1972
How can I be honest as a salesperson?
May 1972


“How can I be honest as a salesperson?” New Era, May 1972, 35–36

I work for a music store that provides instrumental instruction. After a few lessons, the standard procedure is to sell the student an expensive guitar or set of drums. My boss couldn’t care less if the kids have any talent or not; the object is to sell instruments. Not one kid in ten stays with it more than a few months, and then they’re stuck with hundreds of dollars’ worth of equipment. I’m expected to spiel off the “party line” to all potential customers, whether in the store or over the phone.

“It’s too bad you haven’t been the victim of such a scheme yourself; there wouldn’t be much question about what to do. If you don’t like people justifiably hating you with a passion, don’t do it.”

Roy Stanford, Age 24
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

“Sell the way you are taught, but add the part that says that less than 10 percent of the kids stay with the instrument. Don’t emphasize a talent that a child is supposed to have, especially if he doesn’t have one. Chances are that even if told honestly that their boy has no talent and that he won’t stay with the instrument longer than a few months, the parents will still buy it. They yield in this case to social pressure and their child’s desires and not to a dishonest sell.”

Ann Bradley, Age 22
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

“Personally I would give the potential customer the sales talk on the quality of the instruments and then mention that this is a great deal of money to be invested in an instrument that may not be used after a short period of time. Therefore, I would urge the customer to seriously consider the talent and desire of the student to continue in his music. This genuine approach would more likely be appreciated by most customers, and, most important of all, you would be completely honest in your approach. The responsibility of the decision as to whether or not to buy the instrument would then be on the shoulders of the customer, where it belongs.”

Jolene Pitcher, Age 20
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada