Eighth in a series:
It's the moment of truth for Jim Holvay. Here's how he discovers how to sell, and what has paved the way for him during the last 20 or so years in outside sales and sales management...
"That Friday, I went cold calling all day. This is Friday, mind you. Most guys are quitting early. But I'm desperate. I'm busting my rear end, and I was under a lot of pressure to start bringing in sales. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. I was absolutely whipped, and it was 5 o'clock.
"I'm working this medical building, and I walk into this dentist's office. There's the lobby, with the little receptionist's window. I walk up the window, and I see four fat nurses in the room. There's a cake sitting on the desk, and they've started singing "Happy Birthday". So, I just start singing along with them...'happy birthday dear Barbara, happy birthday to you!' I'm at the point where I don't care...I'm running on fumes.
"So one of the nurses waves me in after she sees me singing. Everyone is wishing Barbara a happy birthday, and they're passing out cake. The nurse tells me to have a seat, and passes me some cake.
"Are you with Smith-Klein?", she asks.
"No, I'm with Pitney Bowes," I said. I figured I'd be asked to leave.
"Oh, the postage meter company. You know what, I think we need one of those," says the nurse. "I'm sitting there with cake falling out of my mouth thinking, 'Oh my God, they actually want to buy one of these f****** things!' So I sit there and have some more cake and punch, and we're laughing and having a good time, and we make an appointment to sign the paperwork the next week.
"So I'm driving home in my 1965 Volkswagen, and the little light bulb goes off: I get it now! My manager just wants me to be myself on a call! So, I decide I'm going to start being Mr. Funny Guy and have a good time with people.
But, Jim's sales strategy goes a little too far...
"So the next week I start being the funny man with customers. But I'm too funny and goofy. It was actually so bad that I had a customer call one of my managers and ask, 'Is that guy on drugs?'
"I learned that in sales, you have to know when to use humor, and when not to. So I really tried to develop humor as a way of breaking the ice and making people comfortable with me. That's been the secret of my success ever since. Work hard, and have fun."
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