(Minghui.org) Greetings, esteemed Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
This is the 5th year my husband and I have participated full time in selling advertisements for our media. I've gradually come to understand that as long as we sincerely put forward our full effort and cooperate, sales are actually not that difficult. Because of Master Li’s (the founder) blessing, our sales have steadily improved. Not only do we earn enough to support ourselves, but we are also contributing to our media's growth.
Overcoming Challenges
Our sales were mediocre during the first two years after we joined the media team. We made no money and relied on our savings to cover our living expenses. My husband and I had a serious conversation about our financial difficulties. Should we continue doing media sales or should we look for a regular job? We decided to continue working in sales. We realized the reason for our poor performance was that we didn't work hard enough and didn’t have a strong desire to save people.
We live in a relaxed environment outside of China. Shouldn't we put all our time into the media project? How could we think about giving up this precious opportunity to participate in saving people? Our mission is to do a good job in sales, connect with predestined clients and arrange for them to advertise in our media. Isn't this Master's arrangement? How could we think about retreating at the first sign of difficulty?
Once I firmly resolved to continue what Master arranged for me to meet with relatively large clients, I cherished the opportunity to talk with each one. Many became steady customers and I was even able to introduce Shen Yun Performing Arts to them. My sales grew.
One client, a doctor, is very kind but always wants to see an immediate return from his investment. He pays special attention to the effect of advertising with us. Each month when the payment is due, he's always ready to end his contract. I remain calm and positive and try to answer his concerns. Every month, I drive more than two hours to his clinic. Sometimes I need to wait an additional three to five hours until he has time to meet with me. I calmly listen to his complaints and then come up with a solution. Every time I visit the clinic I meet patients who are there because of our newspaper or TV ads. Sometimes the doctor's wife tells me that our advertisements are working well.
Working in Sales Is a Cultivation Opportunity
Working in sales gives me opportunities to reach out to various business people. I feel that our behavior validates Dafa and can help us clarify the truth to people.
I know that Master is helping me. I discovered that if I don't avoid listening to the clients' complaints, they seldom complain. Instead, when they see me, they feel my genuine kindness and my concern for them. I realize it's also a test to see whether I'll be swayed by their words. When I treat their complaints as a practitioner, when I have no attachment to ego or loss and gain, the client’s attitude completely changes.
After heavily complaining for nearly a year, one client began to trust my advice. I can feel that Master is continuously giving me wisdom. As long as I can remember that I'm a practitioner, every complaint is a good thing.
Because this client only advertised on the Internet, his business declined. Last month, he complained that he had fewer patients. I suggested he increase the budget and do TV ads. Just one month after initiating TV promotion, his business has grown significantly. As salespeople, we must have a strong desire to bring more funds to our media, not to make money, but to make a breakthrough in mainstream society. When our mindset meets the higher requirements, our sales will do better and our media will have a greater impact.
Our clients are arranged by Master. We should use the power of our righteous thoughts to find them. One customer had done half-page advertisements in our newspaper. When I suggested TV ads he immediately agreed. Because of his positive attitude towards our media, his business keeps getting better and better. He recently tripled his budget and renewed his contract for four years. He also sponsored the Shen Yun program booklet for three consecutive years, and this year added English language newspaper ads. I thanked Master for his compassionate protection and arrangement!
Breaking Through Our Notions So We Can Help Our Customers
In 2017, our media added the Internet platform, which is more suitable for restaurant customers. I was able to sign up a few restaurant clients, but the situation was not stable. Several colleagues said that restaurant owners were unwilling to spend money on ads, only $800 to $1,000 each month.
I found that some restaurant owners wanted to place ads. I thought that I would try to find restaurants whose budgets for advertisements exceeded $10,000 per month. My husband and I soon contacted a large chain of buffet restaurants. The owner was interested. My husband made a very conservative plan for him. The monthly budget would be $3,000, $4,000, or $5,000. I didn't feel it was right because small restaurants' ads were $2,000. For such a large-scale restaurant, we should have a larger budget to achieve the best result. I asked my husband to revise the plan with a monthly budget of $3,000, $5,000 or $10,000. He had concerns but I told him firmly, “Just do it.”
I explained that we must break through our old notions and have a positive attitude. This was a large restaurant chain, so it needed a bigger budget. Since our media had so many platforms to offer, we could definitely help him. As a result, the negotiations went very smoothly. After reviewing the plan, the owner immediately selected the $10,000 budget. He felt the ads were very cost-effective.
Do Not Grow a Mentality of Complaint
To increase online advertisements, cooperation between the sales, design and production departments is very important. When my clients give me good feedback about their ads I know it's a result of cooperation with other departments and shows the power of our conjoined efforts.
I had two online promotions for two of my long-term customers, which the technicians forgot to implement. Because of the increase in new clients, more people had recently joined our media. I didn’t complain since I knew it wasn't easy to learn a new job. Everyone works hard and contributes so our media can grow. I just sent righteous thought to strengthen those practitioners. In the end, the customers didn’t complain and later even increased their budget.
If one has strong human notions, the results may be negative. Once I signed a client who owned a beauty business. The lady had suffered a lot. After listening to her experiences, my sentimentality attachment was aroused. I thought I must help her. After I submitted the order to the design department, there was no feedback for more than a week. I started to complain in my mind. It wasn't easy to sign a client and I complained that someone hadn't done their job! I was worried the customer would complain.
