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Student sales are legit, says firm
Living with a host family in Cookeville this summer are three young ladies, college students who are running their own business to offset their educational expenses," said Trey Campbell, director of communications for The Southwestern Company of Nashville. He said the job of the college students is to "demonstrate educational products to families" and said the job gives the students "high hopes of earning more money than they would with a 'normal' summer job in their hometowns

Herald-Citizen, Cookeville, TN
June 25, 2008

Scott Steffen, an agricultural engineering major at Texas A&M, is on his fifth summer with Southwestern and is selling in Knoxville, TN this summer. After the local media reported he was misrepresenting himself based on incomplete information, Southwestern and many of Scott's customers called in to help clear up the situation. Click on the video to see the video run on WBIR, NBC's Knoxville affiliate, informing residents about what Scott is doing in their area this summer.

WBIR Channel 10, NBC - Knoxville, TN June 14, 2008

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CEOs value lessons from teen jobs
Southwestern alumni, Joe Herring talks about his success - it started at Southwestern.
Joe Herring, 52, CEO at Covance, started out selling a $55.95, 2,500-page encyclopedia/homework manual. He was paid entirely on commission, and his daily goal was 60 calls, 20 to 30 demonstrations and four or five sales. That usually required 14-hour days that often ended at 10 p.m. as the invited dinner guest of a customer. "My customers ranged from the blissfully happy to the divorced and depressed," Herring says. "Having 10 or 15 doors slammed in your face each day teaches about handling adversity and disappointment with a positive attitude. No matter how mean one family, the next could be a real gem," he says, adding that his success led to job offers at 10 other companies.

USA Today
by Del Jones

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Your PR Radar, Blips & Tips
The Southwestern Company, for example, has two PR and ethics training sessions at their Sales School for the student dealers who sell their products. These sessions deal with making the right choices and setting an example for others. They are titled “Ethics: Operating with Integrity” and “Leading by Example: Preventive Relations.” The latter is a spin on public relations, focusing on prevention rather than cleanup efforts after the fact. With independent sales, everything from attitude to schedule can be controlled. If you prevent an issue from becoming uncontrollable, it is one less thing to occupy your otherwise busy schedule. Ben Franklin said it best: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Direct Selling News
June 2008 Issue

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Job market works against teens
It might pay to break away from the pack and do the job others never think of. Southwestern Co. of Nashville, Tenn., has offered that chance to college kids for 140 years. Southwestern's roots can be traced to the days after the Civil War, when its president tried to help students survive the tattered Southern economy by having them sell Bibles door to door. Its materials are mostly secular now, but Southwestern still uses college students to sell books by lugging samples from one house to the next.

The News & Observer - Ralleigh, NC
by Tim Simmons, June 18, 2008

View the video here

Forbes.com
Centredaily.com
PDF of article

Summertime Safety Advice: stay cool, wear protective clothing, recognize legitimate door-to-door sales people
With a smile, a little patience and a willing ear, you may be surprised to find an opportunity, rather than a nuisance, knocking at your door.

Forbes.com
Centredaily.com
May, 2008

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Executive Appointments
A full page was dedicated to the retirement announcement of Jerry Heffel and the promotion of Dan Moore to the office of President of Southwestern Company.

"It is an honor to follow in the footsteps of someone for whom I have such profound respect for," Moore said. "Throughout his 42-year tenure with Southwestern, Jerry Heffel has led our company in to the era of digital products, international expansion and the establishment of a number of successful new businesses."

"Jerry Heffel has been a mentor and an inspiration over the years to virtually every member of the current senior leadership team at Southwestern, including myself," says Henry Bedford, the company's Chairman and CEO. "Dan Moore has worked closely at Jerry's side for decades and is the natural choice to succeed him. Dan's ability to motivate and inspire student dealers, his business acumen and his leadership skills are legendary at Southwestern."

Direct Selling News
February 2008

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Former Southwestern Company student dealer and manager preserves Mary Kay Ash's childhood home
“In Vladimir’s ten years of participating in Southwestern’s summer selling program as a dealer and manager, he epitomized the Southwestern motto 'a great recruiter, is a great leader,” says Trey Campbell, APR, Director of Communications, Southwestern Company. “We are extremely proud that he will be forever associated with a part of another direct selling company’s historic past and rich history. And you know what? I think Mary Kay would be proud, too.”

