[hustlebear-judd]

I did the Cutco thing too. I did kind of feel like I was selling people things they don't really need or want, so I got out of it. So I kind of agree with your there.

I moved on over the years to sales involving multi-million dollar transactions, always involving very high pressure negotiations, and that allows a more detailed look at the true value of the salesman (broker).

A salesman isn't someone who tries to sell ice to Eskimos. He needs to be a leader. He needs to understand his field, understand his customer at a deeper level than what the customer is verbalizing, and help lead customers to actually attain their interests.

Think of it this way. A salesmen has a seller, who is offering something of value at a price. He tries to get a buyer to pay that price, by explaining why what the seller is selling is worth the money. He's a broker, bringing people together who legitimately have value to offer each other.

If he gets good at that he can sell his services for a good price, and do well for himself.

You can do your own research on the right smart phone for you, and even the right car; sometimes it is very helpful to have someone who specializes in a product or service help you understand why it's in your interest to purchase it. It is certainly in the product or service creator's interest to pay for such an excellent specialist.

That being said, a lot of salesmen are scum, or useless, or both, and fortunately those guys never really amount to much.

[Jach]

Totally agree.

> lead customers to actually attain their interests.

This is something I just don't like doing at all, also you're not leading them to their optimal interests and so there's some inherent trickery involved. Yes, sometimes salesmen can amplify personal insight, but mostly it's just a matching up of interests toward a zero-sum game.

[nhangen]

That's interesting, because I also sold Cutco, and stayed for 2 years (wanted to hit 25k) before leaving. I thought they were great knives, and felt good leaving each sale. In fact, I felt bad for people that said no or couldn't afford them. I suppose believing in the product is the big difference.

[hustlebear-judd]

They are great knives. I still use the Super Shears and the knives from my starter set to this day, 13 years later. I was very young then, and didn't have a car, but I pulled in orders for 3 homemaker sets in one of my first weeks.

Cutco makes a good product. But there's no doubt their marketing strategy is a bit deceptive. Telling college students to go through their list of personal contacts and make appointments explaining that you just need to do a presentation for school credit, or that you just get paid to do presentations. I was meeting people who really didn't give a damn about having decent cutlery. I convinced a few that they should spring for the Cutco, and there's nothing wrong with that. I did actually believe the product was great, but if I was honest with myself, I had to admit that unless they really loved cooking, often their money probably better spent on other things.

Cutco was important early experience for me in sales, and I really can't knock the company, its product, or its sales reps. But I was glad to stop making appointments to sell knives.