Page 69 - Just Deserts

TotalCare

market, beyond even advertising and promotion, there lies one last
means of salvation: creative accounting. If we can’t move half a ton
of Panasol in the next few weeks, we’ll find some way to take a loss
on it; maybe a contaminant will be accidentally released in the
warehouse. No, that doesn’t look so good for our quality control and
safety procedures. At any rate, don’t let it worry you: when you have
a hit, even in a foreign market, you tend to go on a production spree;
then, all of a sudden, the party’s over. It’s not the first time this has
happened. Brimstone will survive. We still have several product lines
in Latin America, do we not—even with this new ban?”
“Yes, yes, we do,” sighed Harry. “But my commission is shot to
hell. And I don’t like that one bit. It just isn’t fair: how often is there
a recall that affects one of the top salesmen? I’ll never get ahead at
this rate!”
Tom Purdue brought his fist down firmly on the mahogany desk
top. “Now, that’s enough of talk like that! You can’t work here and
carry around a chip on your shoulder. Successful salesmen don’t
bitch about the lousy hand they’re dealt: they find a way to play it and
win. I’ll bet you a profit on Panasol can still be made—by someone
with the right attitude!”
“Maybe so.” Harry stood up, patting his hair back into place. “But
I’m going right now to tell the production department to pull the
plug on Panasol—unless you object.”
“No, that’s a prudent policy. And you should give serious thought
to finding an outlet for the surplus. If not, perhaps we can give the
stuff to one of our new men. He might still have the creative juices
required to find a solution.”
Harry strode from the office scowling. Purdue’s eyes lingered for a
few seconds on the doorway, then strayed back to the seductive
photographs and prose in the retirement brochures. He shook his
head sadly. Poor Harry! he mused. All that righteous indignation for
nothing! When I was his age and selling the product, I could always
find a way to break down sales resistance, even if I had to make
claims that couldn’t be substantiated in the liability statement, or even
mark down slightly stale merchandise to get a foot in the door. All it
takes is imagination and a few good contacts in the medical

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