Mary Kay comes home to Houston
February 2008

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Mechanical engineering student receives Student Excellence Award and Scholarship
As reported by the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, read about Jeff Armstrong and his outstanding year in sales and team building.

February 15, 2008

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Move Over Moms: College Students Tap Into Direct Selling Industry offers undergrads a fun and flexible way to make money

With more than 1,500 U.S. based direct selling companies in business today, students are able to find a wide range of products and services to sell that match their own interests - everything from handbags and jewelry to cutlery items and home accents.

University of Texas at Austin senior Jeff Armstrong has made $15,000 each summer since joining the company in 2003 during his freshman year. He earned more than $30,000 in 2007 and won the Southwestern Company Student Excellence Award , which includes a $1,000 scholarship.
"I've learned really important sales skills and gained a great network of mentors," said Armstrong. "It's the best summer job for any student and the experience has been more valuable than the money I earned."

Yahoo Finance
January 10, 2008

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"The list of hardships a student dealer faces on the "bookfield" is long, but strangely, that's the appeal. The program is oriented to churn out motivated, independent, problem-solving young people by teaching them how to face their fears, build confidence and endure rejection."

Pickens County Progress
August 2, 2007

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"Shakiba, now in his fourth summer with the company - he previously sold in Wisconsin, Missouri and New Mexico - has no intention of quitting. He credits the program with transforming him from a painfully shy, tongue-tied engineering nerd into a super-slick book-selling dynamo.

Not only has the book selling job boosted his confidence, says Shakiba, it's enhanced his resume, increased his appreciation for his parent's sacrifices, and, of course fattened his wallet. Shakiba hopes to use his profits to pay $12,000 in student loans."

Houston Chronicle
Front-page, July 1, 2007

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"The Southwestern Company, Building Character and Communities Indeed, character building is Southwestern's primary goal. Part of that goal is to instill in students' hearts the importance of giving to communities and it has borne fruit in many of its alumni. Originally founded to provide pastoral and leadership training in Africa, African Leadership now does much more. Southwestern did not simply produce its founder, it plays a vital role in its mission."

Direct Selling News
June 2007

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"My wife and daughter long ago tired of my book-selling recollections. But recently, during a business lunch in a fancy Washington restaurant, the Southwestern Company was mentioned, and I was asked which years I sold books. The question came, I soon learned from another Southwestern alum. I realized I had permission, so to speak, to recall those days. And so I did. The sophisticated lawyer who'd scheduled the meeting listened intently, before marveling that there was a lot more going on out in the country than he and his fellow New Yorkers ever imagined when they were growing up."

The Weekly Standard
September 11, 2006, Vol. 011, Issue 48
"Door to Door" by Terry Eastland, Publisher

Cover Story

"Top Desk" Column

Cover story
"In a point-and-click world, one company has thrived for more than 150 years by selling not just person-to-person but door-to-door."


"Top Desk" column with Henry Bedford, Chairman & CEO featured in Direct Selling News magazine, October 2006
Read Bedford's thoughts on how 150 years of tradition have developed character, confidence and drive in young people throughout the world.

Direct Selling News
October, 2006

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About the company, Bumford says, "It's outstanding with the responsibilities and opportunities that it offers to young people like us."
Bevans said, "The company is great. This is my second summer. My picture was included with an article in USA Today last year when I was in Texas. I love meeting up with the families in the area and I see 30 families a day."

Reporter Times
Martinsville, IN
September 3, 2006

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Spurning the idea that today's market is best reached via the Internet, Southwestern sellers hold firmly to the old-fashioned door-to-door approach.
Also interviewed, US Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama: Though the senator said he sold books strictly for the tuition money, the experience was perfect training for politics. "You learn the reality of numbers. You learn to present your methods in a short, repeatable fashion," Sessions said. "But mostly it's just if you've got the will and determination to stay with it, you can succeed when other people would not."

