Jack Sanoff, A Mentor for all Ages: The Ninth Transformative Event, Part III

Inspirational role model and mentor Jack Sanoff and I reconnect in November 2010 in San Ramon, CA, celebrating a 40 year plus relationship

In essence, Jack taught me several arts simultaneously: cold calling, selling and renewing. There was 'me'-- the product of an Ivy League education with three degrees under my belt and my mentor a product of the great depression, a native son of Newark, New Jersey whose real-life education began at age 17. He had an easy way of 'schmoozing' the client catching them off-guard with a joke or two and before I knew it, he pulled out a renewal agreement and signed them up for another year. He made the sale look so easy... and what really impressed was his massive portfolio of ads in a huge leather- bound three ring binder organized by category beginning with the letter 'A' for Air Conditioning specialists and Auto Dealers with dozens of ads pasted up on black paper with a cellophane cover around each page. The book must have weighed 15-20 pounds. 

 After a month of training with Jack in the Bay Area, serving accounts in Emeryville, San Francisco and Berkeley, I heard that there was an available sales territory north of Sacramento; so with my few belongings packed into a U-Haul securely fastened to my vintage Mercedes, I headed north and took up digs first in Old Shasta, California; in short order, I became Jack's man covering the North Valley selling ad space in Redding, Yreka, Red Bluff, Weaverville, Eureka, Arcata, Crescent City, Susanville, Chico, Quincy, Placerville, Sacramento, Nevada City, Auburn, South Lake Tahoe, Reno and Gardnerville (Nevada). In no time, I was able to save enough to buy a Sierra foothill home in scenic Paradise (CA), replete with outdoor swimming pool, two car garage, three bedrooms, two fireplaces and, of course the towering pine trees. It became the perfect weekend retreat for me. Jack continued to be there for me via the 1-800 phone number directly to the office in Hayward. And we spoke daily, sometimes twice. He was always ready with a list of new business from the McCords weekly of new businesses registrations. 

 We were Jack's men, the Magnificent Seven, who covered Northern California from Fresno north to the Oregon border: Derek S. , Kenny U. , Howard G, Hal S., Elton S., Harry L. and yours truly. We would meet twice a year at Hayward when the big brass would come up from LA to hold a sales/awards meeting. Our residences were far flung from Fresno, to Monterey/Carmel to Novato to Mount Diablo, to Sacramento. (It was thrilling to attend these meetings flying from Oroville to Hayward airport in my Cherokee Archer II-- earning my wings and time machine by being one of Jack's guys!)

 Jack would send out monthly sales blasts often pitting one salesman against the other for top performance. After a hard month of turning 6-8 deals (with his help) it was great to have my performance heralded in the bulletin (with a courtier character blowing his trumpet at the top). And there was always a $250-$500 bonus, to boot. Did Jack ever learn to pit me against his other hot-shot salesman!?! When I left Jack to open up the Dallas/Fort Worth office in the mid-80's, I knew that I owed so much of my success to him and because of him. Thank you Jack, you are a man for all seasons in my book!

   Sadly, I learned that Jack had recently passed away. 

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