George Finn tells an amusing story about a Canadian Linotype salesman in the 1960s.
FOLLOWING Mergenthaler’s takeover of England’s Linotype and Machinery (L&M) and Canadian Linotype in 1909, L&M set up a division of their press sales and services in the same premises as Canadian Linotype. However they operated independently of one another.
Back in the mid 1960s Canadian Linotype expanded its business to include, in addition to Linotypes, a substantial number of print related products including a line of web offset printing presses of Italian manufacture.
Don, a Linotype sales rep from London Ontario, was transferred to Montreal at around the same time I was, so initially he was a stranger to his customers as they were to him.
Don was a very organized salesman, and as he got to know his customers he kept copious notes on their business and even details relating to members of their family etc.
He would review these notes before going into the customer’s office so that he could refresh his memory about the customer and his family and he would know exactly what sales material would be required.
As he was now selling a considerable range of products he had sorted the sales material into a number of briefcases, Linotype, Linofilm, presses, printing supplies etc. and he would take whatever briefcase or cases he required for a particular customer.
Don tells the story of his first call on a customer in Montreal.
To be on the safe side he gathered up all his briefcases and went into the manager’s outer office.
He introduced himself to the secretary and asked to see the manager.
The secretary picked up the phone and said. “There is a salesman here to see you, he appears to be selling briefcases.”
If you liked this story you may also like Printers’ Tales – a compilation of similar stories, available in ebook and paperback formats.