Progress?

So remember how I've been talking to students for two weeks and haven't gotten anyone to apply? And remember how I mentioned (if I did... if not, just pretend so I can use parallel structure) that literally 3/4 of my training class has already gotten 3+ applications and graduated from the pod and moved on to their actual teams? And remember how I definitely was not but also definitely and completely was freaking out about this? Okay, just making sure we're on the same page.

At the end of last week our pod director pulled the only other non-apper (it's a word...) to the side and gave feedback on why he wasn't getting apps. (Although reports vary, it appears that the other non-apper's issue was a hesitance to abandon his old sales background and incorporate what he had learned in training.) I've been wondering why the director hadn't pulled me aside yet to figure out what the hell I'm doing wrong. Waiting for criticism is a funny thing; I knew I needed it, but who actually wants it? Today I finally got pulled aside. In ten words, here's my basic issue: I'm delightful, but don't take control of the conversation. Wait, that was nine words... Okay: I'm delightful, but don't take control of the conversation. Fail. There we go! Sadly, this wasn't news to me, but I've been having issues connecting "I need to be more aggressive" with "This is how I can be more aggressive." So he role played with me (I know, everything about this job sounds dirty) and said that once I actually get an app my confidence will go up and that will help me greatly. Then the most ominous of all meeting closers: "We'll see how you're doing in a few weeks and go from there."

Four phone calls later, I apped.