person to get in trouble lurks the sales function. Probably no other profession is so cursed with the potential to destroy a company or individual's career." (24) To better understand this; let us first look back into the history of selling here in the U.S. and review the theories expressed in Dave Colcord's Developing Sales Technique and Sales Personality,
             As the country was being settled from east to west, transportation and communication were critical factors that controlled the rate of growth and expansion. In other words, it was difficult to market anything into remote areas because there was no way for a buyer to transmit an order back to a company. These areas of the country did not have any rail, mail or telegraph service. For people living in these parts, their buying needs were satisfied by wagon merchants. (45)
             This type of traveling salesperson supposedly hauled merchandise from town to town and sold products right off of the wagons. As can be imagined, wagon merchants had a strong incentive to close any orders right on the spot for fear of losing the prospect to the next wagon merchant that would hit town a couple days behind them. (47) These same traveling merchants would also take orders for custom merchandise, which they would deliver on their next visit or have shipped to a larger town for pickup. (51) In fact, Colcord describes them as, "so bad in character that husbands forbid their wives to be out in public while these men were still in town." (53)
             Another historical aspect about traveling salespeople in those days was lack of payment options. As depicted in the following quote from The Direct Selling Associations' database on The Development Of Standards and Opinion Regarding Sales,
             they could not be paid any other way than just straight commission. There was just no alternative because it was impossible to manage how they spent their time, as opposed to someone working under ...