Page 38 - EDM Today Spring 2025

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The formality of my new necktie had little to do with
attractive job offers. I’m thinking, “Wow, this is new”
things, except to place me in a new and unwanted role
(and also exciting, encouraging and slightly daunting).
and spotlight – to produce technical text. (C’mon, man...I
was just a shop guy with a painful metal sliver embedded
in a fi nger somewhere, who was ordered to write about
how it got there and what to do about it with the ability to
have readers believe me). Ok, I think I can do this...
someone hold my beer.

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MY FIRST WRITING ASSIGNMENT
My fi rst writing assignment came from Gary Charles-
ton (an EDM Pioneer of Japex, Sodick, and later EDM
Network fame), who hired me out of a working shop
in the mid-80s to be a Sinker Applications Engineer for
Sodick. I was new and untried, so he was overseeing a
Sinker demo where I described the advantages of CNC
over manual EDM. CNC EDM was new and expensive, so
long-time manual machine users were often diffi cult to
convince. This customer was diffi cult, but he gave Gary a
rare EDM purchase order, making him very happy. NEXT CAME JOB OFFERS
Some were from fading and failing OEM’s hoping for
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After the demo was over, Gary asked me if I could give
help with their resurrection and were a losing proposi-
the same, exact presentation again. “Sure,” I shrugged.
tion, while others were from the best names in EDM and
offers came with quite lucrative and attractive compen-
He said, “Ok, I want you to write everything you just told
sation. However attractive their offers, at that time in
that customer into an article called “CNC vs. Manual.”
my career, I was new and inexperienced in direct sales
and rather uncomfortable with this kind of exposure and
I obeyed and he ran it in a weekly SoCal manufacturing
attention and was hesitant to make a bold move.
newspaper called “Industrial Press,” and unknowing to
me, my writing career began. Ironically, this very basic,
three-page article became the backbone of the same
named and enlarged chapter in “The EDM Handbook.”
DON’T WAIT FOR AN ACCIDENT
Who knew?
Please don’t do what I did and wait for an accident to
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happen. It was only because the most-wise managers
and companies I worked for placed me into situations
THINGS GREW QUICKLY
where I was forced to produce the public exposure they
desired. Only then was I pressed to further cultivate my
As small as this industrial SoCal newspaper circular was,
fl edgling writing and speaking skills. Had they not done
it generated enough interest and increased EDM sales to
so, I might merely be reading EDM Today instead of
press me further. Next, Gary had me go out and interview
writing for it.
existing customers to get written testimonials of their
successes and support. He bought the whole back page
of “Industrial Press” and ran six customer testimonials in
color every issue and through these, EDM sales con-
tinued to increase. This attracted the attention of both
Here, I must pause to give proper credit to Gary
prospective customers, and surprisingly, the competition. GIVING CREDIT
Charleston of Yamazen/Sodick and EDM Network for
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initially forcing my writing skills and then later, Bill Isaac,
then National Sales Manager of the EDM Division of
FIRST CAME PROMOTIONS
MC Machinery, for sending me literally everywhere to
speak at every opportunity. I enjoyed speaking at EDM
As an Applications Engineer, it was noticed that I was
seminars and conferences, trade shows, universities
closing more EDM orders than their best salesman, so
and private companies, meeting incredible people.
I was promoted to “EDM Sales Manager,” and my com-
An incredible position to be placed in. (Again, I must
pensation was enhanced through sales commissions.
offer my personal thanks to Gary and Bill for helping
I was surprised and motivated. “Wow, I was just doing
my job, but thanks for the money. I’m glad you like me.”
it might have been without their guidance.)
With continued successes, I was next promoted to “EDM
For those of you who might not have the good fortune to
Product Manager” and my phone began to ring more make my future career advancements much easier than
have a Gary or Bill to aid and assist you, my advice is...
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often and among the calls from prospective customers
came calls from competitors and distributors making
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