Things have the potential to get pretty hot and heavy when someone jumps the gun. Why? When someone acts or reacts before they understand the full picture, it’s like diving in two feet of water. OUCH!
Such was the case at Texas Tech University recently. That is exactly what happened when an Executive Associate
Dean on the campus sent an e-mail to all the Human Sciences students regarding what she thought was a bogus internship or a ploy to “stalk” students. What she did not know was the internship was, in fact, very legitimate, as it was the Southwestern Company summer sales internship.
The “misunderstanding” started when students were going to the wrong floor in the Mass Comm building to meet Southwestern Company recruiters for an information session to learn more about the summer internship.
As you can well imagine, e-mails like that can spread like wildfire. In fact it had spread beyond the campus to the parent of a student who had been contacted about attending an information session on campus in the Mass Communications building. The daughter was alarmed by the e-mail and told her mom about it. The mother, alertly researched Southwestern Company with the Better Business Bureau. Finding us to be a legitimate company, she initially called me with a concern someone may be posing as Southwestern recruiters, tarnishing our reputation in light of the panic-inducing e-mail. That was not quite the case.
The Daily Toreador ran an article this week to clear up the matter: “Police debunk supposed internship hoax.” While the story has a semi-happy ending, it could just have easily gone the other way. The sender of the e-mail was incorrect about her assumption (albeit in the interest of student safety) and it seems did not go through the proper channels on campus before spreading false information.
This sometimes happens in the summertime when legitimate college students are running their businesses selling Southwestern Company’s educational products to families. One rogue e-mail by someone spooked by the fear of “someone new” can quickly get out of hand. I’ve seen whole towns begin a witch-hunt in search of a student whom someone electronically judged to be “different” or “not from around here” because of ignorance. We’ve come such a long way, yet have such a long way to go. Sad.
My advice: Look before you leap. You may stomp the innocent.
The title of an April 4, 2010 article in the New York Times caught my eye. It was “Growth of Unpaid Internships May Be Illegal, Officials Say,” by Steven Greenhouse.
Obviously, through working with thousands of college students who participate in Southwestern Company’s summer sales internship, this title jumped out at me. Not so obvious to me was what it meant – at first.
That was cleared up in the first sentence. “With job openings scare for young people, the number of unpaid internships has climbed in recent years, leading federal and state legislators to worry that more employers are illegally using such internships for free labor.” Aaah, okay.
The theme, backed up in the article by experts in education and career fields, is how the number of unpaid internships has skyrocketed in recent years – perhaps because of the economy, perhaps this is just what it takes now-a-days. It seems to be a symbiotic relationship, as employers wish to control costs and students want the experience for their resumes. One thing I always tell interested parties in Southwestern Company’s internship is how the experience will help them stand out in the job market. This is something I can definitely attest to, as my phone rings off the hook with hiring managers and company owners seeking to hire Southwestern Company student dealers and alumni. Years ago, we began starting companies with the students, creating an outlet for employment upon graduation in addition to our sales management program (for more info, go to www.southwestern.com). The point is, Southwestern Company recognizes talent and the importance of valuable experience learned outside of the classroom.
The article states, according to a 2008 survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 83% of graduating students had internships – hundreds of thousands of students every year! (By the way, Southwestern Company is a member of NACE and our Global Director of Campus Relations, Dr. Ralph Brigham, is a former President.) Experts think up to ¼ of those internships are not paid.
Some of the students interviewed stated they did not gain too much real experience and had to perform menial tasks like clean things and get coffee.
Internships are valuable to college students because the experience, whether paid or unpaid, helps them down the road. The article quotes Ross Perlin, an aspiring author on the subject of unpaid internships as saying, “Internships have become the gateway into the white-collar work force.” He also says many students see them as a way to gain the experience to entry level jobs – many of which are willing to not get paid.
I guess the main thing I took from this article was the stark contradiction an experience like the Southwestern Company summer sales program offers students who are seeking more in an internship experience as compared to many of the ”internships” out there – paid or unpaid.
Rory Vaden, a Southwestern Company alumnus and co-founder of Southwestern Consulting, was recently invited by Zig Ziglar to share his “Take the Stairs” philosophy on Zig and team’s show, Success 2.0.
While dining with Zig, his wife Jean, and son, Tom, Rory pulled out a Flip camera and conducted an impromptu interview, asking about direct selling and Southwestern Company. As you would expect, Zig was insightful when it came to Rory’s line of questioning. Rory also has five important lessons Zig shared with him over a series of meetings on his blog.
