Death of a Salesman — Page 2

The guidelines from Liam’s company, Public Outreach, are mostly common sense: don’t walk on lawns, don’t snoop in windows. Southwestern’s salespeople, by contrast, get a training manual half the size of a telephone book (and are encouraged in the three-knock knock); here’s an excerpt from the chapter on “The Approach”:

A. Go to the door most often used.
B. Knock three times.
C. Step back two steps.
D. Turn to the side profile.
E. Smile.

The script leaves nothing to chance, not even vocal intonation:

F. Talk slowly.
G. Relax, lower your voice.
H. Pause in your approach only when indicated.

Then there’s the pitch to memorize:

““Hi! Mrs.____? (If you don’t know the family’s name just say ‘Hi!’) My name’s ____ (First name, first name—last name, as in ‘Lee, Lee McCroskey’). I’m the one who’s been sitting down with all the families in the area, showing the new Volume Library/Student Handbook (or New Early Learning Materials, if younger children) from Southwestern. I was just talking with ____ and ____ and wanted to be sure to catch you for just a minute. Now let’s see...yours are in (high school, elementary school, etc.) aren’t they? (If you don’t know the ages of the children, just say, ‘Let’s see, are yours the younger kids, or a bit older?’) Great! I’m trying to see 30 moms today, and it only takes a few minutes to explain. Do you have a place where we can sit down?”

With the last phrase, you should:

I. Break eye contact and reach for your case.
J. Step forward.
K. Pick up your case as you complete your step.
L. Keep your eye on the doorknob, not on Mrs. Jones.

The side profile, explains a Southwestern veteran, allows the homeowner to get a good look at you before you look at them. “Sometimes,” she says, “when I know they can see me, I’ll do goofy things like toss my pen in the air so they can see I’m harmless.”

The woman who answers the door to the harmless-looking Liam gives him a skeptical glance. She’s in her mid-forties, with dark hair and a red t-shirt.

“Hi, my name’s Liam and I’m here for UNICEF,” he says. “Are you familiar with the organization?” The woman nods warily. “So, as you know, we’re the world’s largest children’s rights organization. We’re in over 160 countries. We work in three main ways: we do emergency relief work, which is food and water and emergency medical supplies; then long-term programs, where we get things like schooling to children in war-torn or disadvantaged areas; then we work around specific humanitarian issues. For example, are you familiar with the problem of child soldiers in Sudan?”

The woman, no longer wary, asks questions, then fills out a form for a Phone Follow-Up (PFU) so that Liam can get back to her once she’s talked with her husband. “You remind me of my stepson,” she says. “He’s into this save the world thing.”

Back on the street, Liam says, “I feel good about her. She seemed genuinely interested. Some people will give their number just to get rid of you. I think she really will give.

“Did you notice how I lowered my voice?” he adds. “If people have to concentrate to hear you properly, lean towards you, it makes them invested in the conversation. They’re trying to tune you in, not tune you out.”

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