Buying It Back...

I was asked by an acquaintance to address this problem, for his sake and the sake of some of his 'friends'. He couldn't have come to a better place than here for advice and counsel...

Buying it back...This is the most pervasive and feared phrase in sales. Pervasive, because many, many salespeople do it so much, usually without even realizing what they are doing; feared because it is the absolute pinnacle of how to lose a sale.

I know a man who, in some years gone by, was the very best car salesman in a crew of ten salesmen. He sold more cars, pickups and trucks than any of the other salesmen, going away. When he approached a prospective customer, likely as not, that person would buy a car from him. (Provided, of course, the prospect was at least a bit ready to buy a car) This fellow had a gift of gab unequaled in the annals of car sales! (Well, maybe not quite that unequaled,-at least unequaled in this specific crew of salespeople)

However, it wasn't always that way. When he first started his sales career, he lost many more sales than he made. His approach was good and he made friends with the prospect easily and he had very good knowledge of the product but, at the last moment, something happened and the prospect decided to not buy the vehicle.
'Duh'--What's going on, he asked himself? He got no answer that made any sense so he asked another salesman who had been in the business longer than any of the others; he asked 'Pappy,' Myron W., the best salesman there at that time. Myron not only sold vehicles, seemingly without much effort, but he had the same people and even their children coming back to him time after time to buy more vehicles.

*Now I'm going into the first person mode, for the sake of expedition.

As soon as I mentioned my problem to Pappy, he nodded and said he had watched me make and then lose sales. I axed him what the heck that is supposed to mean and he said something that made no sense at all to me. He said, "You're selling the cars all right, very well, in fact, but then, you're buying them back."

He could tell I had no idea what he meant by that so he proceeded with his explanation.(forget the quotes)He had watched how I greeted the customers and made friends with them and he said I did a very good job of helping them decide which car or pickup they needed, (actually, wanted)and how informed I was as to what equipment each model had. He said he had watched and he could tell the very moment the customer had, in his own mind, 'bought' the vehicle.

Then I looked a question mark at him, then I just blurted out, "Then what the hell happened?" What happened, he said, is,-after you sold the car to them, you bought it back. I still didn't know what he meant so he proceeded; You did a good job of selling the car, telling them how good it was and how much them would like it and on and on. OK, so far.

Then, after they decided they would buy the car, you kept on selling and selling. Since they had already decided to buy the car, they began to wonder if something was wrong after all. Otherwise, why are you going on and on about the car; You've convinced them to buy,-why not be quiet now and allow them to enjoy their decision? It's as if you need to justify selling the car; something must be wrong.

I thought about this for a few moments and it finally dawned on me what he meant by what he said. And he was absolutely right. And this, of course, applies to just about everything else in the world that is worth 'buying.'
Once a person convinces you that you need to have what they have, be it material things, politics or religion, you need to back off and allow them to bask in their decision.
It's like talking to a Christian and recognizing his faith then, when he drives his car away, seeing 37 stickers on the back; a fish,-Honk if You Love the Lord," Where were you when they crucified the Lord and on and on and on, ad nausea.
Or an e-mail that says if you don't forward this on to six thousand people, God won't like you anymore.

When you obsess on anything,you seem to want to cram it down others throats, it appears as if you are trying to convince yourself, too, to rationalize,- and that is when you begin 'Buying it back.'

I hope I have made this clear to all of you folks (you know who you are) who have sold folks your way of thinking or being and then, in one fell swoop, bought it back.

Are you one of these people? Think about it...

Arf...

Just Waiting Around...

I was looking down at Red Bluff a couple of weeks ago and saw that the teddy-bear finally got my Donna Lees headstone placed. I must say, I approve of it.
I don't know if my Donna Lee specified what she wanted on it but she must have; I doubt her teddy-bear is smart enough to think things up on his own.

He spent a little while there the day it was placed. He looked so sad and alone. I almost felt sorry for him.
Just as he was leaving, he said, "I love you, Sweetie. I'll see you there before too long."

I guess he sent pictures of the headstone to a few relatives and friends. I don't think anyone has been there yet, though.

