In the course of your lifetime, you’ll meet some people you’ll never forget.
They’ll impact your life and change your way of thinking.
It was a radical change, but I was determined to succeed… One of the salesmen in that showroom wasSherman Lowenstein.
He knew his way around…
He showed up for work every day looking like a million bucks.
He was nicknamed “The Silver Fox,“and deservedly so.
Sherman wore expensive suits tailored perfectly to his tall, slender physique, and his shoes were equally expensive.
I went out and bought a new pair of fashionable shoes in an attempt to emulate him.
When they hurt my feet, I went to Sherman.
“He laughed and said I had boughtsitting shoes.
He told me to throw ‘em out, that they’d never fit even if I had them stretched.
I had ‘em stretched, and he was right, they never fit.
He had a confident gate, one that belonged on a much younger man.
Like many New York salesmen, he got his nails manicured, something I would never do.
As a plumber, I was proud of my calluses and natural fingernails.
But in his world, Sherman was the poster boy, and he wore it well.
He was the"Boy from New York City"all grown up and then some.
He knew when to speak up and when not to.
I watched him carefully, intending to learn the ropes from one of the best…
It was the first day of my first market week.
In my opinion, I had done well.
I knew my product, showed it confidently, and got great reactions from the buyers.
After a long day, I was on the elevator with Sherman, heading home.
I said with great confidence,“I had a great day!”
“Oh…“Sherman responded.
“And how do you know you had a great day?”
“The buyers loved the line,“I replied.
“How many orders did you get?
“I haven’t received any yet.
They said they’ll send them next week when they return to their offices,” I proudly said.
I knew Sherman was right.
One day, Sherman asked me how I liked New York, and I said I liked it.
“He was right.
You had to know a native New Yorker who could recommend restaurants.
The new owner of the company was a millionaire who was a complete and total narcissist.
He didn’t have a problem demeaning someone in front of coworkers.
And when he did, he did it at close range, an in-your-face humiliation.
“You got some big fucking balls!
“The rest of the showroom staff started applauding me.
I took the win and the accolades anyway, and for a while, I was a showroom legend.
“He moved like a cat and had a silver tongue to match his silver coiffe…
I didn’t stay in New York.
