Maybe Better, Maybe Worse

Let me borrow my title from one of Nicholas Sparks' predictable lines in one of his novels. If one would ask how I do this time, I would reply with such conviction that yeah, I maybe better or maybe worse. I just had an interesting conversation with a prospective client. Interesting for me, you bet. But maybe she found herself a box of boredom in me for her to say "Or maybe I should talk directly with your training directors, blah, blah." She was a challenging customer. She opened my eyes into seeing what a lame Marketing Officer I was. While she was incessantly stating her predicament about the quote I submitted, I was holding the phone half-thinking I still have a lot to learn. Maybe God was calling me out of my cave again. I did not see myself caught in an embarrassing situation because I wasn't prepared for a rebuttal. I felt gratitude that hey, I actually have this opportunity to deal with. I was hesitant to cut her litany short, and I did not anyway. It was an enlightening moment to hear out what she has to say. And I guess she appreciated what I did in the end despite my attempts to immediately address her concerns. I was just being honest. I was just being myself. I am not sure if a room for empathy is welcome in the corporate world, but that's just exactly what I did. Be reasonable. Be honest. Admit your mistakes. Flinch when necessary. Wow, am i being elevated one step higher to maturity? And responsibility? If my boss was around, I could have been underrated. Who cares. I may have been better now, or worse. The thing is, I learned. Thanks, Eya!