Sales Principles Applicable to Teaching (1977)

Educators are salesmen, or at least should be, selling ideas and knowledge. The more effectively they purvey knowledge, concepts, and ideas the more effective they will be as teachers. So asserts a recent book.1 Selling was originally considered an art. Consider able progress has been made in the sales field, and today the salesman regards himself as a professional.2 Early books on the subject delineated the principles of selling on an empirical basis, relying heavily on anecdotes or the personal experience of the author who invariably had been on the verge of quitting the selling game when he accidentally made a sale and figured out why! The theoretical basis for his success depended upon the type of applied psychology made famous by Dale Carnegie.3 Although many standard textbooks on selling are avail able today, a recently published book entitled Selling: A Behavioral Science Approach4 has proved most use ful for enabling me present a modern basis for the empirical sales principles as well as extending their number and scope and relating them better teaching. Since teaching may be considered as the effort change behavior,5 and selling can also be so regarded, I considered the possibility of simply drawing a parallel between the two. I believe the thrust should be from selling teaching because it is much easier identify a good salesman (using success as a yardstick) than it is identify a good teacher. A salesman's income will drop as soon as he loses his touch, whereas many tenured teachers go on and on and on. The sales charac teristics, many in number, can be grouped according areas recognized as relevant both selling and teach ing and include factors directly related the personality and presence of the teacher, showmanship, student mo tivation, student/teacher rapport, and procedure. Regardless of style of teaching, subject matter, use of teaching aids, no one denies the conspicuous presence of the teacher. Bettger in describing the effective salesman writes entire chapters on the positive effects of a smiling, enthusiastic?better even, excited?salesman.6 Sarbin de fines a role as one's overt acts. The teacher and salesman play a social role which includes such qualities as en thusiasm, poise, and confidence.7 Thus, this concept of role playing serves as a basis for Bettger's sales rules. Another author of a How to sales book dramatically begins his sales training sessions with the admonition always take a deep breath before starting talk. He has the whole class try it in deafening unison discover the power of the human voice. Orientation the task of teaching rather than satisfying one's own ego is also essential. Not only must the teacher be empathetic but he must project this quality so that the students know he understands their situation and problems. Cottrell describes an empathetic person as emotionally expressive, insightful, outgoing, optimistic, warm, flexible, and interested in others.8 Thompson stresses the need for maturity which includes the ability accept criticism, objectivity, and control his feelings.9 Self-control is especially needed. For maximum value from the limited time available, Bettger stresses the need for planning, order, and rec ords.10 While this may not seem unusual, if it meant dollars the teacher as it does the salesman, he might be more conscientous about every second. Bettger says, Explode dynamite.11 Since a teacher needs arouse curiousity and interest, dramatics, gim micks, and also humor are certainly appropriate provided they are kept within reasonable limits determined by good judgment. I have used grooved cuff links demon strate spectra produced by diffraction. On the other hand a psychology teacher in City College called a girl a nigger demonstrate the effect of emotionally loaded words. He subsequently was attacked with a spiked two by four. Thompson details some possible dimensions which can be manipulated achieve dramatization or show manship. These include intensity, size, contrast, repeti tion, movement, novelty, incongruity, action words.12 It seems impossible believe that a salesman could be successful if the client had no need for his product. Bettger urges a salesman [teacher] create a desire by revealing the virtue of his product [subject] his client [class], thus motivating the client [students] act [listen, study, and learn].31 Thompson calls attention the personal, social, or emotional needs of the buyer [student] which can be met by the salesman's product or service [instructional material].14 If a teacher is going motivate his students enough get them learn, he should know the needs of his students and how his subject fits into their schemata. Berelson lists twenty eight social needs.15 An earlier scheme reduced social motives four basic wishes; security, recognition, re sponse from others, and new experience (Thomas, 1923). Bettger urges the use of honest appreciation and praise,16 and Anderson has confirmed the efficacy of this technique in the classroom calling it integrative interaction. His study showed that the integrative teacher in contrast a dominative type produced discernible results such as more spontaneity in children, volunteer ing, suggestions, and more effective problem solving.17 A word of caution comes from McKeachie who showed