We are fat and spotty and it’s the sales manager’s fault!

Dear Aunty B,

We are all getting fat and spotty in our office because of our very nice new sales manager. He is one of these giddy-up type of blokes who comes in waving packets of snakes mid-afternoon just as we are all slumped in a low sugar daze and insists we all eat up. Even if we say no, he goes on and on until we eat just to make him go away!

He is trying to be nice. But of course he is whippet thin, has the complexion of a baby and never eats a thing. We on the other hand gorge ourselves for the rest of the afternoon. How do we tell him that we like him, appreciate the gesture but don’t want to end up like the side of a house?

Fat and spotty,
Townsville

Dear Fat and spotty,

Sales people are used to being told no. That doesn’t mean you don’t do it nicely. Tell him that while you love him to death, his kindness is killing you because you are all fat, greedy pigs with no sense of self-control.

Suggest he comes in swinging a bag of oranges or offers around a bowl of peeled grapes instead. Yes, his feelings will be hurt. But sales guys are a lot more resilient than you think. And by the way, I had a similar problem to this two years ago. A new staff member complained to me that she had no self-control and would have health issues if the lolly plate kept being filled. So I banned lollies except on Friday afternoons and we ordered organic fruit instead. There is always fresh fruit for staff when they are flagging. And it looks great!

Good luck!
Your Aunty B

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