When it came to direct selling, Zig commented about the virtues the industry offers including encouragement and a good product.
Because of Southwestern Company’s established reputation in sales as a breeding ground for successful alumni, Zig was all too familiar with us. He congratulates Southwestern Company for the reputation our company has built for all sales people. Most important, he acknowledges it as being done it the right way.
Southwestern Consulting is a sister company to Southwestern Company that offers coaching, training and motivation in sales via seminars, personal coaching and topic-specific training.
Click here for the full interview.
When asked about my proudest accomplishment or my most valuable experience… at the top of my list, no doubt about it, is “selling books door-to-door with the Southwestern Company”.
There is no better way to catapult oneself into emotional and mental maturity than through going door-to-door.
While going door-to-door, you inevitably meet thousands of people, from different backgrounds, cultures, and norms. It is the most comprehensive non-traditional educational experience I can imagine. You talk to people about the things that they believe in, how they think, and what they place value on. You are able to see how they treat their spouse and their children, how they treat strangers, and how they keep their living room.
Door-to-door sales will give a person an entirely new perspective – on themselves, on society, and on life. The experience helps you define who you are, who you want to be, and how you can become that version of you.
I am now almost four years out of college and I work in Global Advertising Sales for Microsoft. I am also a writer, illustrator, and entrepreneur. In every sphere of my life, I apply the lessons that I learned from Southwestern Company every single day. I am more confident, more empathetic, more organized, more decisive, more disciplined, and more poised than I would be without that experience. To this day, I carry a copy of the check that I earned selling books in my wallet. Not so I can go around bragging about the amount of money I made, but as a tangible reminder of the summer job which gave me the gut, the tenacity, the work ethic, and the strength of character I have today.
Going door-to-door with Southwestern Company taught me the power a positive attitude and the importance of goal-setting. I learned sales skills, self-motivation skills, and ultimately how to run my own business. I recognize that although we cannot always control our circumstances, we certainly can control how we react to them. Southwestern Company has made me a more valuable employee, a more compassionate friend, and a more dependable person.
Selling door-to-door is an experience unlike any other. It takes hard work and perseverance to develop character; and going door-to-door is a place to do just that.
A headline like this makes you a little curious, right?
As someone closely affiliated with Southwestern Company’s storied door-to-door sales program, I was quite entertained by a recent article I read on www.pembrokexpress.com (see article link below), the website for Pembroke Express, a paper in Pembroke, Massachusetts.
Peter Shurdut, a budding entrepreneur, was recently approved for a solicitation permit in order to test the market for his business plan: to own a chain of retail stores in the Northeast. Nothing big here, but Peter will be selling, among other things, toilet paper in bulk door-to-door. (I get a case of the giggles when I think of his sample case and the reaction he gets when he asks Mrs. Jones if she has a place where they can sit down).
According to the article, Peter’s business plan is to scout the market via door-to-door to build a grassroots interest in
his offerings and test the market prior to investing in retail space. Door-to-door sales is not a new business model for Peter. While not with Southwestern Company, he did gather some door-to-door experience while in college. His product was meat and shrimp, and he was dubbed “the neighborhood meat man.” (No really. I could not make that up, check out the article).
What I really like about Peter is his infectious attitude and intelligent reasons behind building a business. Peter is doing it for the right reasons, bringing a quality product that everyone needs to the home where people will use it… and he is doing it with “service” in mind. During his 90-day stint in door-to-door, he will donate a portion of each sale to a local charity yet to be determined.
In the article, a few of the Selectmen who approved his permit are quoted. Don Anderson said Peter had a good marketing approach and that he was in favor of any business trying to survive in the current economy. Wow! If he feels that way about toilet paper and other select paper products, educational products should be very well received.
Another Selectman, Bill Boulter was quoted as saying, “I’ve always been the one saying no [to door-to-door selling] … but it seems like a pretty good idea as long as you go by all the rules.” While intitially negative about door-to-door sales, maybe someone like Peter can show him it is not all that bad for the local economy and the community in general. Selectman Boulter has it right though – door-to-door sales can be a great idea if the rules are simply followed.
To read the article in full:
“Paper salesman gets board OK”
By Becca Manning
March 11, 2010.
So, about an hour ago, my phone rang. The young man on the other end politely asked a question: “Are the students independent contactors?”
To this I confirmed that, yes, the students who participate in Southwestern Company’s summer sales program are independent contractors who run their own independent businesses.
He then said, “So, your company does not share if there is a loss financially?”
