Chapter 2

Mark in surfing the net caught an article mentioning that Ben Palmer, who was retiring from playing basketball in the NBA was going to be a sales manager for the new Bifty Athletic Shoe Company. Mark thought that being an outside salesman doing this type of selling could give him the flexibility he was looking for in employment. He did more surfing and found where Ben’s office was located. He made a phone call inquiring about a sales position and was invited to come in for an interview.

At the office, he completed an application before he was interviewed by Ben Palmer. Ben went over the application asking specific questions about what Mark did in the Army as he was unfamiliar with the Army’s CID functions.

“Our employment ad indicated we were looking for salespeople who had shoe-selling experience,” said Ben.

“There was one summer when I was going to school that I worked at a shoe store,” said Mark which caused Ben and then Mark to laugh.

“Tell you what,” said Ben. “The experience you have in dealing with people could make you a good salesperson. You do have a pattern of success with the twenty-one years you put in and your advancement in rank. If you want the job, it is yours.”

Mark said he did want the job and they shook hands.

Ben already had explained that Mark would be considered to be an independent contractor and that his compensation would come solely from the shoe sales commission. His job was to convince various types of stores to set up small displays of Bifty shoes for them to sell the shoes. The store salespeople would place an online order after the customer made a selection which would be shipped from the warehouse to the customer’s home. The store’s and Mark’s commission would come from the sales of shoes at the retail store as well as reduced commissions from online sales made by customers in the zip codes of those stores.

Ben said they were heavily computerized and could do this tracking of commissions. The two-inch raised heel design of the shoe would catch women’s interest in the shoes. Mark was given the territory of the south and southwest greater Chicagoland area.

“Let me ask you, “said Mark. “What if I establish stores in fifty zip codes and then want to take some time off to do some traveling? Will you object to me doing that?”

“I like your positive attitude, but to answer your question, if you establish stores in fifty zip codes, I will personally come over and help you pack your suitcase so you can do some traveling.”

The both of them laughed at Ben’s remark.

Two days later Mark was back at the office and he along with Dan Williams, who was also a new sales hirer, received training on the sale procedures which needed to be followed in establishing these retail locations and their submitting orders. There was only a little space needed at a retail store for the shoe display of the various shoe models and colors. The commissions the stores would receive, Mark thought should be pluses in the stores agreeing to sell and submit orders of these shoes which would be shipped from a warehouse.

After a discussion with Dan who seemed like a nice guy, they both agreed on how to divide the territory so that there wouldn’t be any conflicts between them. Extending a line from Madison Avenue in Chicago straight west was the dividing line. Dan had the territory north of the line and Mark had the territory south of the line.

Mark’s business plan was simple as to how he would work. He would be at the stores when they normally opened which was at ten and he had the goal of establishing one location a day. After establishing a location he would call it quits for the day. He would also only work four days a week in doing this salesman job.

It turned out that Mark was successful in establishing locations. The small space the display took up along with the commissions, were the selling points for stores agreeing to sell Bifty shoes. The increasing monthly paychecks Mark was receiving from these shoe sales reflected his success.

He in turn knew he needed to spend some of his savings and the commissions he received which had him purchase a few items. Mark bought a six-year-old low-mileage SUV from a widowed lady who could no longer pass the driver’s license test. Putting miles on his mother’s car was something he knew he needed to stop doing.

He also felt a little naked in not having a holstered pistol on his hip. Two of his overseas assignments required that he be constantly armed which gave him this feeling. He received eight hours of credit for his military service for the required sixteen hours of weapons training the state mandated before they would issue a concealed carry permit. After securing his FOID card, he attended an eight-hour class and applied for a concealed carry permit. In the process of completing the training, he purchased a Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol as well as a Taser pistol. From what he would see on the news as to criminal activity in this metropolitan area, he felt safer in having made these purchases. At the same time, he hoped he would never have a need to use these weapons.

Being successful in accomplishing his self-imposed sales goal resulted in Mark having Fridays and weekends off. To stay in shape he signed up with a health club that was close to home. It was a large complex with a swimming pool, basketball courts that were sometimes used for pickleball, and a large number of exercise machines.

Mark also didn’t want to fight the large crowd that normally was at this health club in the morning. Because of that, he would go to the club in the early afternoon, work out, and then have a late lunch or early dinner that he would wash down with a few glasses of beer. His thought was that the workout was adding years to his life but at the same time, the alcohol was taking years away from his life. His philosophical approach was that he was breaking even in doing both of these things.

Working out this day he would classify it as interesting. That was because there was a lady he would guess who was somewhere in her middle thirties who was also working out. From what he could see she had a pretty face and the tight blue workout outfit she wore showed every curve of her body. Needless to say, there were some interesting curves. She seemed friendly enough as when he nodded to her, she nodded back to him.

Having worked up a good sweat and completed his workout routine, Mark was walking to take a shower.

“Leaving so soon?” he heard which caused him to stop. It was this blond-haired lady who asked him that question.

“I am done working out. It’s time for me to take a shower, get something to eat, and maybe have a few beers.”

“Where do you go to do that?”

“Miller’s, which is just down the street. At this time of the day, there isn’t much of a crowd.”

“That sounds good, maybe I will see you there.”

While he was taking his shower he sure as hell was hoping that she would decide to come there.