HOME AGAIN... to some surprises (Part 157i)

HOME AGAIN… to some surprises (Part 157i)

It only took five minutes to get to the delicatessen that Morris described as having the best Reuben sandwiches in the city. Walking into a very busy establishment Morris shouted out “Two!”. I could see a clerk behind the counter look up and smile. Morris then led me over to a counter attached to a wall and asked me to tell him exactly what it was that I wanted. I have to tell you that I was more than a little concerned. I’ll grant you that it had been close to a month since I’d originally talked with him but he seemed to have no memory of it at all. The main thing I’d stressed was that I needed premiums/gifts that would make the bank stand out. I didn’t want to stick with the same things we’d used for our first campaign. He was just about to give me some suggestions when the clerk who’d smiled at him when we walked in showed up with two sandwiches. He dove right in, stuffing his face into this humongous sandwich. I looked at mine wondering what was in it. I really didn’t know as I’d never had one. Morris wolfed his down in no time at all. I hadn’t even made it halfway through mine when he started walking out. The next thing I know I’m walking down the street with a sandwich in my mouth following this fat little man.

Back at his office I got a quick education on the premium/gift business. Banking law limited the cost of a gift to be given for opening a new account to $10. However, I’d seen banks in the city offering premiums that, to me, had to have cost more than that and I asked about it. That brought forth a big laugh followed by three suggestions… a hand held electric mixer; a folding step stool and an electric drill complete with bits. I’d just bought a drill and knew that, even at wholesale, the price was over $10. It was probably the look on my face that prompted him to explain “the system”.

The bank would sign a ‘consulting’ contract with a subsidiary company of his. Then, the premiums/gifts would be invoiced by the distributorship at $10 each with the overage for each item being billed as consulting fees. Doing that would satisfy the banking department. I started to protest and he promptly got up and reached into one of the cartons by his desk. He pulled out a box with a General Electric hand mixer. While I was looking at it he went to another carton and pulled out a box with a Black and Decker drill. Then he started ‘selling’.

I’ll not bore you with the details but by the time he finished his ‘pitch’ I was ‘sold’. He even convinced me to add a set of three Pyrex mixing bowls. In looking back on it, I honestly believe he could’ve sold a Mercedes dealer a Cadillac. I explained that I was not in a position to sign a contract as the bank Trustees had to approve my choices. He agreed to ship one of each item to the bank on Monday. However, I did negotiate for some things that hadn’t been done by the Trustees back when they bought the premium/gifts for the first new account campaign. For instance, Morris would drop ship within two days of an order, take back any product we didn’t want at the end of the campaign and provide our advertising agency print ready support materials. By the time we hammered out the details it was after 2:30pm. When I realized the time I told Morris I had to catch my train and started to leave. Before I got very far he handed me the boxes with the mixer and drill. I didn’t understand as he’d just got through telling me he was going to ship them along with the step stool and bowls on Monday. When I protested he laughed and said they were mine and hoped I would enjoy using them.

I sort of jogged back to the hotel. The conference was officially over at 3pm but walking through the lobby I recognized some people I’d seen during the presentations. I knew my chances were slim to none to make the train in time but pressed on. The room was on an upper floor and the elevator seemed slower than usual. I remember jogging down the hall. I knew exactly where I’d left my carry case as well as the folio with the materials that had been handed out the day before. I was just going to dash in, grab them and leave, thinking I’d send Bull a thank you note on Monday. I put the key in the lock (they still used keys back then) and walked in. I made it about three steps when I realized someone was standing over by the window. Thinking it was Bull I called out a “Thank you” and continued towards my bag. But I heard a somewhat muffled cry of surprise from a definitely female voice. That’s when I looked at the form by the window and saw a woman wearing a blouse and panties trying to reach something lying on the bed. The first thought was that there had to be some kind of mistake. But, there was my bag just a few steps ahead of me. Then it came to me. Bull had said his wife would be joining him for the rest of the weekend. At that point I know my face was beet red because I could feel the perspiration forming on my brow. I was at a loss as to what to say. It only took the woman a few seconds to reach what she wanted and I just stood there watching as she pulled on a pair of slacks and as she finished getting them up to her waist in walked Bull.

To be continued…