Some of you reading this work in sales, but the truth is that we are all salespeople. Or at least we should be. We may not be earning a direct commission by selling a product or service, but we are most certainly selling. We are selling ourselves — our skills, our ideas, our attitudes and our beliefs. And much more.
I received a note Friday morning that a wonderful man I knew had passed away. His name is Gary Rudy, and up until his retirement, he was the executive director of IFPA, the Independent Free Papers of America. At that time, the free paper industry had two national trade associations. I was actively involved in the other one, which was the Association of Free Community Papers. The two often competed for members, sponsorship dollars and more. That didn’t matter to Gary, as he treated me, and seemingly everyone he knew, like his best friend.
At an industry event more than a decade ago, Gary pulled me aside and said, “Shane, have you thought about becoming an IFPA member? You would be a great fit, and we would love to have you join us.” I explained that I was already involved in too many organizations, but that I appreciated him reaching out. He replied, “Well, I hope you keep us in mind, and I appreciate all you do for the industry.”
Gary was selling, exactly like he should have been doing. What he did not do, and like so many sales reps unfortunately do, is pester me about it each time he saw me. As such, I didn’t feel the need to avoid him. In fact, I would go out of my way to greet him because I liked him so much.
Time passed by, Gary retired, and my schedule loosened up a bit. I had such a positive impression of IFPA from Gary that I decided to join the organization. Even though he was in retirement and no longer employed by IFPA, Gary reached out and thanked me. Sales? It's much more than that. It’s passion and compassion. It’s caring and concern. It’s friendship and family.
Gary taught me many things, but this example of how to “soft sell” someone is one I will never forget. Sales isn’t always a “today” thing. It takes time, sometimes years, to build relationships. And the best approach is to smile, to help people whether they are a customer today or not, and to be there when you are needed. And, most importantly, to say thank you. Even in retirement.
Rest in peace, Gary.
Have a marvelous Monday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com
See Shane Goodman's previous columns here. |
|
|
Your Clear Mortgage forecast
Warming into the week. A breezy Wednesday and Thursday, with rain chances Wednesday night into Thursday night (and maybe some thunder). Cooling after.
For help with pre-approvals or refinancing, get in touch with Originating Branch Manager Carrie Hansen at carrie.mortgage. |
|
|
| CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines® | | | The results have been tallied and published in the February issue of CITYVIEW and online!
Best Valley Junction Restaurant
1. Cooper’s on 5th
2. G. Mig’s 5th Street Pub
3. Bix & Co.
|
|
|
| Featured home for sale | | |
$415,000
3307 Saint Johns Road, Des Moines, IA 50312
Welcome to this south of Grand beauty! This immaculate, one-of-a-kind ranch has too many upgrades to list! This home features 3 beds/1 full bath with approximately 1, 700 sq ft of finished space. You will love the uniqueness of this high-quality home! Walk into the updated kitchen with Brazilian Cherry flooring, custom cabinetry, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. Beautiful hardwood floors span throughout the home and the interior custom shutters bring out this homes personality.
See the listing here.
| | | See More Homes For Sale |
|
|
| From CITYVIEW | | | CIVIC SKINNY
University sabbaticals — cookbook, bees, knitting. Also… Baby names. Broken records. Growth ranking.
For most of us, taking a “sabbatical” is veiled as a simple vacation. It is a nice break from work, if nothing else. However, the definition, at least according to the Oxford dictionary is, “a period of paid leave granted to a university teacher or other worker for study or travel, traditionally one year for every seven years worked.” We looked through the 106 sabbatical requests, or professional development assignments (PDAs), for fiscal year 2025 that have been approved by the Iowa Board of Regents. These will come at an estimated faculty replacement cost of $266,468. | | | READ MORE |
|
|
A victory for good cooking and green restraint! Gas stoves can keep high-powered burners, oversize cast-iron grates and other features under new energy-efficiency standards completed last week by the US Energy Department. (Try to imagine wok cooking over a low flame.) Final rules, which reflect an agreement between the appliance industry and environmental and consumer groups, will prevent nearly all gas-stove models on the market from being forced to redesign. The US House of Representatives passed a bill called the Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act that would block a federal ban of gas ranges, though a Senate version is on hold. Los Angeles, New York and other municipalities enacted restrictions on using natural gas in newly built homes. The American Gas Association disputes research linking gas stoves and increased risk of conditions such as asthma. (WSJ)
Do you think diets are trendy? In its annual "Best Diets" ranking, U.S. News and World Report awarded top spot to the Mediterranean diet for a seventh year in a row. According to the publication, this style of eating — inspired by the eating habits of people living in the Mediterranean region — has such serious staying power because it’s easy to follow long-term and has been shown to support heart health, bone and joint health, and help prevent certain diseases, such as diabetes.
Monday means Bianchi's Hilltop (2820 Hubble Ave., Des Moines) offers cavatelli lunches and dinners for $17.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |
|
|
FROM KCCI: 47th Annual BRR Ride brings wintertime joy to Perry community healing after school shooting
The many hundreds of riders came not only to take on the 24-mile round-trip ride but also to show their support for the Perry community. ...READ MORE FROM KCCI
FROM WHO-TV: Iowa teen grows massive social media following for eating peanut butter
LE MARS, Iowa (KCAU)– On January 9, Eli Mielke created an Instagram account called peanutbuttereater16 with the idea of eating small amounts of peanut butter after getting a certain amount of followers. However, that quickly blew up.... READ MORE FROM WHO-TV
FROM WOI-DT Local 5: Iowa DCI: Man charged with murder after officials find human remains
Investigators have tentatively identified the remains as those of Craig Smith, who was reported missing on Jan. 20......READ MORE FROM WOI-DT Local 5 |
|
|
| Birthdays and notables | | | Happy Birthday Steve Grasso!
These celebrities were born on this date: Gabrielle Anwar, Rob Corddry, Michael Goorjian, Nicolle Wallace, Alice Cooper, Cam'ron, Oscar de la Hoya, Clint Black, Lawrence Taylor
SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
|
|
The answer to yesterday's riddle:
Why does it cost big bucks to get a new rocket off the ground? THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LAUNCH! Must have been a tough one, only 2 guesses. Thanks for taking a shot Carolyn Rogers and Rex Post.
Today's riddle
What was stolen from the music store?
Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com |
|
|
To advertise in this daily newsletter, contact Jolene Goodman at jolene@iowalivingmagazines.com, or call 515-953-4822 ext. 319.
©Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc., all rights reserved.
www.biggreenumbrellamedia.com. Add webmaster@dmcityview.com to your address book to ensure delivery. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Click here to get it delivered to your inbox for FREE! |
|
|
This email was sent to:
email@example.com
Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc.
8101 Birchwood Ct Suite D
Johnston, Iowa 50131
|
|
|
|
