Death of a Salesman is a 1949 Pulitzer Prize winning play written about the tragic life of Willy Loman the salesman, an average guy who chased the American Dream as a way to overcome his weaknesses and insecurities. His denial and false sense of success lead to tragedy and ultimately suicide. There are many similarities between Willy’s demise and contractor companies that destroy themselves, or at best experience a lifelong series of business ups and downs.
Before going further, I want to make it clear that I consider myself a good salesman and am offended by the stereotype used to portray salespeople. Good salespeople are problem solvers, good listeners and a vital part of the business process. Unfortunately, it is the pigeonholing of the sales profession as pushy characters that leads to this misbelief, just as a few bad contractors ruin the industry’s reputation. However, Willy does possess several of the characteristics that destroy many a contractor business. Let’s discuss four of them.