Joe Sails: A Story in Progress

Dick Olenych

This humorous Socratic style book helps individuals and organizations change their core business behaviours through a fictitious story. With its solid story line and smooth read the book is an excellent catalyst for change. By being light and engaging readers associate easily with the characters. From truckers to teachers all have loved this natural introspection. It’s a wonderfully complete package.

Review by Paul Lappen (310107) Rating (8/10)

Review by Paul Lappen
Joe Sails is a salesman at the Acme Office Products Company. He has been with the company for a number of years, and, in the past, was the top salesman. Not any more. Joe has become increasingly dissatisfied, but without being able to put his finger on the reason. He is getting less diligent in his duties. If a customer calls with a problem, he either sends the call to another department or leaves the fixing of the problem until the end of the day.

At the office, Joe is supposed to log all his client visits and sales phone calls along with the status of the customer, another area in which he has been less than conscientious. His numbers have also started to drop; he has missed his monthly sales quota more often than he has reached it.

Bobbi, Joe's immediate boss, has also noticed. Without making Joe resentful, she wonders how to bring him back to his core competency, treating the customer as most important. They go over Joe's activity log every day. She pairs Joe with Bill, another salesman. It's not intended to treat Joe as a child (but that's how he initially interprets it), but to show what putting the customer first is all about. Between sales calls, Bill's ear is glued to his cell phone, checking his voicemail or calling potential clients. Depending on the customer, it may take a couple of visits before the subject of what product (in this case, office products like copiers) the client should buy is mentioned. Selling any old box is easy, selling the right kind of box that will expand with the business is hard.

Joe slowly begins to get the idea. His diligence returns, and his productivity starts to go up. He's not back to where he was, but he's getting there.

For most people, this book can be skipped. Those who are in business, any business, could really use this book. Improvement in business, however it's measured, is a never-ending quest. Putting it in novel form can be more helpful than in the form of some book full of business buzzwords. It's worth reading.
Paul Lappen (31st January 2007)