I then answered by saying no, further explaining how the students purchase products at wholesale (not upfront, by the way…) and sell them at retail utilizing the direct selling business model where they make a profit over the original wholesale price.
The formerly polite young man then said: “Nice scam!”
Two things you need to know about me: (1) I love a challenge; and (2) I love to educate people about the benefits of direct selling and, specifically, the Southwestern Company summer sales program. It’s something I believe in because I’ve experienced it.
I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to enlighten a young person who was under a few misconceptions about our program, and from the sound of it, direct selling in general. Why did he have the opinion he did? He simply did not have the facts.
I attempted to explain the program in simple terms. If the student dealers apply the training they receive in the week-long “Sales School” and are actively demonstrating products to families – Southwestern Company recommends 30 demos/day – thus generating a customer base, there should be no financial loss, but a gain. (I actually went into a little more detail, but you get the picture…). I then continued to explain how it is a simple matter of math: you sell more then you spend.
I was wasting by breath. You see, it took me a while to realize he had hung up shortly after he yelled out, “Nice scam!”
I guess those not willing to learn, are harder to teach. This person was not the first and certainly will not be the last to characterize something they do not understand as a scam, pyramid scheme or even cult – especially in the direct selling arena. Those are often terms used by people who just do not know any better. More so, they are not willing to learn or be told any different.
I hope the young man got a laugh out of hanging up on me, but what’s sad is he won’t be laughing when he is close-minded to understanding something later in his life that may be much more important in business or even his personal life.
Once again, Southwestern Company is supporting the Federal Trade Commission’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) March 7-13, 2010.
Through the Direct Selling Educational Foundation (DSEF), Southwestern Company along with other members of the direct selling community, will pool resources towards a first-ever Internet-based “treasure hunt.” This year’s NCPW theme, “Dollars and Sense: Rated ‘A’ for All Ages” highlights the importance of being a savvy consumer at any age on financial and business matters.
“Time for a Treasure Hunt!” will support DSEF & the University of Utah during National Consumer Protection Week.
This event will provide an opportunity for direct selling companies to promote consumer education, consumer rights and good corporate citizenship. It will allow Southwestern Company and other direct selling companies to showcase the industry’s genuine good will and commitment to programs that are meaningful to the everyday consumer.
The treasure hunt will help students at the University of Utah learn about the wealth of consumer information available via the Internet. Two one-day Internet-based contests set for March 8th and 9th will ask participants to correctly answer a variety of practical consumer questions.
Southwestern Company, working through DSEF and Dr. Robert N. Mayer, a former member of the DSEF board, will assist with the cash awards in the range of $300-$500 for anywhere from five to eight winners per day.
For additional information:
FTC National Consumer Protection Week website: http://consumer.gov/ncpw/
FTC National Consumer Protection Week Blog: http://consumer.gov/ncpw/blog/
Dr. Robert N. Mayer, University of Utah
E-mail: Robert.Mayer@fcs.utah.edu
Phone: 1-801-581-5771
Bettie Smith, DSEF
E-mail: bsmith@dsef.org
Phone: 1-202-416-6421
Trey Campbell, Southwestern Company
E-mail: trey.campbell@southwestern.com
Phone: 888-602-7867
Over dinner at a recent family gathering, my grandfather looked at me and said, “I still can’t believe anyone bought those books from you. If you or any of your friends had shown up on our doorstep, we’d have called the police for sure.” Thanks a lot, Papa.
I ran my own business with Southwestern Company for three summers (2003-2005), and did manage to sell a few books while I was at it. I found it humorous that all these years later, my grandfather still held onto the tarnished reputation of door-to-door salespeople - despite the fact that his beloved granddaughter was one of them!
The simple fact is this: he probably would have let a Southwestern Company student dealer in had one shown up on his doorstep. I say that because Southwestern students are well-instructed and adequately trained prior to their departure onto the bookfield. These students are taught to always act professionally. This means: being respectful and courteous at all times, abiding by all county and city laws, acquiring all necessary permits, and adhering to community rules or standards. Southwestern students are instructed to be pleasantly persistent, not pushy; and assumptive, not forceful.
I am certain that there are many people with the same mindset as my grandfather. That is, until they come across a humble, polite, and sincere young person associated with Southwestern Company. My guess is that this mindset changes when a person has such a positive experience with a door-to-door salesperson. I made many, many friends during my time selling books – and I can say without a doubt that these people were glad I came by.
Unfortunately, there are several organizations which do not properly train their sales forces, and it’s these ‘bad apples’ that tarnish the bunch. But, if Southwestern continues to instill the same morals and instructions that they have been for the past 150+ years, I would only assume that the tide will slowly begin to turn, and door-to-door sellers will be greeted with open minds and open hearts.
