Training

"Next week?!"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

I hesitated.  I didn't want to let this opportunity pass me by.  However, I couldn't possibly start so soon.

"I'm sorry, but I have other commitments in the UK that I need meet first.  Is it possible to start later?"

A pause.

"The next date for the training is 1st May.  Starting next week would show more commitment, but if you're unable to make it, then 1st May will be OK."

I let out a sigh of relief.  Regardless of how much I wanted the job, I felt that it would have been completely unreasonable to expect me to start so soon, and I would have had to  decline.  If only....

And so, on 7th April 2006 I received my formal offer letter from MRI, offering me the position of International Sales Executive.  The email can be read here.

A New Life

I was over the moon.  I immediately told Paul and we started making plans for our new life.  Paul was going to remain in his job until I had worked for the company for 3 months.  If I was happy and all was going well, Paul would then resign from his secure job at the school, our belongings would be sent into storage and we would wave goodbye to our life, family and friends back in the UK.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked Paul.  "It means saying goodbye to everything we know and taking a leap into the unknown.  If you want to change your mind at any stage, just let me know."

"Sometimes you just have to take a risk.  Let's  go for it," Paul replied.

And so preparations began.  If you have never moved country you probably have no idea how much planning is required and lose ends to be tied up where you are currently living.  It's a monumental task and I got stuck in with relish.

Relocation Pacakge

MRI offered a 3 month "relocation package."  This consisted of €1000 basic "salary" per month, accommodation for the first 3 months and a rental car for the first 3 months.  Sounds great?  Indeed it does, but there was a get out clause.  Because MRI's sales staff were self employed, rather than employed, this package wasn't quite what it appeared.  Although staff were indeed offered this package, it was offered as "an advance against future commissions."  So what exactly did that mean?  Basically, once we started earning commission, the €1000 per month, the cost of the accommodation and the car hire would all be deducted from our commission.  Not only that, but also our flights to Spain and then from Spain to the country in which we were ultimately going to work were also going to be deducted.

Don't get me wrong, MRI never hid these facts and it was all very upfront.  But again, looking back, I must have been out of my mind!  Within 3 months of working for the company, I would owe them around €5000 - potentially before I'd even earned anything.  I was completely blinkered by the €150k+ commission figure that was being wafted in front of me.  After all, what's €5k to pay back, when you're earning 30 times that amount?

For those readers who are incredulous that anybody would agree to do this, I don't blame you.  I knew that Paul was dubious about this and questioned the trustworthiness of a company who would offer such a "relocation package".  All I can say is that once again, the vision of a future life in rural France, mortgage free, overrode any kind of logic and silenced the niggling voices in the back of my mind.  And I'm not alone.  Hundreds of staff followed exactly the same route after me.

Sad Goodbyes

And so, the day of departure finally arrived.  I was flying out on the Sunday as the training started at MRI's head office on the Monday.  At this stage I had no idea what country I would be sent to after the training, but as most of the countries they operated in were warm, I packed mainly light clothes, especially as we were heading into the summer.  I had worked overseas leading Adventure Tours before meeting Paul and I decided to pack my belongings into the rucksack that had served me so well in far flung countries around the globe.  It wasn't exactly corporate looking and didn't portray an image of the high earning International Sales Executive that I was jetting off to become, but I was hoping that nobody would notice.

Paul saw me off at the airport.  Saying goodbye was a wrench and I was in floods of tears.  We had met when I was leading Adventure Tours and on day 11 of a 14 day tour, our lips had finally met.  The location couldn't have been more romantic.  We were staying in a remote and beautiful village at the foot of the stunning Caucasus.  Dinner was over and we were sat on the veranda of a local's house where we had dined, sipping the local wine and enjoying the company of other group members.  Without warning a lightning storm crackled overhead, taking out all the lights in the village.  Without even realising it, we moved to each other and we finally kissed - there was pitch darkness, with nothing visible except the jagged outline of the mountains above and a star filled sky.  A minute later the lights came back on and the spell was broken.  Paul returned home three days later and I lead two more tours, before heading back to the UK.  I phoned him on my return, approximately five weeks later and we agreed that I would travel to visit him for the weekend.  That weekend changed my life.  Two weeks later we knew that it was love and we made the monumental decision to move in together.  We have now been together over 13 years.  We almost didn't make it.  The horrendous experience that MRI turned into almost broke us apart.

But I'm jumping the gun - full details of that will follow in good time.

