Looking for Sales Pitch information on Interstate Compact Vacuum from 1950's

[blueape]

I am a storyteller and I am writing a story about the Interstate Compact vacuum we had when I was a kid. We affectionately called the vacuum the Green Pig. My mother bought it from a door to door salesman. I am looking for information on the sales pitch that he might of used to sell my mother the vacuum. The vacuum would have been very expensive for my family at the time so the sale pitch must have been very good. Are there any written training manuals or tactics that you would know of that salesmen used to sell this particular vacuum.

I have read on-line that the sales people for the interstate engineering corp were independent so the sale pitches could be slightly exaggerated from time to time. Not sure if that is true.

I remember the vacuum being a fixture in our home. Whenever there was a spill or mess we were always told to "get the Green Pig."

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[super-sweeper]

One pitch they used...

They would tell you to go get your "Old" vacuum cleaner, and to vacuum an area of the rug. They would than vacuum over the same area with the new cleaner they're trying to sell- In your case, The Compact. Then they would open the lid and show you "What your vacuum left behind", Implying that the Compact was the better, more efficient cleaner (If you had a HOOVER at the time, The Compact sale was pointless, Straight Suction (The act of only cleaning rugs with suction, and no revolving brush) could never come close to the Triple-Action HOOVER. They used this pitch for about any vacuum out there, as the last vacuum used will always be the winner.


 


Below is an add for the Compact vacuum cleaner, Found on Charles Lester's Wonderful Website:


-Alex.

 

[dysonman1]

There WAS a manual, written for the salesman, which gave Word for Word directions on what to say and do to sell a Compact C-4 (the model you pictured). Excellent book. I've read it many times. The very best advice, from the Compact salesman's guide is this (I use these exact words every time I sell a vacuum):

We sell a Cleaner Home, in Less Time, and With Less Effort.

If you can convince someone that buying whatever vacuum you're selling will guarantee them a Cleaner Home (who doesn't want that?), in Less Time (again, time is everything today to people), and with Less Effort (appeals to the lazy streak in everyone) - you can sell any vacuum cleaner you like.

 

[suckolux]

Have the same model here, my mom got it I think from selling enough of them dtd. I think. So very long ago.

 

[blueape]

dysonman1 is there anywhere I can get a copy of the manual?

 

[dysonman1]

There are about sixty pages, illustrated, in that manual. I can copy it on a copy machine and mail you the copies. Private message me with your address.

 

[floor-a-matic]

Here's my 1985 CXL; so I'm guessing the sales tactics were the same like now?

 

[danemodsandy]

Funny....

....To hear your family's Compact was called The Green Pig.

My TriStar CXL, which is essentially the same vacuum with some updates, is named Arnold, after Arnold Ziffel, the pig on "Green Acres."

 

[poconovacman]

Sandy,

Greeeeeen acres is the place to be. Faaaarm livin' is the life for me. Land spreadin' out so far and wide, keep Manhattan just give me that countryside. 


 


Funny, I was just thinking of that show last week when I was in NYC and was driving down Park Avenue........