华尔街中级英语学习教程第9课：几年以后Act6 (MP3和文本下载)

JUDITH: Good afternoon! Double Cross Organization, Judith speaking. What can I do for you?

PERVY CALLER: Good afternoon. I saw your advertisement in this afternoon's newspaper, which said that you were looking for door-to-door salesmen for household goods. I feel that I would be particularly suitable in this position, as I enjoy meeting people face to face and knocking on their doors. I also enjoy -

JUDITH: Sorry to interrupt you, sir, but I'm afraid you'll need to talk to our Mr Conn.

PERVY CALLER: But I'd rather talk to you. I like talking to attractive young ladies.

JUDITH: You'll have to wait for Mr Conn, I'm afraid. He's interviewing another applicant for the post at the moment.

MR CONN: Tell me then, Mr Dogge, what were your reasons for applying for this job? What was it that particularly interested you?

MR CONN: Was it the product, perhaps, or had you already heard of the Double Cross organization?

MR DOGGE: Er, no... I'm sorry.

MR CONN: Well, what was it, then, that made you pick up your pen and write to us?

MR DOGGE: I'm sorry sir, I wrote the application with a pencil actually, I'm sorry...

MR CONN: It doesn't matter. Let's change the subject. How would you go about selling our products, if you were offered the position? Imagine I'm a housewife, OK. I'm at home, listening to the radio or whatever, and you come around and knock on my front door. What would you say to me?

MR DOGGE: Er… um…

MR CONN: I mean, imagine I've just opened the door, OK? Well, would you just leave me standing on the doorstep, or what? What would you say, for Heaven’s sake?

MR DOGGE: I imagine I'd try to sell you something.

MR CONN: OK, that’s a start. But what would you actually say?

MR DOGGE: Um, ah... help! I don't know, sir! My mind's gone blank! I'd think of something though, I would. Please believe me, I would!

MR CONN: I think we'd better leave it at that, Mr Dogge. Thank you very much for your application.

MR CONN: Judith, would you please show Mr Dogge out?

MR DOGGE: Honestly Mr Conn, my mind went blank, that's all. It could have happened to anyone. It doesn't often happen to me, well, not that often. I'm sorry, I really am.

MR CONN: Thank you, Mr Dogge.

JUDITH: You didn't bring a coat, did you? Bye-bye.

MR CONN: Mother of God! I just don't believe it! How much did we pay the newspaper to advertise this job?

JUDITH: $95, Mr Conn.

MR CONN: Ninety-five bucks? It wasn't worth ninety-five cents. Every single person who's come here today has been an absolutely hopeless loser. I don’t know! Are there any applicants left now, or is that the lot?

JUDITH: There's just one gentleman waiting, Mr Conn.

MR CONN: Ah well, he can't be any worse than the rest of them. What's his name?

JUDITH: Mr Berry, sir. Mr John Berry.

MR CONN: OK, show Mr Berry in then, Judith.

JUDITH: Certainly, Mr Conn. If you'd like to go in, Mr Berry, Mr Conn will see you now.

JOHN: Good afternoon, Mr Conn.

MR CONN: Good afternoon. Take a seat, Mr Berry.

JOHN: No thanks, I'm not hungry.

MR CONN: I beg your pardon?

JOHN: I had a Godzillaburger on the way here.

MR CONN: I asked you to take a seat.

JOHN: Oh, I see!

JOHN: It’s funny, you know, I thought you were asking me if I wanted something to eat. Sorry about that. I should have listened more carefully. Listening, that's what selling’s all about. The successful salesman doesn't talk, he listens to the customer, so that...

MR CONN: Can we start please, Mr Berry?

JOHN: Sorry.

MR CONN: That's quite alright. Now, I have your letter of application here. I see that you worked for Plastic Box for a while. What was your position there, exactly?

JOHN: I was Marketing Manager.

MR CONN: Were you indeed?

JOHN: Well, to be absolutely exact, I was Junior Assistant Deputy Marketing Manager. But I could have become Marketing Manager in a few years. You see, I was doing very well when I left.

MR CONN: If you were doing so well, Mr Berry, then why did you leave after only nine months?

JOHN: Well, I thought it was, like, time to change jobs, you know, time to move into a different field, kind of.

MR CONN: You said in your letter that you were dismissed.

JOHN: Did I? Oh yes, well, that was another reason for leaving, yes.

MR CONN: What were you dismissed for?

JOHN: Oh, I didn't agree with my boss’s ideas, you know. We didn't agree about, like, marketing, kind of. He was, like, one of these real old-fashioned guys, you know, with very traditional ideas, so he... I... we decided it would be best to, to...

MR CONN: To fire you.

JOHN: Well, yes.

MR CONN: Well, since then you've certainly had a variety of experiences, Mr Berry. You've been unemployed quite a bit, and you've even been in the music business, I see. I wonder, though, what actual sales experience you've had?

JOHN: Well, I have sold gas, in a gas station.

MR CONN: Ah-ha. That's not exactly what you'd call a hard sell. You don't have to be super-salesman of the year to sell gas to a guy with an empty tank, do you? So what about your qualifications, then? Have you got any qualifications in sales or marketing? Have you done any training courses, or anything like that? Anything at all?

JOHN: Oh, yes, I've attended a Dynathought seminar.

MR CONN: Dynathought? Is that something to do with credit cards?

JOHN: Oh no, it's a training course for people who want to succeed in life, and go straight to the top.

MR CONN: And what have you learned from it, Mr Berry?

JOHN: Well, the point about Dynathought is that... you think, you see, that what you think... what you want to be, is what you think you are. No. You think... you choose to think that what you want to think... no, to be, is...

MR CONN: You must have found it terribly useful, I'm sure.

MR CONN: Well look, Mr Berry, I'll tell you a bit about Double Cross. Our salesmen don't receive any salary or wages but they earn an excellent commission on what they sell. We pay 5% on the first $2000’ worth of goods sold, and 10% after that, so your income depends on your success as a salesman. No sales, no earnings. Is that clear?

JOHN: Oh yes, absolutely.

MR CONN: Good. Now that we both know where we stand, I'll show you the product that we're marketing at the moment. It's a most attractive and useful little machine, which can be used both as a washing machine and as a coffee maker. It only costs $575, and it's so small it can be kept in a cupboard when it's not being used...

MR CONN: Would you come in here, Judith?

MR CONN: Is that the lot, then?

JUDITH: Yes, it is.

MR CONN: Thank God for that!

JUDITH: Did that last one get the job, then?

MR CONN: I had to appoint someone. I'll send him on one of our sales courses. Ah well, are you free this evening, Judith?

JUDITH: Yes, I think so.

MR CONN: Then will you ring my wife and tell her I'll be late home, there's a good girl?