I had the pleasure of being the presenter/facilitator of
this week’s reading, Birth of a Salesmen:
The Transformation of Selling in America.
The reading this week was different from a majority of the readings that
we have discussed this far in a number of ways.
The first difference that I noticed was the time frame. The author of Birth of a Salesman covered nearly the entire history of the United States,
in regards to the development of the salesman.
This book also differed in its approach.
In some respects it was Great Man history. Many of the biographical examples used cited
captains of industry. At the same time
Friedman also discussed the “hawkers and walkers” and the drummers with equal
ease.
One aspect about the book, that was raised near the end, was
whether or not salesmanship will eventually disappear. Friedman contests that this claim has been
made since 1916. I am of the opinion
that as long as there are humans there will be the need of salesmanship, though
its necessity has decreased over the years.
With the advent of the internet and with e-buying on
the rise there are ways to completely avoid a salesperson, though you will be
more prone to advertising. There are
people, however, who do not like the absence of a salesperson. Some actually enjoy having someone there to
assist you if you require help. The
bottom line is that if you are a “people person” you generally like to have a
salesperson present. If you do not enjoy
having someone assist you with you shopping needs, you will probably feel more
comfortable making your purchases over the internet.
Comments