Elanco Products
While working at the Keyhole Lounge, three Elanco Sales Reps. asked us if we would be interested in warming up the audience invited to a dealer sales meeting in Sioux City, Iowa. We liked a break in the routine now and then, so we said yes. The next morning we packed up our gear and drove to their seminar to sing for an hour. It took us another hour to get back to the Keyhole Lounge, and we were a half hour late. We were forgiven when a lady customer with drink in hand decided to sing, “When the Saints Go Marching In,” while we were carrying our equipment to the stage. This lady was having to much fun with us while we were working to set up that she successfully encouraged everyone else in the lounge to march and sing with her. As soon as we could turn on our microphones, we joined in playing and singing, “When The Saints Go Marching In.”
The response to the dealer seminar in Sioux City was so great that they asked us to do several more in that District. When the sales greatly exceeded their quota, the Home Office staff decided to come out to see what was going on, and then asked us to be a part of their National Sales Meeting. That led to more District and Regional Meetings. Each year we worked with their Marketing Team, a Production Company and the Trio to put together each year’s theme which included a song. The Regional Managers (6 of them) would work out a schedule for Dealer and Distributor meetings. They would give us the locations and dates, and with material in hand and equipment in the Van, we would be on the way to another meeting season.
WOW! From then on it was crazy, back and forth across this great country from coast to coast, from California to Maryland; from Manitoba, Canada to Brownsville, Texas for 9 years. We only regret not having kept a journal.
Bahamas
One year we were included in the sales promotion for dealers and distributors to buy Treflan and win a trip to the Bahamas, Paradise Island. We were there for 3 weeks; greeting and performing at the beach-side pool or doing a concert after dinner. We would spend some evenings entertaining a group at a coctail party, the next night doing a concert after dinner, etc. Customers came in separate groups and stayed for 3 days each. We spent the days laying on the beach and listening to the island band at the hotel.