I am prepared for this. Another deep breath in and I was ready to impress him. Hopefully.
“Okay, so I’ve noticed a general trend in the contracts you sent me. I also did some very basic and quick preliminary research that suggests it’s an industry-wide trend. Customers are expecting to get their goods faster, more flexibly, and with little cost involved.”
“That’s true,” he said, his eyes shifting from one of mine to the other. “You really had time to read through the contracts and do research?”
“Yes.” Feeling slightly encouraged by the openness of his expression, I dove back in. “By making efficient use of technology, we might be able to lower some costs and to change the way the industry works.”
“You haven’t started working in it yet, and you already want to change the industry?” he asked, amusement lighting up his eyes. It wasn’t the derisive kind, though, so I let it go.
I finally let my smile break through in response, glancing down at my notes before continuing. “I don’t so much want to change it as I want to help the company with the changes already happening. There are also some larger, traditional customers who are becoming players in the logistics game themselves. I noticed one of your clients had mentioned they were looking at opening their own logistics department by the end of the year.”
His dark eyebrows lifted, and a second later, he was giving me a soft, slow clap. “Looks like my gut was right about you, but I need you to slow down. Reciting the challenges and changes in the industry isn’t going to bring in more clients.”
“It might help keep some,” I suggested, even though he’d knocked the wind out of my sails a little with his comment.
“Sure, and when you speak to them and it comes up, by all means, feel free to discuss it. You’re intelligent and I like that you’re enthusiastic, but we need to keep industry matters secondary when it comes to talking to clients.”
He moved the mouse beside his computer and turned the screen at an angle so I’d be able to see it. Then he clicked into one of his client folders. “You are right, though. There are many of the bigger companies who have already started their own logistics departments and many more who are planning on it.”
I nodded along with him, surprised to feel like he was teaching me instead of making me feel like I was too much. That had happened to me before when I’d gotten carried away.
The document he pointed at wasn’t one I’d seen before, so I leaned in slightly and scooted forward on my chair for a better view.
“Preston Medical is one of our bigger clients and they’re only growing. The trouble we’re having with them is that they’ve appointed some new operations manager who believes he can do our jobs better and for cheaper than we can. I know he’s wrong, but Preston isn’t convinced.”
“Okay, so in one deal, we’re facing two of the challenges I identified?” A rush of exhilaration traveled through me. I hadn’t been fooling myself. I really had gotten a bit of a grip on this.
Marco nodded. “Precisely, but we can’t allow our negotiations to center around those two things. We need to address them as secondary issues. But ultimately, it’s about providing our service to our clients in such a way that they want to use us again, despite the jackasses in the world who think they can do better.” He stood up suddenly. “Come with me.”
I frowned but followed him out of the building. Once we were outside, he grinned and produced a pair of aviator sunglasses. As he slid them on, he turned to face me and started walking at the same time.
“Where are we going?” I asked, lifting a hand to shield my eyes from the sun.
“A field trip,” he replied with entirely too much sexy swagger for a boss to have. At that moment, right there on that narrow street with him in his designer suit walking backward and wearing a smirk, he looked every ounce the eligible billionaire bachelor I knew him to be.
He cocked his head until I caught up, then spun around and led me into a short alley. “So here’s the thing, right? I need to see how you interact with a client who doesn’t really want what you’re selling, even if you know it might help them.”
“You want me to be a salesperson?” I glanced up at him, doing my best to ignore the strong, slightly darkened edge of his jaw from this angle. “I can do that.”
Another thrill ran down my spine. Working with Marco, although he was terribly distracting, was going to be fun. He was easygoing while still commanding, respectful but firmly in control, and didn’t have a dictatorial vibe most of my previous bosses had given off.
While we walked, Marco slid his hands into his pockets and strolled along as if he didn’t have a care in the world, all the while explaining to me why he needed someone like me to work with the clients.
About ten minutes after we’d left the office, he led me into a large public park. Green grass stretched from one side to the other while gnarled old trees formed canopies above, and several ponds decorated the space.
There were many people milling around, and as soon as we walked in, he pulled off his glasses and looked right into my eyes. “I want you to sell an umbrella to someone in this park.”
My gaze drifted toward the sky. “It’s a beautiful day. There’s no rain in sight.”
“That’s exactly why I chose an umbrella as the product today.”
I was tempted to smack him in the arm, but considering I was trying to be professional, I managed to hold back. Just.
Besides, I liked the challenge. “You’re on. Where am I supposed to find an umbrella, though?”
“I’ll get one
