Maryland is cold and rainy. Last week I was in Florida nearly all week, thus the lack of posts. Coming back to a bout of 20 degree weather was depressing, to say the least. Now, though it’s a bit warmer, it’s rainy and has been so for three days running.
The cold wetness just seeps into your pores, it invades my very psyche, and puts me in no mood to work. I can’t say I enjoy it, not in the least. But I can’t slow down, hell, it’d be impossible to since I haven’t sped up.
The Friday before I left for Florida, December 1st, I went out and did some cold calling. Bel Air Rd is my haunt and I hit nearly every business in four different shopping centers. My luck was depleted, I felt, and, orderless, I went home. I told my wife I wouldn’t show my face again until I sold something, a promise broken in a mere four hours. I’ve been out of work for so long, nearly five months, that I’ve forgotten how to sell.
When I worked at Terminix I beat on doors all day long. Maybe 35 cold calls a day. A sale, in this type of business, is predicated upon being in the right place at the right time. I guess, in a way, all sales are. When I sold for Hagemeyer being in the right spot was important, but here, essential. The more cards, the more faces, the more luck. This is simple math: 1 Card X 100 Faces = 3 orders or some such. 35 calls a day X 4 Days a week = 140 Cards handed out X 3% = 4 sales. Anyone could do this sort of thing, I’m convinced. In fact, I’m convinced because of one simple fact: I haven’t worked at Terminix in 3 years and I still get calls. Used to be I got one monthly. These days every three months or so. My old cards are out there, floating around because I beat the street. Someone will get mice and remember my card sitting in a desk drawer, they’ll call me. Always happens. You can create luck this way.
My very first stop, the Speedy Mart near Perring and Northern, looked like a sale. I went in for soda and spoke with the owner. He had lots of lights out in the ceiling and I wanted to sell him. “No, signed a contract with someone else yesterday.” I don’t believe him. These foreign guys are tough, you gotta prove yourself first. “But” he added “I have some lights out in my parking lot.” Didn’t hear back from him.
Today I get a phone call. A heavy middle-eastern accent. “You came by my store about lights two weeks ago?” Ah yeah, I remember. “Can you change the lights outside.” Sure, what the hell? I mean, that’s not in my business portfolio or anything but why not?
I have no sub-contractor for this sort of job but I get on the phone with a couple contractors and nail down Lighting Maintenance in West Baltimore. The girl there is sharp as a button. I tell her all the demands. Guy needs lights installed tomorrow. A real rush job. Don’t know the kind of bulbs we’ll need (For those of you wondering how many different types can there be…LOTS! Thousands). Guy wants to pay cash, no checks.
[It might be noted that I decided on Lighting Maintenance for two reasons, both very important:
- Lighting Maintenance had fair prices.
- Lighting Maintenance could be a potential customer for Patesco. If I fork them business I suspect they will return the favor.]
The demands seem to be too much for her to handle. No way can she get a truck there tomorrow. Soonest? Tuesday. No small trucks, only the big 90′ crane, more expensive. Can’t pay overtime to drivers to make a late run. Can’t do Saturday. How am I going to pay her? How is she going to pay me? A million questions. Two hours later and a dozen phone calls solve all of our problems. Truck arrives tomorrow morning. I’ll make, perhaps, $60. First sale pending install. Great.
I got to give the girl props. She hung in there with me, trusted me, and pinned it all down in nice neat rows for me. Being a salesman is easy if you got the right people backing you up.
Isn’t that what all people should do? If you surround yourself with the right people, people that know their shit, things fall into place. You won’t create more work for yourself. Most people surround themselves with equals or lessers but good people, people who start businesses, I suspect, hire people that are better able than themselves. Because, seriously, when the shit hits the fan, and you can’t get it done, you gotta trust people. If you’ve hired the cheapest imbeciles you can find to do work based on low prices, then you’re screwed.
How could anyone succeed in that type of situation? You couldn’t, and your business would be sunk.
Tomorrow, if I make my sale, the first thing I’ll do with that $60 is buy a small token of my appreciation for that lady. She won’t mind doing this type of thing again for me if she knows I noticed her hard work. You gotta help people out. I helped out my customer by rushing, she helped me by getting all the ducks in a row, and the customer will help us by putting some more greenbacks in our wallets. Communists hate this system. Probably because everyone gets what they want.
Broke 
Thanks for keeping up this blog. It is enjoyable reading. Your experiences are truly interesting and the way you explain how things work well make sense, and may help others out there.
I feel the same way about the cold, the rain. The damp cold seeps into my bones, not yet too old. A return to Florida would be soothing, if only for the warmth of the sun.
Many Blessings to you son, and may God see you through this venture with grace, strength, and perseverance.
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