By Invoice Rusteberg
When Tom was elevated to the place of Vice President of Gross sales of Blue Cross Blue Defend of Texas again within the 70’s he determined that good salesman ought to be paid what they have been value.
We have been captive brokers again within the 70’s engaged on wage plus an organization automotive. Blue Cross didn’t use brokers again in these days.
I began working for Blue Cross in 1973 with a month-to-month wage of $840. When Slack was promoted to Vice President 5 years later he added a gross sales incentive bonus system on high of our salaries. My revenue shot as much as over $50,000 in brief order. That was good a refund within the late 70’s.
Slack was an modern, out-of-the-box form of man who seized opportunties whereas his opponents sat again and scratched their balls.
On one event I wanted Tom’s assist. He was by then Vice President of Advertising for Blue Cross of Texas. I had an issue – a financial institution in Mission, Texas, owned by Lloyd. Bentsen was threatening to cancel protection as a consequence of an unlimited fee improve. “Tom, we’re about to lose this account, it’s excessive profile. I would like some underwriting consideration! Are you able to assist?”
“Okay Invoice. I’ll get again to you” Tom promised. That afternoon Tom known as again, “Go to the Harlingen airport for the ten:00 am flight and choose up an envelope from the ticket counter, it’s in your title.”
Tom despatched a company verify down on a Braniff flight the subsequent day, within the quantity of $100,000. “Inform the financial institution president that we need to make a deposit for a one-year Certificates of Deposit as we worth his enterprise.”
That “good will gesture” paid off.
Tom subsequently left Blue Cross to turn out to be a profitable dealer in Tyler, Texas. Sooner or later he known as. “Invoice, now we have a dental plan with an endorsement from the Texas Dental Affiliation. Are you curious about serving to us promote it?”
We did nicely representing Paid Dental on the time, working with native dentists in selling a dental plan that lined issues by no means lined earlier than.
Then adopted one other name months later “Invoice, we simply obtained an endorsement from the Texas Affiliation of Broadcasters for a medical plan we designed. Are you curious about serving to us promote it?” We offered tv and radio stations throughout Texas, a enjoyable and rewarding expertise.
However Tom had a darkish aspect. His ambition knew no bounds, ethics be damned. To many his good aspect outweighed that. All of us who knew him have been in fixed wonderment at his unusual good luck in avoiding penalties of his “missteps.”
His missteps lastly caught as much as him. He died by his personal hand in Tyler, Texas in 2012.
