Schumpeter The art of selling

摘要

WUERTH, a German family firm, makes the most basic products imaginable: screws, nuts and bolts. No need for fancy salesmanship here, you might think. In fact, Wiirth has 30,000 sales reps. It calls them its "beating heart" and strokes them deftly: when one performs exceptionally, the firm writes to congratulate his wife. Reports of the death of the salesman have circulated since the first dotcom boom. Consumers are doing their own research. Businesses are opting for automated purchasing and reverse auctions where all that matters is price. Online comparisons, ratings and other unbiased information have made the tough task of selling tougher still. Customers have become warier of being sold to. Drug firms used to hire ex-cheerleaders to sway doctors into prescribing their pills.