All's Fair in Sales and Marketing

“What we need you to do is think outside the box. But don’t reinvent the wheel. You know what I’m saying?”

The motivational speaker enthusiastically nodded along with his own sagacity as he looked out over the ballroom full of seminar attendees.

“Completely contradictory things?” snickered the woman beside me. I looked over and saw an adhesive patch on her blazer that said, Hello, my name is Sam.

“First time at one of these motivational conferences?” I asked.

“Is it that obvious?”

“The corporate-speak and self-help jargon are common themes.”

“I’m Sam,” she said, extending a hand. “Just started in the sales division a few weeks ago.”

“Welcome aboard,” I replied as we shook. “Marketing division. Carl.”

“Nice to meet you, Marketing Division Carl. How long have you worked here?”

“Almost ten years.”

“Any advice for a newbie like me?”

I leaned over conspiratorially. “I have three pearls of wisdom. First, be yourself. Our clients can smell inauthenticity, and it’s a stinky perfume. Second, the only good thing about these annual conferences are the free drinks afterward.”

“And the third?”

I smiled. “Always think outside the box without reinventing the wheel.”

She smacked me playfully on the shoulder. “How much longer do we have to sit here?”

“As soon as this guy’s done talking to us about interdepartmental synergy or whatever.”

“Can’t come soon enough,” she exhaled.

“Tell you what... after this, why don’t I buy you a drink?”

“You said the drinks were free.”

“True, but promoting someone else’s product is kinda my thing. I am in marketing.”

Sam flashed me a smile and went back to pretending to pay attention to the speaker. This was already turning out to be one of the more memorable company events I’d been to.


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300 words

Prompt: Write a story of 300 words or less which features the words: name, wheel, box.

Originally written for "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"  and "I Write in 2018" .