Salesman as Puller of Teeth

When many people think of the word “salesman,” they may think of the words “pushy” or “pesky.” But there’s another side to it.

Right now, my daughter’s tooth needs to come out. The new tooth needs the space to come in. And it’s a bother just to have it dangle there. A salesman is like a child’s mom or dad who reaches in and pulls it out. The salesman overcomes some obstacle in making things better for everyone. There is some initial pain, but the result is a better world than the one before.

Every innovation needs someone to push the idea. When refrigerators were first invented, salesmen had to convince people that the machine would not catch fire. In introducing the fridge, the salesmen overcame people’s resistance to get something better. This holds true for every invention, new product rollout, or whatever. I can imagine some cavewoman long ago bugging her husband, “Find some way to get these rocks moved out of our garden!” Thus we have the wheel.

The next time your phone rings from a salesman, just pick it up.