And so I boarded the plane, both distraught at leaving behind the man I loved so dearly and at the same time filled with excitement for our future.  The flight was great and I arrived in Malaga and collected my baggage.  I travelled through customs quickly and out onto the arrivals concourse.  Phew!  There was an MRI representative stood there waiting to collect me.  I went over to her and she greeted me warmly and asked that I waited over in the cafe, as she was waiting for two other new staff members who would also be starting the next day.

Sunny Spain

Shortly after, we were all gathered and off we set.  There were three of us altogether - myself and two men.  One of them, Stuart, I recognised from the interview in London.  We had a chat and I discovered that he had also been asked to start almost immediately and had declined.  He had also left behind his partner and we empathised and chatted about what might be in store for us and which country we wanted to work in.

There were two cars with drivers and we all got in and packed our luggage in the boot.  Forty minutes later we arrived at the apartments that were going to be our homes for the next four nights.  We were staying on an isolated complex, a drive away from Marbella.  Although the apartment was nice, the complex itself was huge and fairly deserted and not really to my taste. However, the sun was shining, the swimming pool looked inviting and we all settled in to our rooms.  Stuart and Adam shared one apartment and I had another just for myself, as I was the only female.

We were told to relax and settle in.  We were also given the use of a car, as we had to make our way to the offices the next day, plus a car was essential, given the location of the complex.  And so, we unpacked and enjoyed the sun.  Adam had noticed a restaurant en route to the complex, so that evening we headed down for a bite to eat.  I then went to bed early in order to be ready for the week's training ahead.

Monday dawned bright and sunny in Southern Spain and I ironed my suit and shirt, packed my pens, paper and anything else I thought I might need and we headed off.  Another staff member drove ahead and we followed them, in order to learn the route.  We would be making our own way for the rest of the week.

We arrived at MRI's offices and I entered feeling nervous and wondering what lay in store.  I couldn't believe that it was only a few months ago I'd last been here.  Then I had walked past the expensive cars and the staff in their Gucci suits.  Now I was going to be one of them (minus the expensive car and Gucci suits - I had other plans for how I'd like to spend the money I was going to earn and throwing it on flash cars and designer names certainly wasn't my style).

After a short wait, we were finally taken through to the training room.  It was a fairly unassuming room and certainly not as grand as the rest of the building.  I settled into my chair and wondered if it was just going to be the three of us.  Given the amazing job on offer, I was surprised that there weren't more people starting.  Five minutes later another small group arrived.  These were the new exhibition/telesales staff.  We were going to attend the training together.  As usual in a sales environment, it was dominated by men and I was delighted to see another female there.

The Training Begins

What followed were a fairly unremarkable few days.  Since leaving MRI I have seen a video on YouTube of an undercover journalist who attended and filmed the training.  After many complaints to the press, she decided to work undercover and had applied to work in MRI's Exhibitions/Telesales operations.  She was accepted and attended the training as an undercover journalist, filming what took place.  The TV programme that was later aired and includes her undercover footage can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eak9UviPco
I later met this same journalist who interviewed me.

My experience of the training didn't reflect what the journalist experienced.  On the whole it was professional, well thought out and delivered and there wasn't any hint of malpractice being encouraged.  Some aspects of the training did, however, stand out as memorable.

"Double Dealing"

The training was delivered by several staff members, each an "expert" in that field.  One of the trainers was an experienced Sales Executive who had been working in Spain for MRI for some time.  His name was Hans.  He was called in to deliver training to us on "double dealing".  Double dealing meant selling more than one property to a cash buyer.  This is how the double dealing worked:

1. A cash buyer would choose a property.  The buyer had already decided to pay in cash.
2. We would offer an alternative option.  Instead of paying cash, the buyer could use the cash to put deposits down on one or more properties.
3. The customer would either then "flip" one of the properties by selling it on before completion, or complete on both and take out mortgages, ensuring first that the rental income would cover the mortgages (we were told that in all areas that MRI operated in that the rental would always cover the mortgage and this was reiterated by the training we were given by MRI's own rental department in Spain).
4.  If a property was flipped, then the client would see a profit without ever having had to complete on the property.
5. If the client kept the properties then they would benefit from the appreciation in value of more than one property.

