Memoirs of an Impurfect Salesman: Truths Taught Through Forty Years of Experience

By D.S. Carroll Jr.

Memoirs of an Impurfect Salesman: Truths Taught through Forty Years of Experience is a must read for any new or prospective salesperson. The book will help all achievers avoid the pitfalls of life and embrace the keys to success. Each chapter is recapped with Chips Tips from life lessons learned. Independent Manufactures Representatives must read chapter 5 and pay particular attention to Seven Year/Seven Sinful Sales Situations (5Ss). Seasoned salespeople, sales managers, and the public will gain real insight into a salesmans life through some very humorous and unique situations. This book will make for fun and informative reading for any sales force or anybody. For once, a sales book with cartoons and pictures to hold your interest! Memoirs chronicles a humorous sales career autobiography. Despite lifelong physical challenges, Chip Carroll was able to enjoy a rewarding sales and personal life that spanned four decades. During this time, he earned many sales awards, traveled extensively, and enjoyed a fair degree of freedom. In 1989, he started his own sales firm called Health Sales Consultants, Inc. This autobiography was written with family, friends, and former business associates in mind. It was written with love for his daughter, was inspired by his son, and is dedicated to his wife.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Nov 27, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466959958

D.S. Carroll Jr.

Chip Carroll was born in 1947 and spent all but the first seven years of his life in New Jersey. He graduated from Haddon Heights High School and earned his BA Degree in Business Administration from Elon College/ University in North Carolina. Despite lifelong physical challenges, his successful sales career spanned thirty-eight years in the medical field, where twenty-six years was spent as a self-employed manufactures representative. For twenty years he was a member of the Health Industry Representatives' Association (HIRA). He is now retired.

Book preview

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

The Circle of Sales Life

Chapter I

The Early Years

Chapter II

The Esso Years

Chapter III

The Chesebrough—Ponds Years

Chapter IV

The Gaymar Years

Chapter V

Health Sales Consultants, Inc.—The Independent Years

Conclusion

Addendum

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Sandra Lee Carroll. Sandi has been by my side since I was 17. She is my first girlfriend, fiancé, wife, business assistant and caregiver. She is the mother of my 2 wonderful children, Stephanie Michelle Carroll and Donald Mitchell Carroll. Sandi has enabled me to be a better person and is my soul mate.

My parents, Donald Stratton Carroll and Ruth Landis Carroll died in 2007 at the ages of 92 and 90 respectively. They gave me guidance and love but also gave me the freedom of choice to be myself.

Acknowledgements

I most graciously recognize the contributions of Debi Agabiti. She is my editor and assistant in this project. Debi had the patience and persistence to translate my curiously cryptic cursive into a typed legible manuscript. Without her efforts, this autobiography may not have come to fruition.

I would also like to thank Teresa A. Diaz, instructor of Hunterdon County Polytech Commercial Arts and Advertising Design program in Flemington, NJ. Under her tutelage, I am most appreciative to Steven Jaskula, Allison Petronio, and Bethany Wright who contributed original cartoon illustrations in keeping with the spirit of this book.

Mitch and Steph Carroll provided the inspiration to write my sales Memoirs.

Introduction

The Circle of Sales Life

On the morning of Friday 13, March 2009, my 23 year old protégé salesman son left for his first major interview for a multimillion dollar medical company. He is a handsome soft-spoken 6'2" slender built man, the shining image of a professional salesman.

As he prepared to leave, nattily attired in his navy blue, pinstripe ceremonial salesman suit, powder blue shirt and gold power tie, he remind me of myself 40 years earlier. I reminded him to put his day timer and interview folder into a slim black carry portfolio. Why? he said. It will look more impressive when you unzip and hand them your interview package with prepared resume, references and brag book. I replied.

While I sipped my coffee, my son Mitch went out the back door and I shouted, Have fun and good luck. You have the best interview package and appearance any recent graduate could have. You’ll do fine! My voice quivered and he smiled and said, I love you Pop, and closed the door. My eyes moistened.

