Status and a story

All of my friends are making dates to come visit me.

I’ve been lying low while I get the new business going and now I’m starting to get back together with friends.
They imagine me sitting at the breakfast table in my bath robe, a cigarette dangling from my lips and the Daily Race Form in my hand.
Believe it or not, I’m so busy; I have to keep a daily “things to do” list. I have my spiral binder and every morning I carry over all the things I didn’t get to and add all of the new things I have to do. The list is long.

I’m giving the keynote address at the New England Direct Marketing Association (NEDMA) Direct Marketer of the Year dinner on May 12th. I think this is my fourth visit to NEDMA over the years. They’re a great organization, a real talent incubator.

Being awarded the Direct Marketer of the Year award is a great honor. It means that you have gone above and beyond what’s required. It’s an acknowledgement by your peers that you have made a difference. And that makes me think of a good story.

In 1994 The Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association (PDMA) held their Direct Marketer of the Year event as a luncheon. The luncheon was fast approaching and I got a call from one of my clients, Tami.
Tami said, “Jon, I want to go to the PDMA luncheon that’s coming up.” Now Tami was a good client, but I didn't want to go to the PDMA luncheon. “Tami,” I said, “Pick any restaurant you want and we’ll have lunch there. We'll never be able to talk business at the PDMA Direct Marketer of the Year Luncheon.” “No,” she replied, “I want to go to the luncheon and see who gets the Direct Marketer of the Year.”
“If that’s what you want to do, that’s fine with me” I said. “But all we are going to see is one idiot hand the award over to another idiot.”
So there I was, sitting at the table with Tami and friends at the PDMA Direct Marketer of the Year Lunch and to my total, utter, ignorant shock, I’m the other idiot.

The agency had a field day with it. It seems that after Tami got off the phone with me, she called my agency staff and told them what I said. When I got back to the agency that afternoon, there was a giant banner across the front of the building that said;

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OTHER IDIOT

It really is a great honor and to whoever receives the Direct Marketer of the Year award in Boston on May 12, my sincere congratulations!

Jon Roska