Shrinking Salespeople?

I was recently chatting with a traveling salesman -- a member of a group whose ranks seem to be rapidly shrinking.

He was saying that if robbed, the salesman get it coming and going. Their goods are gone, of course. Then the insurance company won't want to insure them again, or at least not for a small fortune. Then the police/authorities always think they are involved somehow. And of course, if they can go out again, they have to overcome their own reluctance to do so, after being robbed.

I would not hold up well as a traveling saleperson, at least carrying a live line. There's not many jobs I'd rather avoid -- actually!

Of course, you'd think the Internet would have changed this a bit, and it has. But still there's a preference from most retailers to hold and touch the jewlery they sell to just picking items out on a screen.

Which bring me to my next thought.......are the ranks of the shrinking salespeople indicitive of an increase in attending trade shows?

posted by Caroline Stanley @ 12:18 PM