Pop’s affection for his employer certainly comes out in this letter. I do not know what the rabbit and the rainpipe mentioned in this letter is all about, except to guess that it was a story that Harold Lufkin told my father at some point.
Mr. Harold Lufkin, V.P. December 20, 1960
Newton Mfg. Co.,
Newton, Iowa.
Dear Mr. Lufkin:
Thanks for your patient letters and finally getting me calmed down, and at the same time forgive me for my outburst, and especially so at the Christmas Season.
Mama says I am at my worst from the middle of November on, and she is right. The phone is constantly ringing. Where is my order from late buyers, but worst still from some (as you say) that were taken in plenty of time for delivery. Then there are always a few that we or the Mfr. Bungle. The First National Bank of Litchfield called last night and said his Parker Pens won’t work. He tried four and none of them worked, so I went and got MY sample and that did not work very good either.
In addition to it I brood over all the nice families that must spend Christmas in misery like the Plane crash victims and the latest one is the big Aircraft carrier (The Constellation). That of course made me feel very bad for several reasons. She was being built in the same spot where my old ship the Iowa was built, and besides that a ship (to a sailor) is a live thing. It breaks my heart to see her end her career so suddenly before she even had a chance to get her prow into the seas.
However there IS no excuse for me. I have though done fairly well. Guess that is the first time this whole year that anything has bothered me, and I used to be “all bent up” ALL the time, but thanks to your fine coaching I have learned to (as you say) “roll with the punches” most of the time. Newton is very fortunate to have such an expert in Public Relations as yourself, as over the years there must be a number of “the boys” who have to be nursed along until they get their “wisdom teeth” and you are just the man to do it. ‘Bout time I got MINE though. Huh?
Well you know Leon R. Sinclair and his entire family are VERY fond of Mr. Lufkin and HIS entire family so it was just one of my childish outbursts. Mama always claimed she had SIX boys instead of five anyway (me being the sixth) and I think all the gals have that problem sometimes. In fact I remember a friend of mine insisting that a rabbit running up the drainpipe was a squirrel not too long ago until his better half put him straight.
I must say though that unless he had been “tapping” the wrong barrel of cider, he had more cause for an argument than I. By the way that must be a H— of a breed of rabbits you raise out in Iowa if they can run up drainpipes. Huh?
Well you and Mama keep my ego going for me anyway. Yesterday I managed to eke out three orders and thought I was doing OK until I saw Rex Johnson’s 42 orders against my about a dozen. Mama says “naturally and why should that make you feel so bad, he has all the advantage” I said why and she said well in the first place any salesman working in the Companies own State has a definite advantage and besides that this time of year he is near enough to call in about last minute orders whereas it would cost you more than your profit to find out, so he and Bascomb and all the Western salesman have a lot of advantage over you. Nice of her. Huh? I don’t believe it though. I am just slipping that’s all. Christmas has got me down again.
Believe me! I am so glad to have HER around here that most of the time nothing bothers me, and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t thank the Good Lord for it. I am no great hakes at Religion BUT I think there is too LITTLE Faith and thankfulness in all our lives. Funny thing too that in all the books that I have read from all sources on what makes a good salesman, what salesmen would do Etc. not one single one of them mentions Faith. That is the biggest single factor in any person daily life. Faith in God first, in yourself, in your company, in your customers and dozens of things.
I don’t think that I have lost but one single customer in all my years with Newton that I did not want to lose, that being Plainville Electro Plating. He does not think much of Newton, but I just informed him that I don’t see how any salesman can work for anyone else. There is no comparison from what I see and hear. I will admit that in my first two or three years, not knowing much about any company in this business, I was always willing to listen to others, but for the last seven years nobody better criticize Newton in front of me unless “they want to see the sparks fly”, and you know “old man Sinclair” is just the boy “that can make em fly” too.
I had a businessman quite a few years ago tell me that Newton was the best managed outfit in the business. I can’t recall who it was, or why he made the statement or where he got his information, but I always have been grateful to him.
When I run into B & B or some others and get a “song and dance” about them, I just say “yes they are the biggest in the business, but Newton Mfg. Co. is the best managed of all of them ,and that to a businessman carries a lot of weight.
If they want explanations I explain your visits to me for one thing and say “I or you never saw Charlie Ward or any of his henchmen visiting a lowly salesman’s home.” Their commission rate stinks, their bonus rate stinks, and most of all their treatment of their salesmen stinks. I have been calling on you for ten years, whereas B & B have had 27 different salesmen in this same territory in that time, furthermore we have them out priced and have more merchandise. The only thing you have a possible argument on is Calendars and I won’t go along with that, because if you buy “The old Philosopher” on the assumption that it is an exclusive and Ford Motor or someone else buys five million of them, your EXCLUSIVE has had a H— of a kick in the pants as hundreds of those come into this territory and there goes your EXCLUSIVE.” (End of lesson Brown and Bigelow)
P.S. If that don’t work sell ‘em a thermometer, and tell ‘em a calendar is a waste of good money anyway!
There I guess I have said my two cents worth. I want to wish you and the Mrs. the very best Holiday possible and keep out of the cider in order that you may distinguish “a rabbit from a squirrel”.
Sincerely,
Leon R. Sinclair
P.S. I reserve the right to lose my temper ONCE a year.
Tags: Pop's Letters
