Ok men vibrators on

Often I observe people who seem to be caught up in the everyday humdrum of the world and it seems to be taking an extraordinary toll on their lives. Sometimes I feel like just shouting to them, “Lighten up!”

I am reminded of a very important customer demonstration that I and a half dozen or so of our employees conducted a few years back. It was for NYC public Schools, which happened to be the largest school district in the United States. If we were to win this very important deal it represented literally millions upon millions of dollars of revenue, which would translate into profit for our company and commissions for us; and therefore we had spared no amount of expense and had poured hundreds of hours of time into preparing for this demo of a lifetime.

The day of the presentation I felt very good and was totally relaxed and ready for battle. We had given 100% effort and had invested the time and money into it and I couldn’t think of a single thing that I would do differently or could be done to improve things. All that remained was for us was to execute our excellent plan and show em our “stuff”. We were ready.

Another vendor was presenting prior to us and as we were waiting in the lobby, I looked around the room and was dismayed to no end, because to a person, all of my staff had grim, serious, scared, and even frantic looks on their faces, as though they were pall bearers at a funeral.

I knew I had to do something quick to get them to calm down and keep things in perspective.

“Eureka!” I came up with an idea.

I quickly called them all together and told them that they needed to have big, warm, friendly smiles on their faces during this presentation and keep them there. I told them all to get their cell phones out and turn the ringer to vibrate. I then instructed them to put their phones in their right front pocket. Finally I instructed one of them to call the receptionist at our home office and give her the presentation schedule and tell her to start calling each presenter beginning at the start of their presentation and to keep calling every minute or so until that presenter had completed their segment and then go to the next. When she called the phone would ring and give them a thrill of a lifetime, which no doubt would put a big smile on their face, and each successive time she called it would broaden.

With a wide grin I beamed at them, “What do you think?”

They all laughed heartily and it lightened things up considerably for this important presentation.

When it was time for us to enter the room, I turned to them and said, “OK men, vibrators on!” and then we filed into the room with everyone smiling one of those big, warm, wonderful smiles which no doubt put our audience at ease.

When the presentation began my son Jon was presenting and had obviously forgotten what I had told him because he had a grim look on his face. He happened to glance at me and I was showing him my cell phone and he almost broke out laughing in front of the school district’s 25 or so reviewers. He didn’t as much as look my way for the rest of his part of the presentation, (but he was smiling).

We should do everything we can do to be prepared. We should work hard, plan intelligently and leave no stone unturned. We should train like we intend to win, but once satisfied that we have done everything we can do, we should just sit back with a smile on our faces and leave things to God’s capable hands and lighten up. Whatever will be will be my good friends. Indeed we must let God take over and if it is for you, it is for you; if it is not, it is not.

Epilogue:

We lost that NYC bid, but before the last chapter had been written we won the second largest school district in the United States, LA unified, and then the largest food service organization in the world, the Department of Defense, and many, many, more after that one and from what I understand NYC is now going back out to bid soon because they are unhappy with the vendor that won out over us.

OK men, vibrators on!

Phil. 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me.