With the Italian adventure over its back down south to rainy Cheshire to start work at my day job 🙂 although I believe we are supposed to be having a heat wave next week. I provide holiday cover within a busy office which means I have to pick things up quickly but at least it provides for plenty of variety. It also allows me to plan my performances in the days that I am not needed. Unfortunately I can’t sing in the office during the day because it disturbs people’s concentration 🙁
This week I’m helping out in the Sales department where it is my job to try and bring in more work for the drivers to do. When discussing different ways to approach prospective customers Terry, the Operation’s Director, suggested an age old method of good lead collection to the Sales Executive Steve. Listening to the developing conversation I thought, I can do that, and suggested that if I went along it would mean we could cover a larger area. I love to meet new people so with my iPad and some sales literature we set off to the local industrial estates to gather information about local businesses. Terry called it “leg work” so I was prepared for the walking but not the weather 🙁
Having survived the down pours and with all my contact information safe and secure my next task is to send all of the people I met a service specification and sales pack, either by telephone or e-mail whichever their preferred method of contact was. Several people told me a bit about their organisation so that I could set out how we could specifically help them.
You might think this sort of job wouldn’t help me in my singing aspirations, however, in previous years when working on the telephones it really helped me improve my communication skills as you have to talk very clearly and more slowly over a telephone than in person. It has certainly helped me gain confidence when talking to people on the telephone as normally most of my contact with friends would be by text so this new skill will help me when I need to talk to people on the telephone about concerts and lining up events.
I’m hoping that working in sales and marketing will help me to have the courage to approach people for new performance opportunities; you can’t just sit and wait for offers to come out of the blue. Terry say’s sales is all about people and relationship building, self-confidence and attitude – so as I did when I was five and at my first swimming lesson – here I’m about to jump straight in at the deep end. Hopefully this time no one will have to jump in and rescue me as the swimming coach did, apparently she’d only told those children that could already swim without water wings to jump in 🙂
I agree, work is alot about attitude. Attitude to work and to other people. In the past I’ve seen other people promoted a head of me and it’s not very nice at the time but with the correct attitude you can overcome it. But hey it seems like a downer at the time.
Hi Tim, The only experience I have so far like this is to be looked over for a part that I thought I’d be good in, at times I was really sad but my parents used to say “get used to it Charlotte because if you’re serious about going into the arts you’re going to experience lots of rejection when auditioning before you finally break through so if you can’t handle it don’t get involved”. I now understand that this is part of my training and I like to think that if you work hard enough towards your goals then one day you will make them happen 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
I love reading your posts. You are such an incredibly positive person. BTW, where is that “O mio babbino caro” you promised us? 🙂
Hi Mikels, I find life is more enjoyable if you think positive and keep smiling 🙂 As for “O mio babbino caro” if I can get a good recording from one of my Summer recitals then I will post a copy here, otherwise I will have to wait until I can get some studio time booked at the end of the Summer.
Thanks for visiting and best wishes
Charlotte
I think you will. The skill of creating relationship with people while working in sales should help you with relationship with your audiences.
I believe that it is so important to have good communication skills as these allow you to convey emotion to your audience when you perform and helps improve your ability to connect with people individually when the opportunity arises. Thanks for stopping by again you are always welcome.
Warmest wishes
Charlotte
Well done and hope you accept this award http://barbmca.wordpress.com/2013/07/04/bouquet-of-awards-seven-awards-for-15-bloggers/
Thank you so much Bee, and I appreciate that you nominated me, I will make some time this weekend to look at these awards and make time to accept them.
My very best wishes,
Charlotte
Charlotte – When I look at your photo, I am amazed THAT voice comes out of someone so young. Thank you so much for putting some of your recordings on your blog. I know you will achieve your dreams.
Thanks for your positive vibes, I’ve always had a big voice, I’ve been working all this year on not over darkening my tone but the positives I get are that there is warmth and texture in my tone. Singing is like your gardening you only get out what you put in 🙂 I hope you can get some time to come visit with me again soon.
