The Southwestern Company Difference Blog
In a continuing series of posts to this blog, I will answer common questions and address topics related to the purpose of this blog.
Question: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE STEREOTYPES OF DOOR-TO-DOOR WHEN IT COME TO SAFETY?
Answer: Like most college students, when finals came it meant late nights, unhealthy amounts of red bull, and practically taking up residency at the library. However, to access the library at late hours required a little trek across campus. As a female, walking across a college campus alone at night can have its fear factors. Thus, I made a habit of calling a friend for the walk to serve as an extra precaution. The University even took action and placed emergency blue lights methodically around the campus to provide added safety for its students. Still, I could not help but feel slightly wary of my vulnerability and the potential dangers associated with a young female walking alone during those late hours. Typically, with admittance to a university, campus safety is usually an afterthought. In fact, most often it is simply assumed. Yet, statistics show that one out of every eight females will be assaulted whilst in college.[1]
To my surprise, when my parents heard I wanted to sell books door-to-door for a summer internship, they looked at me as if I was volunteering to be the next face on a missing milk carton. I was almost certain my parents would be content with the idea of me spending my summer with families and their children talking about education. Looking back, I understand how my being female generated more cause for concern than if I were a male. Yet I still couldn’t understand what I considered was their “over-concern” with this when they seemed to neglect most, if not all, other potentially dangerous endeavors which yielded great praise. Examples of these endeavors include going away to college, backpacking Europe solo, numerous road trips and skydiving, to name a few. To me, the idea of selling books was just another exciting adventure and in no way was it compromising my safety. I felt my parents were basing their judgment on the idea of it being more taboo rather than looking at the facts.
Unfortunately, when most students approach their parents about a door-to-door sales opportunity it is in their parental nature to be instantly closed-minded (and they should until they have the facts and are educated about the opportunity). I now recognize this is what being a parent is like: you always worry about your children and want the best for them. Occasionally while talking with families, I would have some who were inquisitive that wanted to know how my parents allowed me to participate in such a “dangerous” program. “Especially for females,” they would say.
Here are my thoughts:
- I felt safe with the reputation of the company I was looking into (Southwestern in this case)
- I spoke to others who had done it before
- I learned the company was over 150-years old
- I saw they had the university’s permission to recruit on campus
- I attended tons of training about everything from the products to ethics and, yes, safety
- Southwestern wanted to meet with my parents, who were asked to endorse me in order for me to participate
(1) I would never deliberately put myself in compromising situations that were going to cause me to feel uncomfortable – on campus or elsewhere. For example, while selling I would only enter the home if the mother was there and I would make it my mission during the day to make appointments for the evening hours. I have never felt frightened doing this job because I never gave myself reason to.
(2) My parents were more at ease once they spoke to the family I was living with and knew I would be taken care of. My first summer running my own business through Southwestern, my mom was very wary of where I would live. She was very relieved when she understood I was in a safe environment and had someone I could rely on for support in my times of need.
A lot of families I meet in the summer have a misconstrued understanding of what I do. Usually once families hear me out, they come to an understanding of our program, but I think at first they assume we are just a bunch of helpless college students who unloaded from some van and just knock on random doors (by far, not the case). It is liberating to be able to explain what I do and change someone’s jaded perception based from stereotypes or simply an assumption. Just like on my college campus, by being aware of my surroundings, having alevel head and using common sense, I have found security in what I do. I’m a door-to-door sales person.
[1] Martin, Laura C. (1992). A Life Without Fear. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 71. Retrieved August 15, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.uga.edu/~safecampus/statistics.html
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Lucy Morton-Hicks is the Communications Specialist for the Southwestern Company, the nation’s oldest direct selling company based in Nashville, Tennessee. She is an award-winning, top sales person and recruiter who has run her own business as an independent dealer the past three summers selling Southwestern Company’s educational products door-to-door in their summer program for college students. She is also engaged in the training and mentorship of students from several Florida universities.
