America 1982-Chapter 127 - 37: Then seize this opportunity_2

The middle-aged man said to him, "They want to place an ad, said they called before, from California, hoping to have you help..."

"Tommy, Tommy Hawk, right?" Hearing the other party’s words, the young man known as Bob Costa showed a smile, took the initiative to extend his hand to Tommy, and said with a smile, "I’m Bob, we’ve spoken on the phone before."

"This is my legal advisor, Sophia." Tommy introduced her, then looked around at the noisy surroundings, "Can we find somewhere else to talk? Or do you want us each to use a megaphone and talk face-to-face?"

... 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Under the awning next to an RV, Tommy and Sophia sat on loungers while Bob took out several cans of Coke from the RV fridge, placed them on the table next to the two, and after completing all of this, he finally sat down himself, smiling and saying,

"I guess this should be quiet enough, nice place here."

Tommy took the Coke, opened it, and took a sip, "It really is nice. Let’s cut to the chase because I hope to discuss the ad within three hours and then go to the airport to fly back to California."

"I’ve given it some thought, Mr. Hawk..." Bob Costa leaned forward with his hands crossed, moving closer to Tommy as he began to speak.

Tommy cut him off, smiling as he reminded this pioneer of world sales hosts, the TV advertising host who made a billion US dollars by selling products, "Just call me Tommy, Bob."

The reason he had come to Florida was that he had seen the information about the Florida Home Shopping Club TV advertising company given to him by Holly, and from it, he had found Bob Costa’s photo and name. Although it was a company founded last year, Bob Costa was already a well-known business figure who had given a lecture at a business school in a previous life.

This guy became a stand-up comedian after high school, making a living by telling jokes in bars, almost starved to death, and then started working as a radio talk show host. Since he hosted the late-night talk show, the rate of taxi accidents due to collisions had increased by nearly ten percent because the drivers were getting sleepy listening to his jokes.

Because he was continuously ridiculed by his audience, who said listening to his ads was funnier than his jokes, he simply tried being a TV advertising host. It turned out he was born to be a TV salesman, using various jokes to introduce products in layman’s terms. Seventy percent of housewives in the United States had bought products he had advertised on TV, and later he even pioneered the rule of not charging for ads but instead taking a commission on each sale. That means for products sold during his advertising program, no ad fee was charged, but he took a certain commission on each item sold.

"Alright, Tommy, I’ve probably sold more than seventy different products on TV sales programs. As long as someone pays, we’ll sell anything, including cheatable Rubik’s cubes because many parents can’t outplay their own children, so they sold well, with parents buying them to preserve their dignity in parent-child games, and bras that supposedly give men pecs without exercising, which were also sold to women – some in smaller sizes were sold to women, telling them it could enhance their bust... But honestly, I think your software will be the most challenging because the viewers of TV are mostly low-income audiences, mostly housewives hoping to buy something practical and cheap. I can assure you 80% don’t even have a computer in their homes," Bob Costa said to Tommy.

"Of course, I’m willing to do business with you, I’m just afraid you’ll complain later about unsatisfactory sales, so I wanted to make it clear to you first. I know software is expensive, almost as much as buying a computer. Do you think those women will buy it?"

"The price is 49.99, and we promise that after purchasing, with only eight days of dedicated study, they can master it proficiently and then go look at the high-paying clerical job ads in the newspapers. Oh, and there’s free training, too. We’re cooperating with many university student organizations and have organized free training courses, and of course, we have them here in Florida. So, they only need to buy the software, they don’t even need to buy a computer for themselves, we provide computers for free training. Then they’ll have a job waiting for them with a minimum of a two hundred dollar weekly wage. Travel agencies are everywhere in Florida, and all of those agencies need clerks to help input traveler data. Let them find out how much those who do data entry for travel agencies make a week. Once they buy our software, they are just like those people, owning a respectable income," Tommy said as he took out a cigarette, lit it, and addressed Bob.

Bob’s eyes widened, "49.99? Our company spent 300 dollars on a second-hand computer, also wanted to do some spreadsheets to look more upscale, but when they heard we were a company, they quoted us a price of 1,295, enough to buy four computers. I mean, if it really is 49.99? No limit? And it’s not a scam? And there’s really free training?"

"Of course," Tommy nodded affirmatively, "We don’t scam people. We’re just college students, looking to run a non-profit activity to help women, earning a slight profit to cover expenses."

"If it’s that price, I think we could give it a try. A lot of women here can only do miscellaneous part-time jobs and spend most of their time at home, otherwise, they wouldn’t be watching these ad programs to pass time," Bob was somewhat interested. His main concern had been that the price of the software would be too high, getting a bunch of housewives to spend hundreds of dollars on software they might not even use, but now they needed to spend less than fifty dollars to buy the software. The key point was that it came with a stable and well-paid job, which should tempt many.

Tommy looked at Bob, puzzled, "Just give it a try?"

"That’s right, because I’ve never sold this product, I can only try..." Bob explained to Tommy.

Tommy suddenly changed the subject, "How many of those bras that falsely promised to automatically grow pectoral muscles have you sold?"

"Over 90,000, but they’re quite cheap, selling at $9.9 each. Even if they don’t grow pectoral muscles, just wearing them as normal vests, the audience can accept that," Bob thought for a moment, then said to Tommy.

"How much money could you make if I ran the ad for four weeks?"

"If you buy the best time slots, it would cost about twenty thousand a month, and I only have a 10% stake in this company, so roughly two thousand?"

"We can work out a different kind of partnership."

"What kind?"

"I’ll pay the advertising fees, but I’ll pay after the broadcast. I can sign a sales agreement with you in private. As for how you explain it to your company’s partners, that’s your business. The agreement is that you get $14.99 US dollars for every set of software you sell."

"..." Bob’s eyes widened as he stared at Tommy.

Not just him, even Sophia, standing beside them, was instantly petrified!

Tommy Hawk’s stinginess was something she had experienced firsthand. He promised to pay her an eighty-dollar weekly salary for a part-time job, and she hadn’t seen a cent to date, but now, to this TV pitchman called Bob, he was actually offering so many benefits?

Was this guy gay? Facing a beauty like herself, he’d only push for more pressure, yet with another man, he was proactive in raising the price?

Tommy stared into Bob’s eyes, "I don’t need you to sell ninety thousand sets, but if you can sell ten thousand sets in Florida, with its population of nine million seven hundred thousand, you would make one hundred forty-nine thousand nine hundred."

"To make fifteen dollars for each set sold? Fifteen dollars?" Bob took a few deep breaths before tentatively repeating his question to Tommy multiple times.

Tommy affirmed with certainty, "That’s right. So, I hope you design your advertisement carefully. Besides enticing them to spend their money, you should also add that Actor Corporation was founded with the intention of helping the poor change their fate and promoting female employment, among other things to win the favor of women and the poor. And that Actor Corporation is under great pressure to do this right thing because some software merchants don’t want to see the poor gaining knowledge just like them. Specific details will be given to you after signing the contract by Sophia."

"I believe in Actor’s intentions without needing to look at those materials," Bob said, calming his excitement.

Tommy asked with a smile, "Why is that?"

Bob smiled as well, "Because first, you’re willing to offer me a high price, to help change the fate of this poor man, which is the closest I’ve ever been to making a hundred thousand."

"Then grab this opportunity."