If my grandfather opened the door to see a cheerful, friendly, and articulate young man or woman, I would bet that he’d stick around to hear the pitch.
I ran across an interesting blog about some of Southwestern Company’s products the other day… and it got me thinking.
On the Hooked on Phonics blog on February 1, 2010, Southwestern’s “Ask Me” series was featured in a post titled “Sunday’s Story Surprise.” In summary, it’s about a mom reading to her three-year-old son as he starts to put together words and their meaning. It also mentions the importance of reading to your children and the great rewards that both the parent and child gain.
I think an important part of any company is why they do what they do. Many companies will say the “why” is to make a profit. I think most legitimate direct selling companies will tell you something different – something with a bit more substance. For Southwestern, we are about helping people. This includes the young people who participate in our summer sales program, but also the millions of families who purchase the products. We feel families prosper by having educational products in the home. It’s a way for families to bond and for children to learn.
Critics can say this is corporate rhetoric, but I have worked for Southwestern for 11 years and I can tell you this is the truth. Whether developing college students in preparation for life or developing a young child’s mind, it is what we are about. Put simply, we can’t forget the impact these students directly have on families all over North America, Canada and the UK.
As the mom who authored the blog so eloquently put it, “As a parent, you want only the best for your children, and in this mom’s opinion, reading to your children is one of the most important things you can do from an early age.” The mom then goes on to describe with wonder the surprise she felt when her son began to engage and understand what they were reading – from “Do Plants Eat Meat?” from the Southwestern “Ask Me” series.
After reading the Hooked on Phonics blog, several people have sent in their own stories:
From Jaak Vilonov:
“I have had several of those special moments during the 2 summers I have sold. The first summer (Oregon State) I met a dad who recognized the My Books because his mother, who is a speech pathologist had been using the books for years as one of the main tools in her work.
That same summer I also met a grandma who told me a crazy story. Her grandson was not interested in books at all, but he was very interested in tractors. In one of the My Books there is a tractor picture and that got him interested in the rest of the book and later on into other books also.”
From Tabitha Taylor:
“As an employee of Southwestern, one of my favorite stories to tell involves my niece and nephew. Each time I read to them, I let them pick out the book we will read. It never fails that each time they reach for one of their beloved, yet tattered from use, SW books. A couple of months ago, I sat down to read with my nephew – 5 and niece – 3. I was amazed when we opened the My Fun With Words book and rather than me asking all the point and learn questions, my nephew took on the role of “reader” and started asking his sister all the questions I had asked him so many times before. We are fortunate to have such a great product line that even our 5 year olds become so engaged they can read and teach their siblings!”
You want to know why direct sellers do what they do? It’s to invest in yourself, others and make a difference, sometimes one person at a time… sometimes one family at a time.
In the February 2010 Direct Selling News “Top Desk” column, Southwestern Company President, Dan Moore, addresses a new idea with very old roots.
It has to do with the introduction of entrepreneurialism to young people. According to Dan, this is something that has been happening at Southwestern Company for a long time – 142 years to be exact.
One day, while listening in the car to National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, there was an interview with Charles Handy, founder of the London Business School and a management consultant, of whom Dan has followed for some time.
Mr. Handy maintains we should start thinking about jobs in a whole new light and introduce the concepts of entrepreneurialism to young people early on. In this article, Dan points out Mr. Handy’s “new light” when broken down is actually the driving force behind direct selling companies – and at least in Southwestern’s case, has been for along time.
Through direct sales, Dan has had the opportunity to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with over 70,000 college students. He says “it is a privilege to be in direct selling and working with the greatest young people in the world.” He continues by saying, “it is exciting to teach enduring principles to young people, knowing they will add their own unique talents and flavorings to them as they grow their business within Southwestern’s direct selling program.”
In the article, Dan talks about lessons learned from his student manager and concepts he picked up from Spencer Hays. With 36 summers under his belt in direct selling, Dan Moore has had the privilege of learning from and working directly with two Direct Selling Association Hall of Fame members (Spencer Hays & Jerry Heffel) and hundreds of other DSA staff members and other member company representatives who have unselfishly shared their time and influence, not only with him, but with young college students as well.
Digesting the fact that the benefits of direct sales goes beyond simply selling and teached young people life skills is what we are all about… and it’s not new, either.
To go to Southwestern Company media website for article, click here.
To go to Direct Selling News online posting of article, click here.
