The Ethical Business Woman

by Kathleen Balota

Francine Pacque is on top of the world as a successful sales representative for a major manufacturing equipment firm in Chicago. At the age of thirty four, she has everything going well for her yet lacks a serious relationship with a man in her life. This disappointing fact is continually brought up by her parents and successful siblings. Eager to try her own sales vision after an anticipated promotion, Francine expects her strategy to create additional sales and demand for the sales representatives at her firm. However, an unexpected job loss drives Francine into the desperate search for another job. She meets Brian Sherman, a handsome civil engineer, but soon finds herself hurt and confused when he suddenly stops seeing her. Finding sales positions scarce and financial doom inevitable, she decides to hide her job loss from her family and friends. Francine is eventually given the chance to try her own sales strategy in a low potential sales territory in the southern part of the country. As she realizes that she cannot earn enough money to cover her expenses, she takes matters into her own hands and creates an imaginary life for herself. Follow Francine as she invents a new background for herself and jumps into the opportunities that result. As she poses in different roles, becomes a high society socialite, and finds a new love interest, Francine transforms into a woman who is the envy of her family and friends. All seems well until her real background is discovered.

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2016

Reviews

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author knows the art of salesmanship and her character does it with style.

Francine, a beautiful young saleswoman in the hardware wholesale business, becomes a victim of her own success when her sales skills make her too expensive to keep on the payroll. When she is unceremonially booted out by her employer, she shakes off her depression and decides to take her ideas for a unique inventory system to her ex-customers. Without telling her family that she's been fired, she heads south to create new sales territories. By hook and by crook, she wrangles in new clients and quickly becomes a viable business.
Francine's rofessional confidence is unbalanced by her poor personal self-image. She uses several ploys to ingratiate herself to possible friends. Inevitably, the two parallel story lines cross and threaten to destroy her hard-won business success.

If you enjoy name-brand designers, you'll love how Francine presents herself to prospective friends as she networks with the wealthy people of Naples, Florida. If you have a business background, you'll appreciate how the author manages to make an inventory system seem intriguing.

In the end, Francine's ethics saves her personal, family, and business relationships. Well done.

[Paul Kaefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do know this author, so I cannot be unbiased. I very much enjoyed this book. The main character goes through real-life struggles, and really grows as a person. I did feel emotionally involved while reading, which is a sign of a good book to me.