RICHARD: Do you know that there is a traditional point of view that salespeople are born, not made.
SARA: Nonsense, I am convinced that good selling can be developed by proper training and experience.
RICHARD: May be you are right but some firms, however, prefer to let a person "prove" himself or herself in the field first, before going through the time and expense necessary to give intensive training.
SARA: I, for one, would welcome the chance to prove myself and to know that my good efforts are quickly recognized and rewarded.
RICHARD: It goes without saying that selling jobs are rewarding because in few other types of work can the fruits of one's efforts be so clearly revealed as in direct sales.
SARA: Not only because of that. I like this job because it gives freedom of action. Many sales positions require people who can work effectively on their own with minimum supervision. To my mind, the freedom of selling offers both a comfort and a challenge.
RICHARD: It depends. On the one hand, the freedom of selling is an advantage but on the other hand, it is a significant responsibility because a salesperson is the major and often the sole contact that a customer has with a company, and by his or her actions, people will form high or low opinion of the company.
SARA: If you ask me, responsibility is not a disadvantage, it gives the salesperson an additional self-respect being the company representative. The sales force can also be proud because selling as a form of personal communication between a salesperson and a customer is an ancient occupation. Trading companies and salesmen were present in Mesopotamia in 2500 B.C. and Phoenician salesmen sailed the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf from 1500 to 1200 B.C.
RICHARD: I give up!
Listen to Dialogue No 2 between two speakers and answer the questions below. Then listen again and check your answers.
1. What occupation are the speakers discussing?
2. What main aspects of selling jobs are mentioned in the dialogue?
3. How can the company be benefited or harmed by the sales force?
4. According to you, are good salespersons born or trained?
5. What is meant by freedom of action? Is it equal to freedom of selling?