Comments on: Proud to have been a Door-to-Door Salesman http://www.southwesternalumniblog.com/southwestern_company/proud-to-have-been-a-door-to-door-salesman/ Read about what's going on with Alumni of The Southwestern Company internship program. Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:20:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Bill Williams http://www.southwesternalumniblog.com/southwestern_company/proud-to-have-been-a-door-to-door-salesman/comment-page-1/#comment-48 Bill Williams Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:14:32 +0000 http://www.southwesternalumniblog.com/?p=104#comment-48 The Southwestern experience totally transformed me into the person that I am today. What starts as a very humbling event knocking on doors, the struggle turns you in to a lean, mean, never quitting machine. Only 3 years of my working life have been spent as a salaried employee. The remainder has been total business bliss assembling partnerships for real estate ventures, selling Commericail Real Estate in the 80's, Residential Real Estate today, starting buisiness, etc. I was a very average producer the 3 summers I spent in the field but it helped me grow out of my shell. We've hosted "Bookmen/women", stopped bookmen on the side of the road - scared the hell out of them when demanding to buy whatever they had in their bookcase. It's been a real treat to be associated with such a fine group. The Southwestern experience totally transformed me into the person that I am today. What starts as a very humbling event knocking on doors, the struggle turns you in to a lean, mean, never quitting machine.

Only 3 years of my working life have been spent as a salaried employee. The remainder has been total business bliss assembling partnerships for real estate ventures, selling Commericail Real Estate in the 80′s, Residential Real Estate today, starting buisiness, etc.

I was a very average producer the 3 summers I spent in the field but it helped me grow out of my shell. We’ve hosted “Bookmen/women”, stopped bookmen on the side of the road – scared the hell out of them when demanding to buy whatever they had in their bookcase.

It’s been a real treat to be associated with such a fine group.

]]> By: Don McNeill http://www.southwesternalumniblog.com/southwestern_company/proud-to-have-been-a-door-to-door-salesman/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Don McNeill Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:56:47 +0000 http://www.southwesternalumniblog.com/?p=104#comment-47 I could not agree with Trey or Art more now than at any other time in my life. At McNeill Designs we manufacture games and have over 1,200 independent stores that carry us in the US. For the past two months we have kept making payroll by simply picking up the phone and contacting everyone of our retailers to see how things are going for them. Invariably, 2 out of 10 buy more product becuase we took the time to check up on them. Keep knocking! I could not agree with Trey or Art more now than at any other time in my life. At McNeill Designs we manufacture games and have over 1,200 independent stores that carry us in the US. For the past two months we have kept making payroll by simply picking up the phone and contacting everyone of our retailers to see how things are going for them. Invariably, 2 out of 10 buy more product becuase we took the time to check up on them. Keep knocking!

]]> By: Trey Campbell http://www.southwesternalumniblog.com/southwestern_company/proud-to-have-been-a-door-to-door-salesman/comment-page-1/#comment-42 Trey Campbell Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:00:16 +0000 http://www.southwesternalumniblog.com/?p=104#comment-42 The story of Art Pearson is inspirational and a lesson to us all. Having been with Southwestern Company for ten years, I have had many wonderful opportunities to hear from alumni how selling door-to-door during their college years with Southwestern has affected their lives. Many tell me they use the lessons they learned on a day to day basis in their professional lives and personal relationships. It is amazing how the interaction with customers and communities can touch someone's life so much. Equally amazing is the unmeasurable positive effect had on the families, landlords, children and roommates by the student dealer. Southwestern and door-to-door is certainly about more than sales. The by-products such as life skills, personal development and relationships are immeasureable - just ask someone like Art Pearson or any former Southwestern book dealer. The story of Art Pearson is inspirational and a lesson to us all.

Having been with Southwestern Company for ten years, I have had many wonderful opportunities to hear from alumni how selling door-to-door during their college years with Southwestern has affected their lives. Many tell me they use the lessons they learned on a day to day basis in their professional lives and personal relationships.

It is amazing how the interaction with customers and communities can touch someone’s life so much. Equally amazing is the unmeasurable positive effect had on the families, landlords, children and roommates by the student dealer.

Southwestern and door-to-door is certainly about more than sales. The by-products such as life skills, personal development and relationships are immeasureable – just ask someone like Art Pearson or any former Southwestern book dealer.

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