The year was 1989 and I needed a job.
So, responding to a classified ad in the help wanted section of Boston Globe, I walk in to the office of the J M Perrone Company at 150 Finnell Drive in Weymouth Massachusetts – determined to get the job.
Mr. Perrone wanted a ‘Cheshire operator’. I had no idea what a Cheshire machine was. But I did know ‘marketing’. And since the ad referenced Direct Mail Marketing, I decided to try my luck.
‘I am here for the marketing manager position’ I announced to the receptionist.
Mr. Perrone was walking in the door as I approached the receptionist.
He smiled and went on to his office. And a few minutes later I was in the conference room sitting in front of Mr. Perrone and the VP and the GM of the company.
I remember the conversation like it was yesterday...
“What do you mean you want a job as a Marketing Manager? We’re not looking for a marketing manager. You do not qualify. Why are you here?” Asked Mr. Perrone
Me: “Great. By the time you want a marketing manager, I will qualify for that job.”
Mr. Perrone: ‘OK, what can you do?’ Me: ‘work’
Mr. Perrone: ‘That’s great. We can use people who can ‘work’. But what kind of work can you do now?’
Me: ‘I call people. People buy from you’.
Mr. Perrone: ‘What if they don’t buy?’ Me: ‘I call again.’
Mr. Perrone: ‘What if they get upset?’ Me: ‘If they get upset, they call you. You sell them.’
Mr. Perrone: ‘Will they understand you?’ Me: ‘In America, broken English OK. This not UK’.
Mr. Perrone: ‘We’ll have to start you from zero. You’ll need to learn a lot before you’ll be of any value to us at all. Let me think about it.’
Me: (Sitting back in my chair): OK Sir. Think.
Mr. Perrone: ‘No, let me think about it.’
Me: ‘Oh, I get it! No problem sir. I wait outside your office while you think’.
Mr. Perrone: ‘Look, give me two weeks. I want to think about this, OK?’
Me: ‘OK Sir. Thank you for the opportunity. May I work for you for free for two weeks while you think? I have nothing else to do’.
Mr. Perrone would not let me work for free. So he offered me $5 an hour. And my journey in direct marketing was officially underway.
1989 to 2002 were the best 14 years of my life. Together we grew the company from 1.7M to $11M in revenue. And I learned all facets of direct response marketing and data intelligence.
In 2002 I left P
We met again in 2011 and Mr. Perrone accepted my invitation to become the Chief Operations Advisor to eLaunchers.com. Today, a retired Mr. Perrone is an advisor to eLaunchers.com, a mentor to me and a personal friend. I am proud and grateful to have him in my life!
Mr. Perrone gave my FIRST five dollars in America. And we turned that in to a life and a lifestyle for me and my family.