It must have been very cold in Hell last week, though, because his daughter, Margaret came up to Red Bluff and spent the weekend with him.
Margarets' daughter, Leesa, came over and spent the evening with them,-she and her three small boys. The boys seem to be a bit more well behaved than a while back.

They all went to the cemetery and visited my Donna Lee. It was a very touching visit. Leesa still has a bit of a problem with her emotions when they talk about her Grandmother. She loved her very much.
Her Grandmother was always there for the boys birthdays and other things. She even went to San Francisco with Leesa once because Leesa had to take her baby and the baby was still nursing. Her Grandmother loved her very much, too.

I need to tell all of you about the headstone. Look at the picture of it above. My picture was engraved on the top-right and a rose that grew out of my Donna Lees' cat, Skeeters, grave is engraved on the top left. She really loved that cat. I kind of liked her, too.
Here is a picture of me subduing Skeeter the first day I met her. We got along very well after that.
She thought she was a real little girl,-and she acted like it. It was a shame she was killed by a car.

Anyhow, they buried her in the back yard right by the fence and planted a rose vine on her grave.
It didn't even bud the first year but the next year, it really popped open with a great big, beautiful single rose.
They took a picture of it and that is what the rose on the headstone is patterned from. The man who made it did a very good job.

Well, I think I'll go over here behind a cloud and take a little nap. I'll be back to see you again if anything of any importance happens.

I visited the teddy-bear a few weeks ago,-just for a few seconds, just to remind him I am around. I like to see him jump in his seat when I flop my ears back and forth and make a machine gun sound.

My Donna Lee told me she visited him for just a second a few weeks back. He was having a problem deciding to sell her car and she wanted him to know it was all right. She said she called his name out, pretty loud, and he came out of his chair and called her name and looked around. What a dud!
Oh, well... I guess he loves her and misses her all the time. I know she loves and misses him. She told me so. I guess they both are just sorta waiting around,-for now, anyhow.

I hope this information has done some good for some of you. Take care and I'll see you later.

Arf...

"One Nation, Under God..."

*For those of you who do not know how the words, "Under God," got into our pledge of allegiance to our flag-a condensed description of the process:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation (under God), indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

This beautiful statement, pledging allegiance to our flag was written by Francis Bellamy in the year of our Lord, 1892. It was first spoken by school children on October 12th, 1892, during an observance ceremony of Columbus Day. The then US President, Benjamin Harrison, proclaimed the pledge to be official immediately before the first pledge was made on that Columbus Day.

The original wording of the pledge was amended several times in the following years. It was recognized officially by Congress as our official pledge on June 22nd, 1942.
The pledge hand salute originally was a right hand thrust forward and slightly raised in the direction of the flag, palm down at the start and palm up at the ending, much as the German hand salute to 'der fuhrer', the leader of Germany, Adolph Hitler.
President Roosevelt changed this to the right hand over the heart on June 22nd, 1942, when Congress made the pledge law.

On February 8th, 1954, a bill was introduced into congress adding the words, "Under God," to the pledge and the necessary legislation was approved and passed by congress and, on Flag Day, June 14, 1954, President Dwight David Eisenhower signed the addition of, "Under God," to our official Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag, into law.

*In virtually every poll of the citizens of the United States of America by any major pollster, we have approved by a two thirds + majority of votes of our pledge of allegiance to our flag and of the inclusion of the words, "Under God," into that pledge. (As, incidentally, we have approved of a prayer to our Lord in schools and other events)

So, there you have it, for best or worst, (whichever you prefer) and you can (or may) take it (or not) and do with it as you wish. (or don't)
Now, excuse me, I'm headed back upstairs, Glad I could help.

Arf...

Final Resting Place...

From my lofty perch, I watched my Donna Lees' teddybear a couple of days ago. He was rushing around, filled with more energy than I have seen him exhibit in a long while. I wondered why I would pick this particular day to check on him.

He Drove to the Oak Hill Cemetery then back home then back to the cemetery where he walked around different parts of the cemetery before going into the cemetery office then to a stonemasons' shop then to the County Courthouse and then, finally, back home.
'What,' I asked myself, 'is he doing?'

Then I remembered a conversation I overheard between my Donna Lee and her teddybear several years ago, before I was transferred to Doggie Heaven to guard the Small Doggie Lawn.