Just as I was complaining, the client started sending me one text after another, saying she wanted to end our contract. I was immediately alerted. How could this happen? I hadn’t encountered a client in such a rush before. I immediately looked inward and realized my own complaint caused her reaction. I immediately sent a righteous thought to eliminate the bad thoughts. I checked with the office and was told the colleague in charge of my order was sick. She was a non-practitioner. My complaint might have had a negative effect on her. Once I adjusted my attitude, my client changed her attitude too.
After this event, I paid attention to my thoughts. It's easy to say but hard to do. We need to study the Fa well so that the power of the Fa enables us to handle situations as practitioners.
Master said,
“So if you wish to do still better, then study the Fa well, for only this makes it possible and only this will allow you to complete your historic missions.” (“Dafa Disciples Are Fulfilling Their Missions”, Team Yellow Translation)
Balancing Home and Work
My nine-year-old daughter sometimes complains that I spend more time with clients than with her. She didn’t study the Fa or do the exercises regularly. Her tone of voice was rude. In my mind I complained that my mother-in-law was indulging her. I thought that she should study the Fa with my daughter since I was so busy at work. I had all kinds of complaints.
I knew something was wrong in my cultivation. Although I had improved at work, I needed to balance family as well. After sharing with fellow practitioners, I was determined to make a change. To help my daughter I enrolled her in summer camp and I accompanied her.
The cultivation environment for young practitioners was very helpful for my daughter. I also found a lot of my attachments such as showing off, ego and self-interest, comfort, etc. Seeing how other practitioners take care of their children full time, I was tempted and felt that I should do the same. My daughter said, "Mom, don't copy others. Everyone has a different path." I understood that was Master's hint.
With our advertisements steadily growing, I had begun feeling satisfied with myself. My hidden attachments to showing off, ego and self-interest started to become obvious. While I was at summer camp I had enough time to study the Fa, do the exercises, and look inward. I gradually realized that I didn’t do much to save people. Sometimes, I felt my body was heavy. I understood that there are standards for Dafa disciples in the Fa-rectification period. I cannot go to the other extreme with the excuse that I needed to bring up young practitioners. We should be able to do both.
I adjusted my thoughts and kept in touch with potential customers. While I was at camp, the owner of a restaurant chain called me and later signed a $120,000 contract. This client has dozens of restaurants. It was the same client that I signed successfully last year who helped sponsor Shen Yun. If we have no selfishness and just want to assistant Master in Fa-rectification, Master will arrange the best opportunities for us.
Although I was able to keep a good attitude toward colleagues and clients, I often felt unhappy with my family. Sometimes I criticized them endlessly. I realized that nothing is trivial in cultivation and that I needed to wake up.
One should maintain the standards and mindset of a practitioner in any environment, just as Master said,
“You should always maintain a compassionate heart and a calm mind. If you suddenly bump into a problem, you will be able to take care of it properly. If you always maintain a heart of benevolence and compassion, when a problem arises suddenly, you will have buffer and room to think. If you always think about competing with others and fighting over this or that, I would say that you will start a flight with others whenever there is a problem-this is guaranteed. Thus, when you encounter a conflict, I would say that it is to transform your black substance into the white substance, de.” (Zhuan Falun, Translation published in 2014)
I started to send righteous thoughts to eliminate my complaints and my looking down on others. One day, I noticed my daughter's tone of voice had become respectful and gentle. My notions and negative energy field had a bad influence on her. I was really ashamed. When I think about it, my family environment is actually very good. Although my mother-in-law is a new practitioner, she has no complaints and helps me. She does the housework and picks up my child. She also goes to Chinatown to clarify the truth on weekends. With my mother-in-law's help, my husband and I have enough time to sell advertisements.
While I write this experience sharing, I realize that sometimes I regard my human notions as myself. Now I know that they are not me. I must eliminate them and improve myself. I will fulfill Master's compassionate arrangements.
Do Not Relax in Personal Cultivation
Because I need to prepare breakfast and lunch for my daughter every morning, I hadn’t participated in the morning Fa-study or the group exercises for several months. I was very tired at night after a busy day meeting customers. Sometimes I didn’t want to do the exercises. I didn’t attend the group Fa-study saying that I studied the Fa with my daughter. I realized that my attachment to comfort had grown.
My personal understanding is, one’s body will feel more uncomfortable if we sleep more. We must always remind ourselves and the fellow practitioners around us, every minute and every second is extended for us to save more sentient beings. Our relaxing may bring us interference. I hope to make more breakthroughs in my personal cultivation, to fulfill my responsibility to save people and not disappoint Master.
Master said,
“The self-cultivation that Dafa disciples do is not merely for their own spiritual perfection, but also to help me save all lives. You have a mission to fulfill, and that is why you had the opportunity to become disciples of Dafa.” (“Greetings to the Dafa Disciples Attending the Fa Conference of Europe”, Team Yellow Translation)
I cannot see scenes in other dimensions but I do feel my great responsibility as a practitioner in the media. We should not only do a good job but also improve as a whole in cultivation. If we cultivate well our professionalism will improve.
Thank you, Master! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Experience Sharing at the 2019 NTD and Epoch Times Fa Conference)
