[otteromkram]

Without sales and marketing it doesn't matter how amazing your product is; if people don't know about it, they won't buy it.

One could argue that sales adds the most value to the process.

[pbourke]

I think it depends on the industry. In a specialized niche (B2B), sure.

In something like new auto sales, all of the information is available online and is usually more comprehensive and accurate than that offered by a car salesman. YouTube probably sells more cars than car salesmen these days (in terms of locating a product that meets your needs and convincing you to buy it)

[kaptainscarlet]

Spot on. This statement is true in a lot of industries. It is difficult if not nigh impossible to get a product of the door without a good sales team.

[gnicholas]

I don't think anyone is suggesting that salesmen be forbidden, only that it should also be allowable to sell directly. Tesla, for example, has showrooms where people can learn about vehicles and try them out. But they don't order via a salesman whose comp depends directly on how many upsells are made.