RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32703, 4 September 1971, Page 22

RANDOM REMINDER

DEATH OF ANOTHER SALESMAN

It happened a long time ago; but echoes of the incident remain with the principal, and have coloured his present reactions to the younger members of his staff, and their problems. He was just 17 at the time, and learning the, disciplines of his first job, as a door-to-door salesman of an elaborate, copiously-illustrated highly-priced publication on home nursing. Because there was a war on, a special supplement had been added which dealt extensively with first aid. The salesmanship course was highly pressurised, and it included field demonstrations by the leading sales officer. This man was qualified, the

right one to demonstrate polished, confident salesmanship an obvious product of the school system of “morning talks.” In trepidation young George accompanied the expert on a first assignment, a young and very harassed mother of two pre-school boys. The husband was soldiering overseas. But before leaving he had been thoughtful enough to provide a dugout shelter in case of an attack by the Japanese. The young woman had her share of problems, and it soon became clear that the spiel, and the cultured charm of the expert was failing to create the faintest glimmer of interest. Obviously, his stocks were subsiding rapidly in the eyes of his pupil. He tried every scheduled approach, some others, all

of them totally unsuccessful. Outwardly calm, but inwardly desperate, he cast round frantically for a fresh approach. And there it was—the air raid shelter. He delivered an impromptu but convincing discourse on the horrors of war, with clear inferences that “the book” was the answer. He developed the theme with skill and enthusiasm until the climactic moment when, with a knowing wink at his pupil he said, “Why, if they come tomorrow, we might all be dead.” To which the young housewife, before shutting the door replied, “In that case we won’t need the book.” Laughter may be one of the spices of life. But it cost young George his first job.