It was about them being cremated after they died and what, if anything, they wished to have done with their ashes. (remains, if you prefer)
The teddybear responded rather quickly as he sometimes is wont to do, with something like, 'It won't matter to me what you do with mine since I'll be dead anyhow. You can flush them or do whatever you want to with them; spread them around your plants like fertilizer, as a source of potassium.' And he chuckled (he does a lot of that) at that suggestion.

My Donna Lee grimaced at that bit of tripe and, as she is wont to do, pondered the question for a time before giving the answer anyone who knows her would expect. (since she is a very considerate and loving person)

She said, "Honey, (she used to call him that once in a while-why I haven't a clue since he is anything but) I want to be someplace where the kids or anyone else can come to visit; a place that bears my name." Then she quickly added (as I knew she would) "I'd really like you to be there with me."

The teddybear got quieter than I have ever seen him. Then, after a brief moment, he reached over and took her hand and pulled her to him and hugged her and gently kissed her. I knew then that it would be the way she wanted it to be.

Then I did what I should have done in the first place; I tuned in on the teddybears brainwaves, his thoughts, if you prefer.
He had found a nice spot in the cemetery, right next to a drive, (where it can be seen on a rainy day without getting out of the car) and bought that small plot of ground for my Donna Lees' and his remains to be buried; together,- forever.

Then he had stopped at the stonemasons shop and arranged for a headstone for their last resting place. It is polished stone and will have inscribed on it; Together Forever,- JC and Donna Lee then at the bottom, Alexander.
On the top left will be a rose, inscribed, 'Skeeters Rose' in honor of my Donna Lees' last little girl, a charcoal colored yellow eyed Burmese (she really loved that cat) and on the top right will be the image of the top part of a Chihuahua inscribed, 'Chico.'
He didn't put ...'the Wonder Dog' on it because only he called me that. To my Donna Lee, I was just always her, 'Chico'.

Then the teddybear went to the courthouse and got the appropriate permit to have his sweeties' remains put into their final resting place.

I felt myself slipping away then as I watched a large sigh come from the teddybear. I think I saw a little tear collect and trace it's way down his cheek. I think he is relieved, now that he has finally arranged for his sweeties request to be honored. I know I am.

Now all that's left is to have her placed in her final resting place, (he'll do that soon) where eventually, he will join her.

Well, there you have it. You can (or may) do with it as you wish. (or not.)

Arf...

Just In Case Anybody Is Curious...

A very young doggie angel came over to me today ( actually, there are no 'todays' in Doggie Heaven since there is no 'time' as such) and asked me if any of my 'loved ones' (yeah, right,-my only loved one is already here, in people Heaven...) knew exactly where I am. It occurred to me, probably no one on Earth does.
Since, even now, after death, people still find a way to come to me for the ultimate in knowledge and advice, I have decided to show you exactly where in Heaven we are.

The writing is a little crude because I enlisted the aid (unnecessary as that was) of the youngster who asked me the question of where we are and he hasn't mastered the art of human writing as yet.

All right and without further ado, here is a cosmic chart of exactly where in the Heavens my Donna Lee and I are.

Actually, here is a little better and closer shot of our places in Heaven. The BIG, BRIGHT SPOT just to the lower left is where the Big Guy sometimes comes to confer with his Top Dog.

As you can see, I am a bit farther out than my Donna Lee (or as the teddy bear would say, his sweetie) is, probably because dogs died before people after the Big Guy created us all.
Rumor is, Cain took his dog hunting with him and the dog, refusing to ever give up the chase of a much faster animal, died when his heart burst from the strain. Right after that, Cain, still feeling the strain of his favorite pet dying, went home and killed his brother, Abel.
Anyhow, that's the rumor and I tend to believe it since, I'm sure there is no one who can prove otherwise.

I like this positioning because it puts me in a place where I can more easily watch over my Donna Lee. I probably should 'look that' to her teddy bear but, what the hey, he'll find out for himself soon enough.

These are the facts and you can,-or may,- take them or leave them, whichever you prefer. You all, too, the same as the teddy bear, will find out for yourselves soon enough.

Arf...