Love of Writing & Comedy
John liked to laugh.
John Jack is the author of more than just a few papers[1] and a book[2]. He also created the promotional copy for hundreds of products and services he created, tested and brought to market. Each one of them had a case study and narrative to complement the features and benefits of the offering. His heroes included both Mark Twain and David Ogilvy. Like them, John was a natural writer.
In Sales Management Magic, he cleverly and succinctly wrote, “While it’s true that salespeople are seldom satisfied with the money they make, it’s also true that a great many of them underutilize their ability to earn more. Put another way, they leave money on the table. I’ve always wondered why.”
The comedic approach was central to JJ’s belief that you could get more done with honey than with a whip. He often cited The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for the way Tom induced unwitting playmates into helping him whitewash the fence around his house. It was more than simply making it appealing, “Tom made it an emotionally rewarding experience,” John would often crow.
After workday lunches which were almost always at Bunny’s, we’d return to the parking lot at the office in John’s 5-series BMW wagon (or one of his other charming vehicles), and we’d listen to a CD of Stan Freberg’s[3] best radio shows from the 1950s and 1960s. We'd laugh and laugh for 30 minutes or so in the office lot. And for months, we returned to great lines like, "I asked a simple question and got a pageant!"
We also talked about industry trends and the people at competing incentive companies who created their products. John cared little for their creations and quickly surmised, “He couldn’t tell an incentive from a can of corn.”
Occasionally, he adopted a professorial tone to remind me that, “Striving for mediocrity is much more gratifying than striving for excellence. You’re much more likely to reach your goal.”
He loved Skyline chili (“Skillinee’s!") and beer. Once at a business lunch in St. Louis with a few Anheuser-Bush executives, the client encouraged us to order a beer. John ordered a Guinness. The surprised client asked why didn't order a Budweiser and John replied, "Because I like Guinness better." (Didn't get the account.)
[1] “The Trouble With Money,” Tom K. Gravalos and John M. Jack. BI Performance Services, Minneapolis, MN. ©1995.
[2] Sales Management Magic, John M. Jack, Schoenecker’s, Inc. ©2007.
[3] Stan Freburg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Freberg