NOTE: Following is a letter written from a 33-year straight commission salesman to his daughter as she embarked on her sales career- note the last sentence.

November 25, 1988

Dear Les:

Now that you are firmly entrenched in the sales profession I am submitting the following for you to chew on and digest. I was fortunate enough to work for a man (John A. Sexauer) who was tough but sincere. I worked for him- straight commission- from 1947 to 1979. He had a formula for hiring people- the formula was reduced to an acronym: AREA.

“A” is for Adaptability; using your talent to rectify errors that occur to the customer through no fault of your own- wrong merchandise shipped, poor quality, or a billing error. The ability to cope with the situation personally, without help from your superiors, is adaptability. It is a prime selling fundamental.

“R” is for Responsibility; to yourself, to your company; and to your clientele. “To yourself” is probably the most difficult since it requires self-discipline: Get out of bed, get on the road, and make sales calls without the boss telling you to do so. “To your company” simply means giving them a productive effort for your wages. “To your clientele” responsibility is usually reflected by the results of “to yourself” discipline because it proves that you are reliable. Hence a customer rapport is established that challenges the competition. You can serve a client without being subservient. There is a great distinction between the two: stand ten feet tall but remember you are there to serve and not to surrender.

“E” is for Enthusiasm, for which there is no substitute! Without this element life is an abyss. No salesperson can afford to ignore it. It is the spark that ignites attention faster than any other medium of salesmanship. You cannot expect to sell something unless you are sold on it yourself. Hence the reason for genuine sincerity in your presentation. When you have convinced the client that you are providing him value- then price becomes secondary.

Like a good cook, add ingredients to boost the flavor, such as consideration and integrity. Consideration is necessary when you are about to close the deal and the client suddenly has an emergency that delays the order. You have to be considerate of the circumstances. Integrity can only come with time; time for the client to judge your character for honesty. Integrity is a priceless ingredient for any transaction. Your word is your bond, Les, and never forget it.

“A” is for Ambition which is not only for the money but certainly does not discount it. Ambition seems to be inherent- either you have it or you don’t. It cannot be taught. If it must be taught then it is no longer ambition but simply obedience to the teacher. Salespeople who lack ambition are merely “order takers” because they have no spark.

Hope this helps you out, Les; nothing moves in the entire world until a sale is made. And when the day comes that you think you know it all, shoot yourself.

Love you

Dad