Never Say Sell

CHAPTER 1From Foothold to Footprint

We're jetting back and forth across the country visiting clients. It's Friday afternoon, and we are looking forward to finally spending a weekend at home. Jacob, the younger of us, is thinking about the prospect of winning Spokane's Hoopfest for the third year in a row with his in-laws. Tom is dreaming about scouting for elk in southwestern Montana in preparation for hunting season.

We are coming off a two-day string of meetings in Manhattan with clients and prospects. It's been a fast-paced and satisfying trip, but as we contemplate our travel home, with the long layover and dozens of follow-up emails from our last two days, we both let out a sigh.

Tom's wearing a blue suit, print tie, and black lace-up shoes. Jacob's sporting a natty charcoal suit, no tie, and brown shoes with green argyle socks. Two businesspeople, each with varying degrees of gray hair, pushing our way through LaGuardia on our way home.

We duck into the bathroom at the east end of the terminal, and change from our suits into jeans, comfortable shoes, and sweaters for flight back home. Tom is headed to Bozeman while Jacob will part ways with him in Salt Lake City and head home to Spokane.

There are certain rules to changing at the airport. Don't pick a stall without a hook, don't take off your socks, and don't put the roller board on the toilet seat or it won't stop flushing.

Like you, we're road warriors, crisscrossing the country in service of our clients. Our particular ...