Six Months in a Call Center

I've been working in a call center selling pet insurance since April this year. I took it up a challenge,, deviating from my original field of profession, which is writing, editing...

God, I've never felt so incompetent in a job before. I'm yet to achieve my monthly target. I've struggled to stay afloat and now instead of feeling a sense of accomplishment, I'm beginning to feel too tired and fatigued to carry myself any further. I know I shouldn't switch to this negative frame of mind and trust me, I'm not. I'm just trying to figure out myself why I couldn't succeed yet. I'm just trying to think and reach a conclusion here.

The feedback I'm getting isn't helping me either. With the best of intentions, my team leader asked me to change the way I carry myself - become more fashionable in my dressing, change the way I sound, regularly shave or maintain stubbles, change my hairstyle etc. for me to look more 'cool' and confident. He has a point there and I can see it. Just that it doesn't make much sense to me because I see a handful of very successful salesmen there who look half presentable than me and who are more reserved than me. And my dressing and my meek demure is so ingrained in me. I've always been like this all my life. I'm not saying I can't change it but I don't know how to or for what? I don't see how that could help me become a better salesman than making me look like a clown from the regular reserved guy that I'm used to being.

And how do I show more energy than what I have? I'm not a low energy person. Long working hours don't tire me easily. I'm quite energetic for my age. Just that I don't shout around or make a lot of noise.

In my previous job as a Sub Editor for a magazine, I've worked tirelessly. There was a situation when our designer resigned abruptly just 10 days before the magazine was supposed to go out for printing. My hands were already full with all the articles to be edited. And we didn't have time to find another designer either. I took it up on myself to spent extra hours and learn the designing software and also design the pages. It finally went out for printing on the designated date. It cost me sleeping at the office for those 10 days and even a few sleepless nights proof reading and making the final layout of the entire 120-page magazine. True I got completely tired at the end of it but that's normal, isn't it? That's the level of energy I have.

My team leader explained to me what's selling: It's your ability to create the desire in the minds of your customer to buy what you have to offer with the art of persuasion.

Good explanation. What I lack is the art of persuasion. I've never forced anything on another person in my lifetime. The moment, I see the other person is getting uncomfortable or disinterested, it's in my nature to just leave the scene because I hate confrontations.

How can I just change all that just like switching on a bulb?

I don't know. Am I struggling for something I don't really like? Have I ended up at the wrong spot again in my life?

Huh... Gr...