Practical, effective and practical

outline：Xiao Feng is a collections clerk and sales representative in the New Energy Development Department of Xishuangbanna Petrochemical Group, with three years of service. Three years ago, she approached the interview with a nonchalant attitude, as she possessed no professional skills and her work experience was as blank as a sheet of paper. It was precisely this “no way out” mindset that led Liu, who at the time served as the manager of the Jinghong Branch, to...

 

Xiao Feng is a collections clerk and sales representative in the New Energy Development Department of Xishuangbanna Petrochemical Group, with three years of service. Three years ago, she approached the interview with a nonchalant attitude, as she possessed no professional skills and had a work history as blank as a sheet of paper. It was precisely this “no way out” mindset that caught the attention of Liu Rong, then manager of the Jinghong Branch, who recognized her resilience and perseverance and specially recruited her for a probationary position in the company’s sales department.

 

Lacking work experience, Xiao Feng felt completely at a loss when she first started her probationary period. How was she supposed to develop new markets? How could she maintain strong client relationships? How could she expedite payment collection? How could she make the most of available resources? And how could she successfully pass her probation? One question after another left her overwhelmed and frazzled. As the old adage goes, “The clumsy bird flies first”—and true to that principle, Xiao Feng promptly sought advice from seasoned senior sales representatives. She meticulously recorded all business-related information in her own sales notebook, revisiting it regularly and analyzing it in light of the challenges she encountered. Over three years in the field, she filled no fewer than three notebooks with notes. Even now, with highly refined professional skills, she has never abandoned this habit. Sales is hard work, but Xiao Feng has never complained; because she started with a weak foundation, she knows she must put in far more effort than others. In 2013, as the Spring Festival approached, a client called to settle an account while on their way home for the holiday. It was already ten o’clock at night, and the agreed-upon payment location was fifty kilometers from Jinghong City. Without hesitation, Xiao Feng entrusted her child to a neighbor’s care, hopped on her motorcycle, and raced off. The round trip covered more than a hundred kilometers, and by the time she finally carried her sleeping child back home from the neighbor’s place, it was well past one in the morning. “As long as you put in the effort, there will be rewards” is a phrase she often repeats.

 

Xiao Feng is a bold, outspoken, and never-give-up kind of person. Back when she first joined the group company, the cashier at the North Gate branch called in sick, so her supervisors assigned her to cover the shift on short notice. Although it was only for one day, she was still quite anxious. After all, the group had long since gone paperless; all dispatching and order placement were handled entirely on computers. Sure enough, as soon as she sat down at her workstation, she was stumped—she didn’t even know how to turn the computer on! What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t just sit there doing nothing all day while customers were urgently waiting for gas service. With no other choice, she turned to a colleague she was close with and asked them to walk her through the process, while she quietly watched, took careful notes, and asked questions whenever she got stuck. By the end of the day, she had mastered the basics: turning the computer on and off, placing orders, assigning jobs, and confirming receipt of work. But Xiao Feng, ever the competitor, knew that these skills alone were far from enough. So when she got home, she went next door and begged the older neighbor lady to teach her how to use a computer—and she studied for a full two weeks. Once she had a solid grasp of the fundamentals, she realized there was still much more to learn. In June 2013, after scrimping and saving, Xiao Feng finally bought her own computer, with one non-negotiable requirement when installing the software: it had to include office productivity applications.

 

Xiao Feng has now become proficient in Office software and can even create simple, practical spreadsheets on her own. She is currently studying basic Photoshop and CDR skills. “Although I’m past the prime age for learning, as long as I keep at it, anything is possible,” she says with unyielding determination. Just recently, she passed her driving test on the first try. “Once my probationary period is over, I’ll be able to cover for drivers,” a colleague nearby quipped, prompting hearty laughter from everyone present.

 

How much sweat and how much confidence are packed into the simple phrase, “Perseverance makes it possible.” We, too, should have that same faith!