Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 027

Chapter 27 ☆, The Essence of Finance Is Sales.

There were some people in this world who were pure workaholics and others who were pure love-obsessed.

Xin Xin envied both types. A pure person might suffer extreme pain, but they could also experience extreme joy.

For example, on the weekend, when Fu Meng invited her out for a business promotion salon, Xin Xin felt that she must be unhappy because she wasn’t pure enough.

If she were a pure workaholic, she wouldn’t be saddened by the sudden need to work overtime.

If she were a pure love-obsessed person, she could date several potential partners on her list this weekend.

However, she wasn’t pure enough, and this weekend she just wanted to curl up in bed and read a novel.

The SME Bond project that Yang Manman and Zhang Qiao were working on was nearing completion. Fu Meng felt they should make a big move and hold a rewarding event for their clients to increase customer loyalty and lay the foundation for their next big move.

Xin Xin didn’t want to go, but Fu Meng coaxed her, using both persuasion and force. Pointing to the vast sea of ​​stars, she said, “Xin Xin, you can’t be complacent about your past achievements. If we work together, we might even be more powerful than when Zhao Xi was here!”

Xin Xin declined. Her fundamental motivation for work was money, not the vast sea of ​​stars.

Fu Meng insisted, “No, you must come. I’ve already invited President Fang.”

President Fang had served as the company’s vice president for many years. In his early years, he was very tough, decisive, and accomplished, overcoming difficulties and challenges. But in the past two years, with his retirement approaching, he has almost retreated to the sidelines, only needing to deal with formalities. Therefore, he allowed the department heads to handle his responsibilities, seeking stability over results.

Therefore, he rarely participated in anything that required responsibility or that might cause trouble.

Fu Meng was no ordinary person; even President Fang could be invited.

Xin Xin was forced to sacrifice her weekends to serve as a mascot.

The event primarily consisted of a speech by President Fang, followed by Fu Meng’s introduction to some new products. With all the business done, everyone enjoyed themselves to the fullest. There was entertainment and flower arrangements, and each person received a premium gift to maintain customer loyalty.

Xin Xin watched the wealthy guests exchanging pleasantries, wondering why she wasn’t one of them.

Fu Meng gazed upon the scene with satisfaction, remarking, “The growth is delightful.”

Her attitude was as if the entire hall were a field of chives, and the guests were her beloved chives.

Since Fu Meng arrived at the company, Xin Xin had never even seen her take a break. Initially, when she received a barrage of calls from Fu Meng, Xin Xin suspected she was being targeted because of Zhao Xi.

Now that they were familiar with each other, Xin Xin realized Zhao Xi wasn’t that important at all; her approach to work had always been the same.

Every time she encountered someone in the restaurant, she would assign a task to her subordinates.

Xin Xin was curious. “Have you ever had weekends off since you came here?”

Fu Meng was in high spirits, watching the men and women working for her as they socialized with clients. She gave Xin Xin a strange look. “I don’t have a home here, so why would I need weekends off?”

Xin Xin was impressed. “You’re so energetic.”

Fu Meng smiled and said slowly, “Do you know where I’m from?”

Xin Xin played dumb. “Southern?”

Fu Meng shook her head. “I’m from the northwest. When I graduated, two of my fellow peers were looking for jobs with me, both in financial institutions. One of them worked there for a few years but said the overtime was too tiring, and she wanted to find poetry and distant places. So she went back home to raise camels and opened a mutton hotpot restaurant, earning 100,000 yuan a month. And the other, two years ago, passed the civil service exam in her hometown and is now a mother of two.

Xin Xin, unsure of what was going on, could only flatter her, saying, “You’re amazing! You’ve set high goals and remained true to your original aspirations. You’ve worked so hard to stay in this city.”

Fu Meng looked at her as if she were a fool. “What I meant was, I don’t have camels at home, let alone a hot pot restaurant for me. I don’t have parents who’ve bought me a nice house or car, just waiting for me to return home and get a stable job in the government. If I don’t have enough energy, I’ll be starving.”

When Zhao Xi had talked about Fu Meng before, Xin Xin had found it hard to connect her with the delicate, stubborn, and impoverished girl from the northwest that Zhao Xi had imagined. But now, watching Fu Meng speak so calmly, Xin Xin’s imagination of the delicately made-up, beautiful woman in front of her gradually merged with the person in Zhao Xi’s memory.

As they were talking, a client arrived late.

Fu Meng’s face immediately lit up with a smile. “Sister Ling, you’re here. I was just saying, I’ve got a VIP gift for you. If you’re busy, I’ll deliver it to you after we get off work.”

The person Fu Meng called Sister Ling was Zheng Zaochuan’s romantic partner.

When Xin Xin met Su Meiling, she had just inherited the family business. Her family was in the traditional textile industry, and upon inheriting it, she undertook drastic reforms, planning to enter the internet finance market. This led her to meet Zheng Zaochuan through their collaboration.

Now, several years later, the woman who was once left alone by Zheng Zaochuan, her humiliation and resentment written all over her face, had grown into a strong and unwavering entrepreneur.

