The Southwestern Company Internship Difference Blog
The other day a coworker told me about a blog she ran across called The White Oaks Blog. The blog post which drew our attention was entitled, “Door-to-door Solicitors in San Carlos: A Mere Nuisance or a Growing Danger?” (in California) and was written by Chuck Gillooley, dated March 18, 2009.
Chuck’s blog is very observant, and even humorous when it came to identifying the magazine-selling traveling sales crews that have canvassed his neighborhood over and over. Towards the end, he questions the ”local kid” pitch he received at the door saying, “But when I see the aforementioned “neighborhood kid” jump into a white panel van at the corner (with a group of other “local” kids that I’ve never seen before,) the legitimacy of some of these operations should certainly be called into question.” Exactly! Chuck, through sarcasm to make his point, hit the nail on the head.
At the end, several questions are left for readers to ponder. The one that struck me the most was not one of the questions in bold. It was “Is door-to-door selling even relevant any more?” Representing a company that is the nation’s oldest direct seller and still does sell door-to-door, it just struck me as odd. It shouldn’t I guess, because I have heard it before. In fact, many times.
The way I see it, it is as relevant as ever. This method of sales offers byproducts in the form of experience, communication and success traits desirable in all fields. For many of the young men and women who do this (the legitimate ones), it is generally for reasons other than having a life-long dream to be a door-to-door salesperson. Most people do not choose this as a full-time occupation or go to college to study this as a major of emphasis (sorry, not offered). I think through door-to-door sales, there is a means to an end. You see, the skills and life lessons learned through actually interacting with others can form who you are and build character traits for the future. What do I base this on? The tens of thousands of college students who have benefitted from it and are now successful in their professional career.
The other questions that were in bold are as follow.
Are tighter restraints needed to control soliciting?
Should residential soliciting be totally banned in San Carlos?
Or, is it not an issue to be concerned with?
I’ll briefly provide my unsolicited opinions. Contrary to a posted comment to Chuck’s blog, there is an ordinance for the City of San Carlos that defines and regulates peddlers and solcitors (Chapter 5.44: Peddlers and Solicitors – click here). After reading through it, it is very straight-forward. The Chief of Police approves the permit and has the right to revoke, there is a time restriction (9am-6pm) and there are penalties for violation among other things.
This seems to be a solid ordinance, and similar to those of thousands of other towns all over the country. The question, to build on Chuck’s questions above, is:
How do you regulate someone or some “company” that does not follow a law that already does exists?
This is an issue faced by homeowners and law enforcement everywhere. Luckily, many do see it as more of a nuisance than a threat. But remember, there are many who also welcome door-to-door solicitors – as evidenced by the success of many Southwestern student dealers, Edward Jones clients or even your local cable carrier. A total ban would not hold up constitutionally in court, as it violates the First Amendment. In San Carlos, the “real” solicitors, other than the local kid who really is fundraising or a Girl Scout, should have a permit. Ask to see it and ask questions about the company they are associated with, what they are selling, etc. You can also check out the company via the Better Business Bureau. Look for odd behavior. If you are uncomfortable, contact the police to be safe. Most of all, it is okay to say “No, thank you.”
It’s a shame traveling sales crews and other misrepresenting operators have such a lasting and profound affect by their dubious intentions and actions. All industries have bad apples, I just hate that the same tainted fruit keeps being delivered to great places such as San Carlos. To Chuck – thanks for your observations and the love you have for your community! I found your blog post to be witty and on point with your observations of the sales crews.
I noticed in your analysis of the relevance of door to door salesmen that there was absolutely no mention of the customer. Sure, there are obvious benefits (and downsides) for the seller including better communication, higher ability to deceive others, and a definite increase in the art of spin (as evidenced by this blog). Additionally, the allure of profits promised by your site purposefully misleads youth from internships directly relevant to their focus.
However, of more concern is the overall waste of time for potential customers. Door to door selling relies on the pretty face and congenial nature of the salesman in order to scam customers into buying a lower quality product. Why aren’t there descriptions of any of your products available online? I would love to read actual customer reviews on your product.
I doubt you’ll respond to this with anything well thought out, but I am extremely bothered by the exploitation of youth in order to peddle inferior products.
Best wishes
Jeff
Jeff – thanks for your comments. I certainly respect your opinion, but also must disagree. I am unsure the degree of your background in direct sales, your knowledge of how our summer program works or how much contact you have had with our products, but I can guarantee you, there is no exploitation here. (My contact information is on this blog, and I will be happy to explore in more detail your concerns and thoughts).
This blog was set up to educate consumers and other audiences about the dangers of traveling sales crews, the fact there are legitimate companies who sell door-to-door and what direct selling is. The students participate in our program voluntarily as a means to offset their educational expenses and gain experience to shortlist them in the job search after graduation. Not to mention, even though the students are legally considered adults, we meet with their parents and the students are endorsed into the program by them. As well, these are not minors off-the-street we are talking about, but informed college students.
Besides the three hours of college credit the students may be able to get for the internship aspect of our program, sales offers a means to an end. Students who participate in this program are driven by other factors. The experience translates into any field.
I would go out on a limb and say the more than 300,000 customers the student dealers had last summer bought the products because they thought they filled an educational need in their home or because they liked them.
You can find descriptions of our products at http://www.southwesternathome.com, which is our website for customers. As welll, you can see tons of testimonials at http://www.southwesterntestimonials.com. Since the student dealers only sell during their summer break, we are in the process of posting the products to be sold this summer on the site and adding additional videos on each product. By the time the studetns are running their businesses, you will be able to see a complete product line.