Years ago I wrote a monthly column for Cygnus Publishing's Graphics Network magazine, a monthly. Often times, as is my style, I'd tell stories as a way to make a point. This time, however, I got into some trouble. The point I was trying to make was that we need to follow up on our leads consistently. You'd think that would be an easy point to prove, right? WrongÖ

In June, three months before the time I was writing the column, I visited a Saab dealership in Hingham, Massachusetts, just north of my home in Duxbury. It was my second trip to this particular facility, a fact that was completely lost on the sales person whose name I remembered (though the courtesy was not returned) as I walked in to his office. I test drove a sweet 9-5 Aero rocketship, handed the knucklehead a second business card, and left him with the instructions that he should call me if someone trades in a car like that in the next two months (I was in no hurry). By September my phone had not rung with any such information. So, when I sat down to write the column, I started out by telling the story of the Saab sales rep that lost a sale because he couldn't follow up (I bought a Saab from a third party). While I won't put you through a total retelling of the article, I will tell you that it included the words "At a Saab dealership south of BostonÖ."

Fast forward.

Not long after the magazine came out, my phone rang. The Caller ID read "Shaw Saab", much to my surprise. That knucklehead sales rep was finally getting around to calling me! "Hello, Bill," the voice said, "this is Mark from Shaw Saab. I understand you wrote an article about me!"

SAY WHAT???

I was beyond surprised. I was floored. It seems that someone had read the column, knew the owner of the Saab dealership, cut out the article and mailed it to him. Very quickly, it made it to the rep in question and he called me.

The call went better than I imagined it word. Was it me, I probably would have used lots of words that rhymed with "truck." However, Mark simply wanted to know why he lost the sale. We talked. I explained. He told me that he didn't take me seriously when I was there (which time, I wondered, the first time or the second?). That was that.

There were two lessons here: one he learned and one that I learned. Mark, I hope you learned not to make such assumptions, especially if a potential buyer walks through the door a second time. Me? I learned to stick with BMWs.

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