"Stop it already!"

Hey Jim,

I had to laugh when you described a previous experience where you discovered the "expensive" sales people with company cars and fat expense accounts for glad-handing 2 or 3 customers but not contributing anything to the business. Ironically, my job as a global account manager for 2 or 3 accounts is just that - I figure out the needs and value creation opportunities for the customer and direct internal resources accordingly. Yep, sometimes it takes a dinner, round of golf, or trip to Brazil to discover those things. However, I don't book orders....hundreds of local sales people do. Sometimes the orders just drop out of the sky for them. I'm not really nervous about senior leadership thinking the role isn't needed since we're growing the accounts in volume, product diversity, and internationally. That is, until they read your column or hire you for a gig!

But then my hypocrite alarms started going off while reading the part about the Hampton Inn, and how far they go to assure that you have a good and memorable experience. Competitors look at what they do and deem it "too expensive" despite the obvious advantage it creates. So let's do a little math: let's value top notch cleaning crew, friendly staff, favors like strawberries and newspapers, health equipment, cocktails, and whatever else makes that Hampton desirable to guests at $6 for a $150 night stay. Now apply that "value" ratio to a couple $3M accounts, and now all of a sudden those glad-handers who make customer's feel valued are worth it. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of self-absorbed poor performers in such roles, or it may not entirely be necessary in truly commodity markets (which was probably the case you refer to in your column), but the function itself is not tawdry or wasteful. I hope.

Kind Regards,
[name withheld]

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Dear Readers, the above did not ask me to withhold his name or company, but I thought that might be a wise idea. He does show my error in logic, and I stand corrected, on the argument re my Hampton Inn example.

Jim

***

Jim,

OK, we've given / loaned the financial folks $700B whose job is to "intelligently" loan out money to "credit worthy" individuals and businesses. Now the Big 3 want money - a $25B loan. Let them go to the financial folks for those loans, and let the financial folks decide "intelligently" if the Big 3 are "credit worthy". [Probably not.]

Larry Wells
Atlanta, Georgia, USA

***

Dear Jim, your timing was impeccable. As I imagine are all Americans with some cranial activity, I'm upset right now. I don't pretend to know what would be absolutely the best course of action for our government now, and it's becoming increasingly clear that nobody else does, either. Faced with that situation my gut tells me that no action is better than doing "something, ANYTHING, PLEASE!!!" However the argument that Company A or B or GM is "too big to be allowed to fail" is admittedly making me squirm. Your points removed some of the obfuscation for me. They have already failed.

Thank you also for making it so easy to write to the politicians and for giving permission to use your words. You can bet that I did, below my own. I wrote to the president and my senators, lame duck congressman, congressman-elect and to Senator Obama's transition team.

Sincerely,

Bob Erchinger
USA

***

Jim,

I'm afraid I'm stumped. I thought I had your riddle worked out pretty nicely (started at 7:05 (which would look like 5:55 in the mirror) and arriving at 7:25 - but that is one and a half hour difference and not the two and a half hour difference in the problem.

Please confirm that there is a correct answer and not a mistake with the problem, and I'll rack my brain some more.

Best regards from beachside in Pensacola,

Jeff Reese
IP
Loveland, Ohio, USA

***

Good morning, Jim.

As always, thanks for sharing your views. And I hope you enjoyed your breakfast at 7:25 a.m.

Dale St. Peter
Port Huron, Michigan, USA

***

Jim,

Thanks very much for the e-mail... I have enjoyed reading your informational segments (it’s much easier to read and less time consuming than a magazine), and your personal articles are top notch. Thanks again.

Arvin Quarters
South Glens Falls, New York, USA

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