Hahaha….this might be one of the funniest stories by Will yet, because of this, I will forgive him for his absense writing for us. Of course I miss him every single week and this story is a great indication as to why! The reference to High Times magazine, a hippy kid and use of the word dude all leading to a lesson on business in the footwear industry. Priceless.   Glad to have you back dude!! -Julia

Notes From The Field  – The Indignities of Air Travel…Juggling on a Plane…And For What?

Every once in a while, a new low occurs during my travels – where I had previously thought nothing scarier, sillier, more annoying or depraved could happen to me as I travel around selling shoes, the powers that be decide to keep me on my toes and push it just a little bit further.  Last week the bar for insanity was set just a little bit higher – and not only did it give me pause about just what I was doing, but it also instantly made me think: “what a great Shoebizness.com” story!”

(and I haven’t written for a while, so maybe this will get Julia to like me again)

There was a strange weather pattern crossing the U.S. last week – massive, typhoon-like rains and winds hit San Francisco on Tuesday morning, then started moving East.  They hit the Chicago area on Wednesday, and then NYC on Thursday.  Guess where I was last week?

San Francisco on Tuesday, Chicago on Wednesday, and NYC on Thursday.  I guess I get points for accuracy.

As you can imagine, the flights in and out of these cities were pretty tasty, as you can probably imagine – vomit-inducing pitches and rolls on approach and takeoff; mind-numbing delays in the airport and on the tarmac; lack of adequate food and drink on the planes; chubby seat-mates’ bodies spilling over the armrest onto my lap…you get the drift.  And to add insult to injury, the trip was booked for me with an airline I don’t frequent…meaning I was back in steerage with the unwashed, swine-flu spewing masses.  Oh, the indignity.

But, hell – none of that is out of the norm these days (except the part about riding in coach…I’m joking about the “steerage” comment, but frequent flier status does allow me to sit in the front of the plane more often than not, and when you’re 6’3”, it makes a world of difference.  I’m not one for ceremony or fancy trappings just for show, but on a six hour flight to CA being able to stretch my legs out from under my chin is a sublime pleasure).

So how was the travel-indignity bar raised this time?

Across the aisle from me was a guy who couldn’t have been more than 20; long, kinky hair tied in one of those low ponytails (it looked like he was going for dreadlocks, but hadn’t gotten that together yet); one of those hemp-fiber hoodie deals you see advertised in the back of High Times magazine (or so I’ve heard J) (and anyway, I only read it for the articles); loose baggy drawstring pants, and a backpack (I’d love to say he was wearing sandals to complete the picture, but he was sporting plain old Nikes – a total letdown, in my opinion). 

I’d say he was a hippie, but – for crying out loud – he was only 20!  He was certainly going for that whole “look”, though…I didn’t get close enough to confirm, but I bet there was a distinct aroma of patchouli oil (or hashish) coming from his pores as well.

Anyway – we’re jetting through the air, when Young Counterculture Boy starts digging through his backpack, and TAKES OUT THREE BALLS AND BEGINS JUGGLING THEM.  I promise you I am not making this up.  And guess what?  He wasn’t very good; every 30 seconds or so one would fall to floor with a “thunk” and go rolling off, usually between my legs.  He would then rummage around, pick it up and continue his activities as Most Annoying Person In The Universe.

As you can imagine, the accommodations on the plane were less than accommodating for this kind of activity, but people were being polite.  I, however, did not have that ability at that point – after the fourth or fifth thunk-rummage-juggle I turned to him and said “Dude – seriously?” (yes, I use the word “dude” – it’s a multifaceted tool that is critical to my speech pattern).  He responded with a Beavis-quality “uuhh-huhh-huhh” and mercifully put them away.

(Parenthetically (as this has nothing to do with my spewage here) – what did he do next?  HE TOOK OUT A FRISBEE AND BEGAN SPINNING IT ON HIS FINGER.  Once again, I promise you I am not making this up.  I then found out that it is a violation of FAA rules to shove a Frisbee down someone’s throat in Coach – I do think it’s allowed in First Class, however)

Before he stopped juggling (and before he dined on his Frisbee), and as I glared at him, I began marveling at the metaphor right before my eyes – the obvious one (we are all “juggling” everyday) but also the less obvious one, the one for my activities that week and what the meant in the context of today’s business climate.

I was traveling cross-country to present a new mid-season mini-line to our sales team, which will soon be in front of our customers.  Historically, this has been done via phone call, or even just dumping the shoes on the team and having them fend for themselves.  I, however, choose doing it in person, as it helps insure that our agenda/goals/intent is clear, and everyone is on the same page.

What it also does is help to foster an esprit de corp and a communal sense of purpose among the group – simply getting together (be it for a laugh, a cocktail, or to look at shoes) with others reminds everyone that they are part of something greater than themselves.  In these days of cost-cutting and frugality, person to person contact sometimes gets lost.

I know many commissioned salespeople who are simply not traveling to their accounts these days, as the money it takes to do so often negates any income that would be derived from making the trip.  That’s totally understandable, in real terms – what gets lost, however, is the all important relationship and human element that is such an integral part in what we do.

Is it worth spending X dollars to get to an account, when you might only realize X plus 10 dollars from it?  I doubt it.  The art, however, in the selling process is found in getting around pure financial constraints and maintaining that same level of personal contact.  How can that be done?  I can tell you that I have a friend from college who I have not seen in person in almost 20 years – yet through the telephone, email and (gasp) regular mail, we are in closer touch than people I know in my hometown.  If the relationship is there (and both parties want it), not only will it continue, it will grow.

In these times when store owners are struggling harder than ever to make ends meet, just knowing that they have a relationship with their vendors is just as valuable as having them physically in their stores (and in some cases, better – many of us are really harsh-looking people). 

We need to juggle our priorities and make sure that one of the balls in the air is our customer relationships.  Just don’t do it when you’re sitting next to me on a plane.

Best regards,

William Weiss

Director of Sales

Hush Puppies USA

william.weiss@wwwinc.com

203 746 3620

203 746 3815 fax