During the past year of mentoring my son, I would relate experiences that happened to me. It is by his suggestion that I now sit down to write Memoirs of an Impurfect Salesman. I started to contemplate my 40 year sales career.

Take a step back in time before personal computers, smart phones, GPS’s and faxes. Through anecdotal stories I would hope to relay some Truth’s Taught through 40 Years of Experiences to be gleaned by the next generation of overanxious, fidgety, aspiring salespeople. Hidden in the rhetoric should be some insight for handling their sales team for sales management. Being retired at 62, gave me a certain candidness and freedom of reflective thought from corporate influences. I hope this is perceived by the reader and of utmost importance, my family will have a better understanding of what I did with the other half of my life. At the very least, I would hope you have a smile or chuckle.

Have fun and good luck,

Chip

Chapter I

The Early Years

1954-1969

The lack of money and the desire to have what you want when you want it is a great motivator. I was in the second grade and I needed money to buy a Christmas present for my parents. My older sister Judy had a small metal pot holder loom used with loops. My Mom suggested I make potholders. With her help I would make up a bunch and go around the neighborhood knocking on doors to sell potholders, 2 for $.25 cents. Who would say no to a seven-year-old kid.

My next selling adventure was two years later when we lived in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. My Dad started a nice tradition around Christmas time. He would drive Judy and me to the South Jersey pine barrens. We would hike the woods until we found a stand of wild holly bushes. With hatchet in hand, my Dad would chop off the branches most loaded with berries. Evergreen branches were also added to our contraband. We hauled them back to the car and hid them in the trunk. Once home we would decorate the front door and deck the halls with boughs of holly fa la la, la la . . . . !

One year we had collected more than we needed. The extra boughs would sit in buckets of frozen water in our backyard. On Christmas Eve, I asked if I could have the extra branches. I combined holly and pine sprigs and tied the bare part of the branches with red ribbon.

There was a heavy snow storm that Christmas Eve. After dinner, I bundled up with wool cap, scarf, mittens and galoshes and gathered up my bundles of holiday flora. I went up and down the adjacent block called Sycamore Street. Each house I knocked on seemed surprised but pleased to see me. Since I was several years wiser, it was Christmas Eve and I was offering free home delivery of holiday decorations, the price was $1 per bunch. I believe no one said no that night. My parents were surprised to see me home within the hour with my first real money . . . $10. Who could say no to a polite, hardworking boy on Christmas Eve. It reminded me of Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, and I was Tiny Tim. ¹

My $.25 allowance was good for one matinee movie admission in those days but how do you buy popcorn and nonpareil chocolates? Besides Christmas greens, snow shoveling presented the next best opportunity to make money during the winter. With a good snow I could earn $2 a sidewalk and make $10 to $20 per day. That kept me in after school sodas and Bachman pretzels sticks at Bonasch’s corner store for quite a while.

As I got older, my monetary demands increased. There was Revelle toy model cars to build as well as movies, popcorn and soda pop. By my 12th birthday, I wanted to take a girl to the movies. It was time to start holding hands!

I tried local employment, but I pretty much was laughed at. I remember one establishment, a bakery, I asked if they needed any help. They said, Sure kid, come back tomorrow and you can eat all our stale donuts and donut holes. That actually sounded pretty good to me. I returned the next day after school but no one was there. I guessed that until I was 16 I would have to find another way to make money.

At the age of 12, I bought a used lawnmower for $20. I canvassed the neighborhood for a three block radius to line up summer customers. After several years I had approximately a 20 lawn customer base. Prices per lawn ranged from a $1.50-$4 for approximately an acre. Business was so good, I would literally run pushing my mower and gas can before heading for my evening baseball game.

In 8th grade, I met Edson M. Bosch. He has been my best friend ever since. We joked around all through high school. Ed and I spent summer in Ocean City, NJ as teenagers and as adult at my vacation house at Saw Creek Estates in Bushkill, PA.

In the fall, I would rake my customer’s leaves. This was long before such things as leaf