I heard an interview with David Plouffe, who managed the Obama 2008 Presidential campaign. He was talking about his early years. And, almost as a throwaway, he added that in one of his early jobs, he sold knives door to door.
Over the years, one of the tidbits I learned when I was hiring field people was to ask, casually, “You ever sell knives?”
Apparently it’s great training for field organizing. Over and over, those former knife salespeople knocked on more doors, got more and better IDs, and worked harder than anyone else.
So to my friends who are still in the arena, a word to the wise. People who sell knives make GREAT field directors. Or Presidential campaign managers.
door-to-door … teaches many lessons … my dtd sales activities included one spring selling fertilizer for Troop 1661 of the Boy Scouts of America …
Well, dtd makes people fearless, in my experience. Which is probably the best qualification for a field person, come to think of it!