by Jos Henry
UPTION OF THOMAS
By Jos Henry
Copyright 2015, 2017 Jos Henry
All rights reserved
Expanded and re-edited 2016
ISBN 978-0-9947867-6-0 (epub)
ISBN 978-0-9947867-7-7 (mobi)
ISBN 978-0-9947867-8-4 ( pdf )
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This story is a work of fiction. Incidents, names, characters and places are products of the author's imagination and/or used fictitiously. Resemblance to actual locales or events or to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Other light or humour short stories by Jos Henry:
Mr. Flanagan
The Dimmer from Hell
Contractor Nonsense and Do It Yourself Madness
'I'm very sorry Thomas. Stable Power from England was awarded the order for U$247,526. Plus to three years for free they extended their warrantee.
'But don’t worry; we are well connected at the highest levels in Riyadh. Contracts soon again will come.'
Herr Gunther Hass was long on reasons short on results lately. When Areltrade lost its European supplier some years before and desperately searched the world for a new reputable DC power equipment manufacturer he sang a different tune,
'Alone in the last couple of years almost one million dollars power equipment we sold. With the right partner we will reach easily in two or three years between 4 to 5 million dollars US.'
'A million dollars is an interesting starting volume. Do you have enough open quotes that you feel you can easily convert to a new manufacturer? What makes you think enough of your customers will follow you to maintain your volume?'
Herr Gunther went into a sales pitch that only a mother protective of her only boy would pretend to believe. But with not much to lose Thomas decided to buy-in for a while anyway.
Montech Inc. soon began to receive business at irregular intervals from the Arabian Peninsula and then more regularly. The minor risk had paid off; Areltrade became Montech's legal agent.
Regrettably the vigorous sales growth achieved within a reasonable time began to cool and eventually drooped to near extinction. The precariously stable business volume refused to grow—not exactly the hoped-for evolution.
Many at Montech thought with some justification that regular visits to the area would help increase sales. The obstacle was Thomas Maloin the 100% shareholder and President hated travel—with passion.
In a weekly meeting he said,
'Sales to the region are melting. We've missed out on big jobs in the past couple of years. If nothing changes we'll have no sales to speak of in Arabia. ... I can't understand why we're doing so poorly over there.'
Everyone agreed with Thomas's assessment of the Arabian sales situation with appropriately timed and distributed nods groans and grunts but prudently ignored opportunities to mention travel. They were aware of Thomas's aversion to travel as if memory chips were implanted in their brains. Mention of travel at meetings usually had to await the arrival of new unsuspecting participants who would inevitably stumble into their rite of initiation.
In private conversation with Thomas the Vice-President of sales once dared insist visits to the Arabian Peninsula were a must; preferably by Thomas himself.
'People feel appreciated when the president calls on them Thomas; especially on the international scene. It means he feels their business and connection are important enough for the head man to come and see them. And I'm sure they'd tell you things in person they wouldn't on the phone or to a salesman.'
He should have known better.
'There's no reason in the world for me to make sales calls or travel anywhere. I'm done with that. We have good foreign representation doing a fine job of developing business.
'The presidents of other companies our size don't go out on calls (Actually they all did but let’s not quibble). I'm more useful right here in town where I'm accessible when situations come-up (etc. etc. etc. for the next seven minutes and twenty-nine seconds).
'By-the-way, how are your negotiations coming along with the boys in the oil-patch? Are they showing any signs of releasing a contract to us? It seems you've been at them for ages. Is a V-P not a high enough level for them? I'm not going there either.'
And the V-P said,
'Well, uh … we're making progress ---'
'Wonderful; so's Gunther.'
End of conversation.
Thomas didn't always feel this way about travel. During Montech's beginning years he found frequent travel agreeable even stimulating. He was younger then. In time though, he came to prefer the pleasant surroundings of his well-appointed climate controlled office to the heat and humidity of the South American Tropics or the intense cold of the Canadian North. He now bestowed on others the gratifying experience of jet lag strange food and uncertain laundry service. Nothing dislodged him from his orbit even though clients of companies Montech's size expect to know the boss as a near condition of doing important business.
Mister Sultan ibn Masood ibn Nejd was chairman of Areltrade LLC in Arabia. He was currently well connected with the currently influential members of Government. In other words he was part of the current establishment. Thomas was certain the man could steer more business Montech's way but for some reason didn't.
Thomas spoke often with Herr Gunther Hass Areltrade's Managing Director and Mr. Sultan's right hand man. At every opportunity he reminded him of his disappointment with the meagre business volume Areltrade produced. He persistently asked what they did or planned to improve results.
Whenever that subject came up Herr Gunther's voice raised an octave; his speech accelerated and he inserted many German phrases and Arabic words into the English conversations. Thomas spoke excellent English and French but regrettably no German or Arabic at all.
The discussions felt like interrogations to Herr Gunther no matter how carefully Thomas approached the subject. They were like sitting on a hard wood stool in the center of a small room, dark except for a single ceiling bulb-and-shade swinging at the end of its cord. They made him uncomfortable; they tormented him.
Herr Gunther always provided Thomas perfectly reasonable explanations for the long incubation period of Areltrade's greater commercial success. Areltrade's expert marketing and well-connected contacts—too many to mention in an overseas telephone call—would soon bring greater success; patience would be rewarded.
Clearly there would be no progress with Herr Gunther in such a state. Thomas would drop the matter at the first opportune break in the soliloquy to try again on another day.
In the last telephone meeting Thomas must have finally pilled-on the proverbial straw that for Herr Gunther broke the camel's back—an apt image if Herr Gunther's location is considered.
Gunther happened to be even sharper than usual. He might manage to corner Thomas and put an end to these repeated third degree episodes hopefully forever.
'The remedy to the low volume Thomas is you periodically show a presence here.
'Yes but ---'
'Over here business is made very much on a personal level.
'OK but ---'
'Mr. Sultan and his colleagues are right now having casual discussions regarding the equipment needed for a projected railway extension from Riyadh to the Gulf. For somebody always those discussions result in business.
'Maybe so but ---'
'And for an Aramco crude oil pumping station in Safaniya there is being evaluated a big power system.
&
nbsp; 'That's very int ---'
'If you came here at some point before the processes are too far engaged you could have an important influence on how the specifications are written therefore on where the business will go.
'Uh ---'
'For me to welcome you to Riyadh would be a great honour and pleasure. Give it some thought and let me know. ... The sooner the better.'
There was no opportune break in Gunther's soliloquy. Gunther's reply was as if he crushed a return ball that flattened against Thomas's forehead before he could even move his racquet; "game set and match".
"Dis vass wunderbar". Herr Gunther smirked rightly proud of himself. If Thomas declined the invitation he could ask him if he had sufficient interest to do business in the region. If he came there were plenty of ways for him and his staff to avoid unnecessary exertion or unwelcome curiosity.
From Gunther's harangue Thomas feared if he refused to go or send someone this time he might risk the loss of the little business he had in the region and with it his platform for greater volume.
But he knew well from experience a single visit to any region or potential customer does no good. Its effects soon begin to fade in the mist and darkness of memory. Regular visits are necessary to maintain and grow relationships.
The company's sales to the region eventually reached sixty-five percent of its volume—but that's a different situation with different problems, none of it relevant to this account.
To commit the amount of money