In theory this sounded plausible.  The property market had been booming for years and at this time showed no signs of slowing.  I asked Hans if he had used this system himself.  He had been working for MRI for some time and at the advertised €150k+ earnings a year, then surely all the staff were doing this and earning themselves a profit from property?  He didn't reply.  I took this to mean that he hadn't and I wondered why, if we were going to be selling the idea to clients that MRI's own staff weren't doing this themselves.  I actually thought it sounded like a great idea.

I crossed paths again with Hans several months later when he was sent to the region I was allocated to.  It wasn't until many months later again that he confided that he had had never bought properties himself, because he was still owed a lot of outstanding commission and couldn't afford to.

Hans became my manager and his story will follow.

Signing the Contract

Another part of the training that stood out was when we were presented with our contracts to sign.  There were two contracts - one in English and one in Spanish.  We were told to read them, sign then and give them straight back.  I was concerned.  They wanted me to sign something that was in Spanish?  I had no idea what it said and we could be signing anything.  I, along with the other trainees voiced our concerns.  We were told that the Spanish version was a direct translation of the English version.  We were told that if they weren't signed and handed back before the end of the day, then we would be unable to continue with the training.  

Yet again I silenced the alarm bells ringing in my head.  I still trusted that the company was genuine and honest at this time.  I, along with the others, hesitantly signed the contracts.  I asked for a copy of the contract, as the normal procedure of signing two copies - one of which is for the person signing - wasn't followed.  Despite asking several times and being told that I would get a copy, MRI never did give me a copy of the contracts I had signed.

Throughout my story you will find a common vein running.  Niggling doubts continually entered my mind and I ignored them.  There were so many stages where I could have changed my mind and walked away, but chose not to.  Why?  Partly greed (who doesn't want to earn €150k+?), partly because I so desperately wanted to work in a hot country again and partly because MRI appeared to be so professional and above board, that I didn't want to think otherwise.  Sadly, the more I became embroiled with them and the longer I worked for them, the harder and harder it became to leave, as will become apparent as the story progresses.  If I'd chosen to listen to my instincts at this stage and refused to sign a contract that was written in a language I didn't understand, without even being given the chance to take it to somebody who could independently translate it for me, what would I have lost?  Some time and an airfare home.  But most importantly, the loss of a dream, and it was that which stopped me from turning on my heels and walking out.

Seeing and Hearing Darragh MacAnthony for the First Time

Another area of the training which stood out was the weekly meeting, which all staff had to attend.  This was the first time that we would see Darragh MacAnthony and hear him speak and we were all looking forward to it, while at the same time, hoping that no attention would be drawn to us.

The meeting was held in a room at the top of the building that contained a lot of glass.  The temperature in there was unbearable and it was only May.  What would it be like in the height of the Summer?  The person next to me whispered that staff members often passed out due to the temperature.  The room was crammed full of staff, who were squeezed into every inch of floor space and we found ourselves standing at the back.  What followed was an hour of self congratulation.  Names were read out, along with sales figures and we all clapped.  Darragh gave a speech and we were welcomed as the latest recruits.  By the end of the meeting I felt nauseous and was desperate to sit down and get a drink of water. 

Do Not Wear Red!

What was the most important thing that we learnt in training?  Possibly, that under absolutely no circumstances were we to wear anything red.  Although Darragh himself was driving a red car at the time (so were told), it was pressed upon us that wearing red was an absolute taboo and that if Darragh ever caught us doing so, then we would be for the high jump.  I found this both bizarre and hilarious.  Not allowed to wear red?  In all the sales jobs I'd ever done, this was by far the weirdest rule I'd ever heard.  The "red" story does not finish here.  Later you will read about the events surrounding a story that was published after a journalist went undercover and posed as a staff member.  Her story includes a "red" incident during training and Darragh MacAnthony's response. I was not there, so have no idea if the story is true, but I could certainly believe it.  You will also read what we were told, by management, to say to clients in response to this newspaper article.

Where Next?

And so, the training drew to a close.  The next stage would be another meeting with Sue from HR, which would determine which country we would be sent to.  Sue had already intimated in my previous interview that she thought I would be suitable for France and I was overjoyed at this, as France had originally been my first choice.  However, during the training, we had been told how popular Bulgaria was, how it was booming, that staff were selling 10 properties each in a weekend and that they were all earning a fortune.  By the end of the training, we all wanted to be sent to Bulgaria.

We had our interviews scheduled with Sue and also two of the directors.  This was nerve wracking stuff.  Where would be sent?

Join me again next week to find out where I was sent and the start of my life abroad working for MRI