Don't Sell. Tell.

Seth Godin's experience in the farmers market led him to conclude that "I'm pretty sure we need more good salespeople, not less."

My argument is that he didn't encounter a salesperson - he encountered a true marketer. More specifically, a customer-facing marketer who had been given permission to educate and excite about eggplants by dint of potential customers showing interest in his other produce.

I think the term salesperson has become too perjorative - imbued, as it must be, with the push ethos. Salespeople attempt to sell TO anyone who'll listen, whereas customer-facing marketers inform and impassion people so that they buy FROM them.

They are sometimes building upon the foundations of other marketing efforts, but sometimes, as in the farmers market case, they are building only on the existence of a demand for organic produce. They speak from passion, they don't use tricks. They don't sell. They tell.