Several years ago a salesman stopped at my office, which is not unusual. It comes with the territory; I’m a salesman so I guess I am considered fair game. Every week I am set upon by men without appointments hawking their wares; those I know are greeted with a reasonably warm welcome, others are usually shown the door once their intentions are determined.
But this one salesman was special: a Fuller Brush man. I was surprised that his kind still existed – the door-to-door salesman. Although full of energy, he could not be called a young man. I guessed him to be around eighty-years-old, but time had not slowed him down. His big smile and bright eyes told me he was happy in his line of work. Outfitted with a cummerbund, white shirt and bow tie, he had my full attention.
He showed me a few things from his expansive product line, but it was an old-fashioned carpet sweeper that caught my eye. After he gave me a quick demonstration of its usefulness and showed me how to empty it, I was sold. Of course, I had already decided that I was going to buy something because I sensed I was part of a fading scene, and this moment required that I play my part.
Even though I still have (and use) the carpet sweeper, I hadn’t thought of the man who sold it to me until I read the paper last week. Paul Walsh, a writer with the Star Tribune, wrote about him in the March 8 edition. It was the picture that accompanied the story which caught my eye.
There he was, my Fuller Brush Man, Lyle Baker. He had one arm draped casually on a counter with a cup of coffee held in the other hand. His bow tie, big smile and bright eyes stared at me from the paper. Mr. Baker had died.
Lyle Baker passed away at the age of 90. The story told how Mr. Baker was, “among the top 100 retailers up until the day he retired.” This was according to Larry Gray, the vice president of sales for Fuller Brush. I was not surprised. “To this kind of fellow, no one is a stranger,” Gray said. “They hardly make them like that.”
The Star Tribune story included excerpts from a 2003 University of Minnesota interview.
Lyle Baker said, “People ask me why I’m still selling at my age. I guess part of the reason I’m still selling is that I’ve worked long and hard to be a good salesman. Now that I am a good one, I don’t want to quit. I’m fortunate. I bet 50 to 60 percent of people don’t like their work and can’t wait to retire. I’m not there yet. I’m looking forward to enjoying the satisfaction of being a better salesman than I am right now.”
He retired at age 85, a very good salesman. Too often I hear that the measure of a good salesman is his ability to “sell ice to Eskimos.” I bristle whenever I hear that. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
A good salesman does not sell someone something they don’t need (or can’t afford). That is a con man, a deceiver. A good salesman should be like a good man. He should practice the Golden Rule and treat others the way they wish to be treated. And that includes treating them with respect, even if they don’t have an appointment.
Thanks for stopping by Mr. Baker.
No comments:
Post a Comment