Best wishes and thanks for the comment,
Charlotte
You are so nice in every dress you wear! Love it! visit mine too. Don’t forget to follow. Haha 🙂
Thank you for your lovely comment and for introducing me to your blog 🙂
Best Wishes
Charlotte
Lucky me, I could sing all day long in my cubicle without someone yelling at my back, oops… :0)
LOL , I offer to do the tea and coffee rota three times a day when I’m in the office, then I get chance to sing washing the dishes and making the drinks up 🙂
Thanks for visiting,
Charlotte
Awesome!!! You seem like such a nice person. Thanks for checking out my blog!! I look forward to reading more from you 🙂
Thank you, my brothers don’t always think I’m nice 🙂 I’m visiting my eldest brother this weekend in London, at least we stopped actually fighting years ago when we both took up Karate because we could actually hurt each other LOL. I hope you can call back again soon.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Great blog. Lots of adventure. I’ll come back later, gotta go to work too.
Thanks for visiting, I took a look through your blog too and particularly liked the pictures of men at work, such a lot of depth, and that you met the artist in person was really cool 🙂 I also enjoyed the Edward Gorey art it gave me Hollywood Deja Vous with the opening credits from Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters movie. My younger brother draws like this, we thought he might become a graphic artist at one stage.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte!
Super lovely posts and pictures! Good luck with your new task! 🙂 …
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the post. I like how passionate you are about your photography.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Charlotte, thank you so much for following Gwichyaa Zhee. My first thought as I read this post was, “How does she do that!” Picking up jobs quickly is not my forte – more of a “give me two years” kind of worker. I’m very interested to read more about the musical side of you. At the moment, however, it is time to take the grandchildren to the movies, a role I was born to. 🙂
Hi Dave, I’ve actually built up a knowledge over a few years working in school holidays and I have a good memory and a notebook :-). Which movie did you see with the grandchildren in the end? I saw a fabulous movie in London this weekend called Now You Can See Me if you like magic, or Despicable Me 2 if you’ve got an inner minion and young grandchildren, I loved it, dead funny.
Best Wishes, Pop back again if you get chance,
Charlotte
Call me Despicable, too. I’m very interested in NYCSM; hope to see it before I return to Fort Yukon. No theaters there!
By the way, how do you pronounce your last name? Like Heather?
The “Hoa” is pronounced like the garden “Hoe” and the second part is like “There” but drop the last ‘e’.
Thanks for asking Dave.
Warmest wishes
Charlotte
Your photo is lovely. I can just feel the happiness and positivity radiating out from you even in a photo. Keep it up – such an inspiration. p.s. where did you get your dress? – it’s super as are all your other dresses that I’ve seen from photos of you singing. I really enjoy reading your blog, your thoughts and commentaries are so insightful as are your stories. Thank you.
Hi Rachel, I bought my dress from Desigual, end of season sale a couple of years ago, its one of my favourites, I always like their cookie styling, it’s got a big gorilla on the front, I figured prospective customers would remember me. I’m glad my pictures give off happiness I once watched a film that said five minutes smiling a day makes you happier, even on my down days I try to fit in a smile.
Hope you can find time to call back 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
Thank you so much for following my blog. I never thought that it would have even 1 follower. Thanks.
Hi Parneet, I was so happy when I got my first followers and am even more excited when people call back to visit again. ‘Cooking made easy for you’ is definitely my kind of blog, its great, I love chocolate brownies, I’m going to try it when I got back to the Conservatoire to impress my friends.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
What a lovely site with a lovely girl that has a beautiful voice. Really enjoyed my visit here and look forward to reading more of your posts!
I’m glad you found my blog ‘lovely’, it’s one of my favourite adjectives. I love your blogs pink background, I nearly decided on pink but it wasn’t sparkly enough 🙂 my favourite combination, pink/sparkly ( LOL ).
Best wishes
Charlotte
Sparkles work too!
This is just spectacular. It pleases me no end to see a talented, lovely young person with such a great attitude. Thank you: you’re a model to us all.
No it is me that should thank you for reading and returning, I always thought I’d like to be a role model until I realised it wasn’t just walking around in Channel and Dior smiling 🙂 But seriously, I like the idea of inspiring people to strive for what they’re personally passionate about, whether it be building houses like my old karate friend Daniel, or cutting and styling hair like Christian who found a new passion for hairdressing, he reminded me I promised him tickets if I ever got to last night of the proms.
Best wishes hope you can call back again,
Charlotte
i heard your songs in your blog, beautiful, so amazing !
