My late father, Tom Fallon, was a longtime advertising salesman and regional vice president for Iron Age Magazine, considered the bible of the steel industry. Just as everything I know about football, I learned from listening to Myron Cope, everything I learned about advertising (until I came to Pavone), I learned from my father. I also learned a thing or two about sales.

Dad used to take me along occasionally when he had lunch with clients. We’d go to places like the Top of the Triangle, on the top floor of what was then the U.S. Steel Building, the Duquesne Club, or the Pittsburgh Press Club – exclusive places with outrageous prices.

Before we’d meet one of his clients for lunch, if it was someone Dad had not seen in some time, he might look at his Rolodex “tickler” file. Index cards in this file would include not only someone’s name, title, company and phone number but also the names of the person’s wife and kids, family pet, favorite charities, topics of discussion and the like. Although he was brilliant and had a great memory, Dad knew hundreds if not thousands of people, so this helped him not make a faux pas at lunch.

At these lunches, he’d spend most of his time just talking to the client about things that had nothing to do with advertising in Iron Age Magazine. They’d talk about sports, politics, people they knew. Eventually, he’d ask something like, “So, how are things at corporate going?” whereupon the client would say things were bad, a plant was closing, the union was causing trouble, or whatever. And then my father would pounce with some smart observation about what a competitor was doing or a bright side or what appeared to be insider knowledge of the client’s business. He’d offer options like, “Now, you could have a center spread in the February issue or we can hold off until May and we’d have the option of two full page ads flanked by two or four pages of editorial on your new processing technology.”

No matter how much the client complained about how times were tough, he bought. After a few lunches like this, I finally got up the nerve to ask my Dad why the guy bought space if his company was in trouble. And I’ll never forget the incredulous look on his face as if that question would never occur to him.

“Well, he HAS to buy,” Dad said. “How else is he going to make money if he doesn’t advertise?”

The U.S. economy as a whole today looks a lot like the U.S. steel industry did back then. In times like this, smart companies continue or step up their advertising and marketing efforts not only to retain market share but also to capture customers from their less wise competitors.