfortable period, with gentle sea breezes and suitable temperatures; but Yangcheng was still like a scorching summer day.
At the dinner table, no one talked about work.
After a busy day smiling and greeting foreigners, everyone now dropped their masks and recounted some of their experiences since starting work.
Old Zhang was still the most talkative.
At 35, he was already married with a lovely child.
At the turn of the century, as the older brother industries shifted, Old Zhang followed his elders south to work, making him one of the earlier ones to head south.
Thinking of Old Zhang, Tan Jincheng also thought of his Fourth Uncle, who was in the Northeast at the time.
Fourth Uncle was the same age as Old Zhang; one went south, the other went north.
Their professions were vastly different.
Differences in experience and education led to different choices for two groups of people of the same age, one in the south and one in the north, a common sight in this era.
Later generations often joked online:
"Back then, we looked down on what the Big Brother group did, but years later, we realized that Big Brother was still Big Brother, ultimately seeing things more clearly than others."
A group of outsiders from all corners of the country, from different provinces, met in Yangcheng, chatting about everything under the sun.
Tan Jincheng, from later generations, seemed much quieter than during the day, just listening silently.
With a nearly 40-year-old soul, a middle-aged man from later generations, he had never experienced the understanding of society held by those born in the 70s and early 80s, in neither his previous life nor this one.
However, possessing a mature soul, he could comprehend the hopes of these people.
In a lifetime, people live for nothing more than to make a living and to find love.
(End of Chapter)
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