One Conversation Away From Your Dreams: by Neil O. Campbell

Oct. 26, 2010 - PRLog -- I would like to share a little story about how selling a car brought me the opportunity of living and working my dream as a high-end residential designer. I graduated from college in 2003 with a bachelor of architecture; I received a job working with a scattered lot builder in Albany Georgia as a building consultant (which is the same as a home salesman). The work was tough especially the market I was in, but I never despaired I always put my best foot forward each and every day. When I left that job due to creative indifference with the regional vice president, my sales office was one of the highest grossing in sales in the entire company. I moved to Atlanta because my first wife and I at the time grew a bit board of the slow pace of Albany and wanted and environment that reflected the energy of youthful people. We never knew anyone at the time in Atlanta but the natural born drive, will and passion for people, architecture and cars. After extensive search, I was able to secure a job with a Toyota dealership in Conyers Georgia. My first day selling cars, I had to hit the ground running to meet personal and sales goals. This was my very first time selling cars and I often wondered if I had bit off more than what I could chew. The only thing that gave me an edge over the veteran sale associates was my drive, will and determination. Day in day out I walked and combed the lot as if my legs were the sweeper. There were sale guys who received online leads (a.k.a handout leads) and were living the good life, but like the rest of the other hustlers I had to hit the lot hard and make things happen at the sales desk. With my charm and charisma in my first month, I was able to get the second highest in sales, behind the online cashiers.

The climax of my story is, one day I was at the used car lot down the street when I received a call from the sales manager saying that a lady needed assistance buying a car at the new car lot; before he could hang up the phone I was in the show room working my magic. This special lady was handled with extreme care and humility as with all my previous customers. After talking with her and getting to know her, I found out she was the mother of a mechanic at the dealership which made her even more special. She started to make observations of me and asked “how comes a nice intelligent guy such as yourself is working as a car salesman?” I responded naturally by saying I recently graduated from architecture school, I am new to the area and I do not know much people who could help me secure a job in an architecture firm. I also added that due to the recession it was even more difficult because most firms were not hiring. Her response to me was the complete opposite, according to her at the government agency she worked, most firms had more work than they could manage and plus they had to be extra nice to her to get there projects approved. With eyes of enthusiasm and ears of optimism I continued to listen to what she had to say while at the same time designing the four squares with all her objectives met. After selling her the car of her dreams and a wide smile on her face while taking delivery, she gave me the permission to call her the following Monday so she could forward me the list of the firms for me to solicit. The following Monday I followed up as instructed and the rest was history. I was able to secure my very first employment with a high ranking architecture firm in Atlanta before venturing on my own. My lesson learned was if we all can take the time to look around us, meditate, treat people with love and care, our dreams are one conversation away. Most times people think that life changing opportunities fall out the sky, but if we look beyond the every day interaction of people and treat people with love and respect we will be amazed with the possibilities. Get to know your neighbor, someone on the rise of doing great things, the person next to you in church and the people we intersect as we go about our daily lives. Share your story on how a conversation with a stranger changed your life in a miraculous way.  Thanks for reading! Now look at what I have achieved: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Neil-O-Campbell-Architectur...

Neil O. Campbell
Architectural Designer
Atlanta, Georgia

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Neil Campbell Architecture LLC is a relationship driven Design Company, practicing the art of refining, restyling and repackaging the best of all forms of architecture.