Dwight Schrute’s Sales Techniqes

I’m sure you’ve heard of The Office. The Office is a popular sitcom on Netflix and has been adored by fans since it first aired in 2005. The Office focuses on the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin and the ordinary lives of the employees in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Dwight Schrute, a comical salesman and assistant to the regional manager, is one of the main characters in the show and is shown to be a good at sales but could still do with some work. Often his tactics are seen as pushy, overwhelming, and very aggressive. These are some of the negative qualities that are often associated with bad salesmen, so is there any way that Dwight could improve his skills?

One example of Dwight selling something is when he wants to buy Andy’s car. (link below) Andy lists his Xterra for $8,700, but that is too high for Dwight, so he proceeds to talk about all the bad things about Andy’s SUV so he can get the price lowered. It’s interesting to see that Dwight isn’t selling in the stereotypical way. He is instead trying to sell himself as a good buyer for Andy’s car, where Andy would normally be in the selling position. The first thing to point out about Dwight’s selling strategy is that he is very aggressive, and you can see how Andy is reluctant to sell his car. However, Dwight keeps pushing him to sell his car by saying that this is Andy’s last chance, or no one will buy his car. Eventually Andy gives in and sells Dwight his car for $1,500 less than the original price.

This strategy might have worked in a fictional show like The Office, but in a real-world scenario, being too aggressive is the opposite of what you should do. Being laid-back and listening to your customer is one of the first things that should happen instead of immediately launching into why you are a good buyer. After Dwight gets the car, he then proceeds to clean it up and resell it for a higher price. Of course, as a buyer, it’s up to Dwight what he wants to do with the car, but the point is that he is not being honest with his “customer.” Dwight said that if he buys the car then it will be used on his farm for practically nothing, but then tries to resell it for profit. Being honest is one of the best things you can do as a salesman, and it’s pretty clear that Dwight isn’t the best salesman. It’s been said that Dwight is one of the best salesmen in the company, but it’s also clear that he doesn’t know how to sell to certain demographics and relies on his aggression and persuasion to get sales. Maybe you just need a magnetic personality like Dwight Schrute to be a better salesman!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpvHx0R2Ytc