Her company was doing well. After overcoming the initial volatility, it seemed to be on the verge of going public.

Xin Xin guessed this was the reason for Fu Meng’s particular enthusiasm.

Su Meiling greeted Xin Xin, “Hi, nice to see you again.”

When Zheng Zaochuan had first appeared with Xin Xin, her first reaction was that it was Zheng Zaochuan’s way of dealing with them. Overwhelmed with disappointment and anger, she blurted out, “Who the hell is she?”

At that moment, she saw the coldness on Zheng Zaochuan’s face.

Zheng Zaochuan always wore a smile. Even when furious, he still had a hint of a smile. She had never seen Zheng Zaochuan truly angry, and at that moment, she understood how important Xin Xin was to him.

But…

Su Meiling glanced at Xin Xin from the corner of her eye. The cuteness and innocence of her youth had long faded, and her beauty had indeed diminished somewhat. She was a nice-looking woman, but not outstanding, and her personality was even more unremarkable.

In short, nothing special. She felt a little resigned, wondering what had caught Zheng Zaochuan’s eye.

She recalled how her bank account manager had told her a few days ago that Xin Xin had become Zheng Zaochuan’s fiancée. She remained calm, her gaze fixed on Xin Xin’s fingers.

Beautiful, long, white fingers, their nails meticulously trimmed, but without a trace of a ring.

Xin Xin then greeted, “Sister Ling, there’s a flower arrangement instructor inside. It’s Teacher Li from Dongyifang. We’ve been scheduled for over two weeks. If you don’t have time to arrange flowers, I’ll have her arrange them for you and take them home.”

Su Meiling looked at Xin Xin. She was calm and composed, treating her like an ordinary customer.

How ridiculous.

Su Meiling laughed inwardly at her own frivolous competitiveness and said politely, “Boss Xin has worked on IPO projects at Hanhai. Should we raise funds first and introduce a strategic plan, or go public directly? I believe your company can give me the best answer.”

Fu Meng was flattered. “Of course, Sister Ling, we will definitely put the entire company’s resources into your project. Besides, we can also request expert assistance from the head office’s Policy Research Institute.”

Su Meiling, despite past grudges, even offered Xin Xin a compliment, which she greatly appreciated. But now that institutional projects were Fu Meng’s forte, Xin Xin couldn’t overshadow them. She simply smiled and watched the two exchange pleasantries.

Fu Meng’s financial philosophy was customization and sincerity: she provided whatever the client needed.

No matter what the client said or wanted, she promised without hesitation. When she encountered something she didn’t understand, she would flaunt her team and company credentials.

The product itself was another matter; the attitude was crucial.

Although Su Meiling had been trying to transition from traditional industries to internet finance, she failed after repeated attempts, forcing her to turn to other sectors. As the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a coincidence. Just as she was about to transition, her partner went bankrupt and had to use their assets to repay their debts. Su Meiling had no choice but to take over the factory. She had originally intended to sell it, but it never sold.

Finally, it was Zhao Xi who suggested she package her assets into a debt-for-equity swap, initially transitioning to pet food. If the factory didn’t take off, she wouldn’t have to rush to repay the debt; at least it wouldn’t remain idle.

Sometimes people just jump on the bandwagon, and Zhao Xi’s advice was spot-on. She capitalized on the rise of the pet economy to achieve a transformation in another sense.

Xin Xin’s approach to customer retention mirrored Zhao Xi’s. It focused on product matching and honestly providing advice to clients. When it came to earning client trust, it was all about professionalism.

Fu Meng disagreed. She believed that finance, no matter how esoteric it sounded, was ultimately about money. Furthermore, financial products were so homogenized that every company was the same. So what was the key to success? It was still the power of people. She came from an administrative background, focusing on people. She didn’t care about product quality or the accuracy of actuarial data. Her philosophy was simple: the company had the product, and she was responsible for selling it. The essence of financial products was sales.

Xin Xin, deeply familiar with the business, couldn’t guarantee certain outcomes in risky situations. Fu Meng, on the other hand, was different. She only learned a standard sales pitch, and the rest depended on building relationships with clients.

These two distinct working styles ultimately led to the same end: both had to put on a friendly front for clients. Today’s event wasn’t attended by many serious entrepreneurs; it was mostly wives of business owners. A little bit of patronizing was enough to satisfy the clients.

What was being bought and sold was financial products; what was being given away was emotional value.

The salon was supposed to last half a day, but by the time all the small talk was over, a whole day had passed.

Xin Xin dragged her exhausted body back home. As soon as she sat in the car, her phone vibrated several times, with several messages pinging in.

“Help me.”

“Help me, call me back.”

“Where is Twinkle Twinkle? Where is the star?”

“Help me, Xingxing.”

“Star, why are you ignoring me?”

The messages, sent in a span of no more than thirty seconds, were sent.

Xin Xin tried hard to control the curled corners of her lips, wanting to ignore them, but amid the barrage of WeChat messages, she helplessly dialed the number.