Tech Sales Hunter
Removing Skunk Fragrance
My friend Bernard sent me the following email about his cat’s encounter with a skunk in the wee hours of the morning:
“. . . I wanted to pass along my decontamination lessons in case you ever face that situation. Skunk scent is oil-based, so vinegar makes a good stopgap measure. Rubbing vinegar into the animal’s fur will reduce (but not eliminate) skunk scent, and keep it from spreading. Straight vinegar and a hot shower took the skunk scent off of me, and wiping hard surfaces like Whiskers’ cat door with vinegar eliminated the scent there.
I called the veterinarian when they opened and asked their advice. They said to mix a solution of 32 ounces (two bottles) of hydrogen peroxide, one-quarter cup of baking soda, and one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Bathe the animal in it, and rinse with clean water. That took 98% of the skunk smell off my cat. I could detect it faintly, but only by putting my nose right in his fur. It took the skunk scent off me, too.
The Army uses bleach to counteract some chemical warfare agents, so I used regular hot-water washing and laundry bleach to take the skunk scent out of my clothes.”
So what in the world does skunk have to do with sales or job-hunting? Honestly, nothing at first - I just wanted to tell Bernard’s story. Then I realized there are some sales lessons:
- Don’t give up. If the first thing you try doesn’t work, try something else. Then something else. Then something else until you find something or some things that get the job done.
- When you’re wearing the odor of a bad reputation or a mistake, you’ll probably need to take numerous & various steps to get rid of it.
- Remain optimistic. If you work hard enough, you’ll probably be able to solve your problems & come out smelling like a rose – or, at least, like vinegar & dishwashing detergent.
- Don’t go to work smelling of skunk if you can help it. But sometimes we have to wear a bad smell/bad reputation/embarrassment for awhile before it fades away & people begin to forget about it. The good news is that most people will forget about our offensive odors if we stay away from stinky situations thereafter.
- Be careful who you hang out with.
