As a manager I had an expense account and was told to use it or lose it. Entertainment was a big part of taking care of the customer. I took customers to play golf regularly and we had tickets the the Colts on the 50 yard line. We had Pacer tickets. We had a block and there were special seats right under the goal. Our company had a couple of suites at the Indy 500 track for the whole month of May. During the month of May we were expected to use the track suites. We had pit passes and garage passes for the customers. There was always plenty of food and booze. As a manager I would stay straight and be there to take care of my customers. They were my responsibility. I made sure they got home safely.
Using my expense account I’m sure helped me to get what I wanted from the customer. My business was getting stronger, sales were through the roof. One year there was a contest for a trip to the Bahamas. It was for management and for the salesmen. Our business was so good that of the six people in my district four of them and myself won a place on the trip.
During the three years that I was a district manager my people helped me to achieve quota every single quarter. I was so proud and I was told that I had a really big head. I had a tough time learning to be humble. I loved winning, I loved my people winning too. Once there was a contest for a cruise. Only one trip was to be awarded in a seven state region. Doug and myself built this really great display. We had a large super market with the space. We built two end caps with cans, and we bridged across the top of the two end caps and built a cruise ship out of cans. the next day after the display was built we hired a couple of models to pose in bikinis and we brought in some sand and fake palm trees. The pictures were great. Our display won. the results were that the manager of the store, my salesman, and the general manager of our plant got to go on the cruise. My name was mentioned in the article of the Coca Cola news letter. Now that humbled me.
