David Thompson - Career Helium

Anyone who wants to fast track their career should read this book.

Andrew Stembridge, Managing Director, Chewton Glen

Like all the best products, this book does exactly what it says on the tin. Contained within its pages are secrets that will make sales people more successful, leaders more effective, and give owner managers a distinct advantage over their competitors. Buy it. Read it. Live it

Dan Collins, Founder, Fresh Group

Career Helium is the Who Moved My Cheese for the 21st century. A great read.

Samantha Allen, Managing Partner, Consumer & Retail, Whitehead Mann

As a CEO, I found the advice contained within Career Helium to be useful, practical, and achievable by anyone with career advancement aspirations.

David J. DiStefano, President & CEO, Richardson

One of the many great things about this book is that it explains that you dont have to walk over people to get on. Thats refreshing.

Danny Pecorelli, Managing Director, Exclusive Hotels

Copyright 2007 David Thompson

First published in 2007 by:

Marshall Cavendish Limited

119 Wardour Street

London W1F 0UW

United Kingdom

T: +44 (0)20 7565 6000

F: +44 (0)20 7734 6221

E:

www.marshallcavendish.co.uk

and

Cyan Communications Limited

119 Wardour Street

London W1F 0UW

United Kingdom

T: +44 (0)20 7565 6120

F: +44 (0)20 7565 6121

E:

www.cyanbooks.com

The right of David Thompson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the rights holders, application for which must be made to the publisher.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

eISBN-13 978-9-814-31249-3

ISBN-10 0-462-09900-8

Designed and typeset by Phoenix Photosetting,
Lordswood, Chatham, Kent

Printed and bound in Great Britain by
TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall

For Dax

M att watched himself enter the elevator. The door closed slowly and his eyes drifted toward the numbers counting up above the silver door. 24, 25, 28, 33, 38, 52, 74. The flickering numbers took larger and larger jumps. Matt felt a strange sensationpressure against his chest and face.

Were rising, my friend, said a voice behind him. Matt hadnt been aware of anyone in the elevator with him until the point he heard the mans haunting voice.

He saw himself turn round to see an old man standing in the corner, holding tightly onto the hand rail that wrapped around the inside of the elevator.

The old mans eyes flicked between Matt and the numbers above the door138, 165, 180. The numbers dimmed as the ceiling of the elevator turned to clear glass and sunlight shone brightly onto the display.

Shooting through the lift shaft like a bullet in a gun, Matt screamed as he was jolted to the floor. The elevator shuddered with the force of the blast that shot it through the roof of the building and into the open air above, ploughing through the sky like a rocket toward the stars.

Higher and higher and higher, said the voice behind him. Matt ignored the voice until the old man caught his attention: Onwards and upwards, Matt. The mention of his name from this man that he had never met sent a shiver through his entire body.

Its another beautiful daythe time is exactly 7.24 AM, and heres a favorite to get you up on this beautiful day, The only way is up by Yazz and the Plastic Population. The familiar music filtered through the tinny radio alarm clock.

The shiver from his dream and the sudden piercing of the radio alarm coincided to jolt Matt from his sleep. As he slowly opened his eyes, he had the strange sensation of trying to recapture the dream whilst it simultaneously drifted from his mind until the image was nothing but a vague memory.

Matt lay in bed staring at the ceiling, and let the lyrics of the song drift over him as he contemplated getting up.

Another day at work. He closed his eyes for one last time, before he opened them again, sighed, threw back the covers, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

He took a good look at himself in the mirror as he washed and shaved, before hitting the shower. As the water ran over his body, a flicker of his dream returned to him. He remembered being in an elevator as it crashed through the roof of a tall building. He shook his head at the absurdity of the notion that he could dream of such a thing, smiling as it reminded him of his favorite book from his childhood. He had read and reread Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so many times when he was young that he could quote huge chunks of it, much like older people quote Shakespeare. It was a nice memory. He smiled to himself as he rubbed the foam from his head and it splashed noisily onto the floor of the shower tray.

T he day was much like any other. After the habitual morning greetings, comparing notes about last nights TV, and the gossip from the leaving drinks of someone or other, Matt and his colleagues in the office got into the rhythm of the day.

The calls from customers came and went mostly without incident, the team putting the sales training they had just learnt into practice in an attempt to achieve their team target for the month. They were in week two, and so far so good. They were on target, and just behind Tims team who were in first place on the sales leader board. There was a genuine enthusiasm in Matts team that with a little extra effort, a little extra time on the phone for everyone, and a small prayer that someone on Tims team might catch the bug that was going around the office, Matts team could actually win the incentive spa weekend that was on offer. With a team of six people, five of whom were women, this was a sales incentive that (unlike most of the others), was genuinely worth winning. The team were in a positive, go-getting mood.

Matt, on the other hand, was not. Whilst his team were answering the constantly ringing phones, he had been called into a room by his boss, Jo.

After the obligatory small talk, Jo said that she had some feedback for him.

OK, said Matt, unconsciously bracing himself. He had no idea what was coming.

You know that we were looking to promote someone into the available Sales Manager role? said Jo, raising her voice at the end of the sentence to half suggest that she was asking a question. Matt nodded, smiling expectantly.

Well, I want to let you know that the promotion panel have decided to give the promotion to Tim.

Matt took a breath but, before he could respond, she continued.

Im sorry, I know you really wanted it.

Matt looked to the ceiling, and tried to remain composed. Jo sat in silence and looked at him, waiting for him to speak.