I’m happy you enjoyed my songs. I’ll be competing with a couple of the songs on Thursday in Llangollen, it’s my first time at this festival, my Nan’s taking me because my parents can’t get time off work. It’s in an adult category too, so that’s challenging, I get fifteen minutes practise with the festival pianist then try to get through the first round!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
I’m going to print this out and give it to some of the people (staff and volunteers) who will be out and about, at various events this summer, spreading the word for the small charity for which I work. I’ve been in marketing for decades but you’ve hit it at the start! You’re going to have a great career.
I made the activity interesting and when we were turned away I didn’t take it personally, people were just busy or had a different work policy about receiving visitors. I hope your events are successful this summer, good luck,
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Charlotte, Thanks for following FIGHTER FAITH. I look forward to exchanging posts. -Jason
Thanks for visiting Jason, I Agree with your post that said ‘courage is not the absence of fear, courage is the willingness to act in spite of my fear’. Did you see my post about Dr Sarah Fane a truly inspirational lady who treads where others would fear to tread.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
a brave woman and a great article!
Good luck in your career and thank you for visiting our blog.
Thanks Tricia for your good wishes, I hope you can find time to pop back again.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Best wishes surviving your day job as you pursue your dream job. At some point in the future, John Acuff’s book, “Quitter,” may prove useful for you.
Thanks for the book tip Lon, I looked it up and made a note of it. Even the fabulous Renee Fleming in an interview with Alec Baldwin said she had to take a job in an office when she left her studies to pay the rent for a short while.
Thanks for reading,
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Thanks for checking out Life Is Like a Dumpling! Hope the singing is going well and I’m looking forward to reading more of your posts 🙂
Thank you Gen for taking a look at my blog, hope you can pop back.
Best Wishes,
Charlotte
When I read that your singing interupts other people’s concentration I thought, “Well clearly they weren’t doing anything worth the concentration.” Could you take requests from your colleagues and sing those, would that make your audience more receptive? Charlotte Hoather sings her interpretation of Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines or Icona Pop’s, I love It. Sounds motivating to me. Always be Closing? No no, Always be Singing, til close.
Hi Lee, I may try that and see what reaction I get 🙂
I hope that you can visit with me again soon.
Charlotte
i love your outlook and the way you can interpret your experiences to be of help in your dreams. It’s a gift to get the most out of every experience!
I am fortunate to love what I do and do what I love 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
I am terrible at selling myself or my work, but it is becoming more apparent that in order for me to be successful, I’ll have to up my level of self-confidence. By the way, when I was little, I didn’t jump into the deep in, I was thrown in. 😀 (once they finally caught me)
Hi Eric, I find that the better you feel about yourself the easier it is to take advantage of opportunities that cross your path. Keep trying and I am sure good things will happen for you 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
Thank you, keep up the good work.
You have a wonderful attitude! Some people would choose to complain about this not being in their skillset, or having nothing to do with what they really want to do. I love that you have chosen to focus on aspects of the job that would benefit you in pursuing your singing career.
Hi Janna, I always find that if I look for the “positive” in any situation it helps me focus and adapt the new skills I pick up towards achieving my goals 🙂
Thanks for contributing and I hope to see you back again soon
Charlotte
You look soooo preeety… 🙂
Hope your job is going well and it’s fitting into your singing career; I just started a new job last week too so I can kind of understand where you’re coming from! Thank for stopping by my blog and for the follow! Looking forward to more from you 🙂
Thanks Mya, it’s great to be useful, last week I was covering for the lady who does the purchase ledger, insurance and hours recording so I learnt some new stuff. I do about four days in the office because of my concerts so it’s really good, what was your new job? Are you settling into it?
Best Wishes
Charlotte
The copy of O mio babbino caro that I have is by Anna Netrebko. I listed to you and I think in days to come Anna may well have a rival. Thank you.
Thank you that’s a lovely compliment John.
All the best and come back and visit again soon 🙂
Charlotte
Most careers have some sort of sales component. Even if it is just selling your boss on your take on a problem. I often wish I had some practical sales experience.
Hi Eric, my Mum goes on about this all the time, call centres, customer services, customer care roles, marketing, promotional work are big employers and all skills I need if I am to work all year round.
Best wishes
Charlotte
WOWjust what Iwas looking for. Came here by searching for business