I was going to say, how I get the ear of company presidents?
I wish I could tell stories of what's going on at my site (especially on days like today), but I understand the need to watch what I say. As a public employee I can be disciplined or fired for what I post, which is why I don't sign with my real name or where I work, as much as I would love to make public some of the things going on and the ways in which a particular lighting company is giving me the run around. On this forum and others I have to remember to keep anonymous, which takes the fun out of sharing this resource with some of my peers or students.
Once wrote a snail mail letter (before the internet) to
Altman about a show I was doing that due to some very problematic parts supply issues to my 3.5Q Lekos meant I couldn’t produce as good of majic.
Later and after receiving that letter and one can imagine how it is to catch a college person on one’s dorm room phone direct, I got a
call from Robert
Altman himself. He personally apologized to some college punk I was in attempting to set the world on fire
thru my great design, absolutely needed these parts I didn’t get in time or even yet before the
call. Explained about the problems his company was undergoing with introducing the new HX-600 lamp at the time a new development that’s now legendary lamp history, and with bringing to market their own new
fixture in time for
USITT I believe it was.
Snail mail and direct contact proven over the years often and always the best way to
address problems for me some college kid in competing with someone in the same class that had a
laser to tinker with I got a pre-market HX-600 lamp, some extra parts and the parts requested immediately following the personal apology and expiation of what they were up to as a company and forming up of what is now fourth generation
Leko technology personally. Talked a long time on the subject and I will always remember that personal time with someone that has made history in the industry as a college punk as it were talking with him.
Professionally na, been on quite a few
dart board centers, but personally it did on the personal
level rise to a
level that has not been followed - this even beyond a personal
call from an exec at
ETC following a post under my anonymous name the next morning offering to solve the problem or at least help to study it. More scary for me on a professional
level that what I wrote as me in my off time at the time caught up with work in an initial sense and I got a phone
call the next morning.
Years in the industry as a buyer and I separate more and more company from sales person. Often I get a good sales person and they move up in the chain of command and pass my account down to a selected next sales person that either does great - often with me or what am yo stupid? Those sales people that move up or on than later contact me at their new company or let me know that if there is a problem, contact them and they will help. Onto for instance my third or fourth rep at
Altman now over the years. Two moved onto L&E and they are great sales people. To them as sales people taking care of the customer extra sales where possible just as in the past with me at times shifting sales to a sales person over brand if felt that sales person could make it happen. On the other
hand, still have overall accounts and training if necessary with the next sales person. Takes time at times with the next sales person but they learn what you need and have to have and they either go away or improve when new. This or excell.
Recently I got personal sales people
thru Allied Electronics and Newark. Good to have in that the last set of
terminator resistors I bought off the internet didn’t seem to be what I was looking for and a day later I ordered and saved money on what I needed after personal recommendation.
Should a sales person move on in the industry I’ll still stick with the main company as wished and concept, just once the sales person also lands elsewhere also consider them as sales person at a new source for other stuff and choices.
Much like tech people, a sales person is at times one to follow. Many good ones out there and after a time they might stop reping a specific company and go free lance for rep instead for reping many. Alternate route not much known in the industry if one finds oneself a sales person that one can also go free lance rep in the future as a career choice.
On the other
hand, in direct response.... watch what one might say... no perhaps in no small world big brother remembering you type of way especially before well established in the industry. Still always best to be safe, sleep on it overnight if potentially very meaningful or telling than decide after a full nights rest if fair and un-balanced in presentation and fact. After that given science... that’s fact presented and not subjected as long as that’s what it is.
In art, that’s subjective and fair and needed often in the most opinion one can give. Personal opinion and review as that is also great stuff and jumping off
point to discussion as long as recognized if small amount reviewed against and small sampling that the parameters of debate.
Small world shouldn’t on the other
hand stifle opinion or debate. If you feel strongly and or want to, that’s part of pushing the limits and generating discussion such debate and challenge. Often that passion for art and or discussion is what pushes further knowledge. On the other
hand popooing say a lot number of lamps by a brand when that’s all one has experience with as opposed to last year that seemed to last better is discussion that should be a careful one about based on lots of factors in making reality of otherwise subjective opinion.
Hope it helps in a difficult concept to otherwise convey in not stifle creativity or discussion about anything but also hoping that when its presented that it is fair and unbiased in a real sense as opposed to situational reporting about it given strong but unformed opinion.
Lots to work on for all given the weight of such a concept but still if concept able to do it and understood if needing work on it.
Long after you, I and others are gone such as we type accurate or having changed in theory will be for future generations fodder for a college term paper say good and or bad as if discussion about blacks/whites to pull up. Basic sort of phylosophy in a way as it were beyond the above.