Ecommerce can learn a lot from the Fuller Brush Man. For those of you who are generationally-challenged, Fuller Brush Men were door-to-door salesmen who (wait for it) sold brushes and related cleaning supplies.

When he arrived at the door it was clear he understood the sales process and his place in it. He didn't tell the women at the door what the Fuller Brush Company stood for. The company's advertising in magazines and on television did this for him. He was a salesman. If he didn't sell, he didn't get paid. He needed to sell, and so everything he did was focused on selling. To that end, he used a time-perfected system to turn strangers into loyal customers.

The Introduction

First came his introduction. He was from the Fuller Brush Company and had an offer for her, something new / interesting / valuable / etc. to tell her about.

He had many ways to engage the interest of the customer. In each situation, he tailored his approach to...