Salespeople vs. Technicians

[Les Smith]

Ed. I wish that i could agree with you, but I can't. The older I
get, the more I see, the more cynical I become. The world today
is much different from the way it used to be, back when many of
us older techs were young and just starting out. Today's world
seeks to measure EVERYTHING in terms of dollars and cents; and
that includes things like honesty, integrity, loyalty and trust.
Further, oftentimes the price doesn't seem very high at all.

The first sentennce of a well-known book on the financial markets,
entitled, "The Money Game" by "Adam Smith", reads: "The world is
not the way they tell you it is." In otherwords, it's all illusion,
not substance, and virtually everbody--from your wife, children ,
relatives, neighbors, friends, co-workers amd those with whom you
do business to your local, state and Federal elected representa-
tives lie to you. Constantly. For instance, just look at television.
It's certainly a sad state of affairs wehen the two people on tv
with the most credibility are Marge and Homer Simpson! Most are so
crooked that when they die they're going to be able to screw them
into the ground!

For the modern tech, who tries to conduct his business in a fair,
forthright and honest manner, it can be very discouraging trying
to swim in the same sea as the sharks and barracudas. It seems
that everytime you bend over to tie your shoelaces, there are ten
guys trying to "blindside" you, if you know what I mean! To sur-
vive in today's business world, amd remain morally and ethically
intact, is no easy thing. The temptations to cut corners in the
pursuit of dollars are many. And an "everyone else is doing it"
mentality seems to prevail. What can one do? Well perhaps they
should take to heart, Thornton Mellon's advice in Back to School:
Always look out for number one, but take care that you don't step
in number two! Number two, of course, is what's being shoveled
your way by almost everyone with whom you come in contact.

After all these years, I, too, still look for the good in every
one, but experience has taught me to expect the worst. That way
I'm never disappointed, but occasionally, pleasantly surprised.
Unfortunately, that doesn't happen very often. :(

"To thine ownself, be true."

Les Smith
lessmith@buffnet.net












On Sun, 16 Mar 1997 ETomlinCF3@aol.com wrote:

> Les and list,
>
> I have many stories myself of salespeople doing things that are less than
> honest.  I remember in my early years of selling I repeated things that were
> told me as to be fact, just to find out that they were not.   Did that make
> me bad?  Does that make all salespeople bad...no.   My strong point isn't
> that we all don't have stories of dishonest salespeople.  It is that we as
> techs should be careful not to brand the proffession as "shady" when, for the
> overwhelming majority of sales staff around these United States do care and
> want to be honest.  I would rather look to the good in people.
>
> Ed Tomlinson
> Tomlinson Tuning and Repair
>
>
>