The Decatur Daily News
Decatur, Alabama
August 21, 2006

Letter From the Editor

Best in Business Article

CEO Lifetime Achievement Article

The Southwestern Company was recognized by the Nashville Business Journal (NBJ) at the 19th Annual Best in Business Awards as the 2006 winner in the largest business category, 101 to 500 employees.

Each year, the Best in Business Awards program spotlights some of the most dynamic and unique Middle Tennessee companies able to maintain an accelerated growth pattern and leave their distinct mark on the community.

Retired CEO Honored for Lifetime Achievement

The NBJ’s also honored retired Southwestern CEO, Ralph W. Mosley with a lifetime achievement award. The Marvin Runyon Award for Leadership is presented annually to an individual whose accomplishment exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurship and service.

"Honesty. Challenge. Leadership. Opportunity. Recognition. Rare values in today's world, especially from the vantage point of a college kid looking for a summer job. But Southwestern's history of consistently attracting, developing and retaining top talent hasn't come by accident. The company doesn't make changes to boost sales or decrease expenses if it means compromising any of its 150-year-old values. In this case, not changing proves to be a refreshing change."

Getting Them To Give a Damn, by Eric Chester
Dearborn Trade Publishing, Copyright 2005 Chapter 19 - Opportunity Knocks at Southwestern

View video clip here

Today Show co-host Katie Couric looks over The Southwestern Company's "My Fun With Words" childrens book. Southwestern/Great American, Inc. donated over 4,500 items valued at over $71,000 worth to the drive. See the Direct Selling Association's Amy Robinson, Director of Communication & Media Relations talk about the member companies and their donations. Items were shipped to various non-profit organizations all over the U.S. in time for the Christmas holidays.

The Today Show
November 28, 2005

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"A Bristol man (Andy Pallent - a Southwestern Company employee) is appealing for football enthusiasts to donate their old kit so he can present it to a team in Gambia."

Bristol Evening Post
2005

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"If you had told me last year I'd be knocking on doors in Michigan this summer, I'd have laughed in your face." Now he's laughing all the way to the bank.
- Jonathan Huffaker, 20; University of Tennessee, business major

The Mountain Press
August 15, 2005

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Of the 3,400 students who sell books for Southwestern every summer, about 800 are International students... "It has grown to the point where we have students from 57 different countries," said Southwestern spokesman Trey Campbell. "It really has caused us to become a global company."

Fresno Bee
August 6, 2005

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The article covers the explosive growth of Southwestern's International students and the opportunity now open to them through their participation in our summer selling program. "Each summer, scores of college students descend on Nashville to take part in Southwestern Co.'s legendary sales training program before fanning out across the country to sell the firm's books and educational materials directly to consumers".

The article appeared in USA Today (money section), The Jackson Sun (Jackson, TN) and the Salt Lake Tribune as well as other publications. The article was originally run in the Tennessean on June 13, entitled "Door-to-door sales embraces the world."

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"Southwestern Company Partners with Wildtree Herbs"
"Enthusiasm bubbles back and forth between the headquarters of The Southwestern Company and Wildtree Herbs. The two companies formed a partnership in August and have since experienced a more than 70 percent jump in sales and more than a 100 percent jump in recruiting for Wildtree."

Direct Selling News magazine, January 2005

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"In the Spirit: Highlighting Holiday Giving"
""We maintain charitable activities throughout the year. It is great to do the right thing around the holiday season, but it's even better to be a true corporate citizen and servant of the community year-round."

Direct Selling News magazine, January 2005

Can't Knock a Personal Sale at Door
"It's a lot of fun," says Mr. Lemon, 25 who lives most of the year in Charlottesville, VA. "I enjoy working." But then he added, "it's not really work. I spend most of the day sitting and talking to people."
Such is the appeal of door-to-door selling, a dwindling category in an otherwise booming industry called direct selling.

The Toledo Blade, July 2004

Working For a Living Door-to-door
"Some rookies will come in here all cocky thinking they can sell a thousand units and go home disappointed. If you just do this for the money you're going to get frustrated really quickly," Huber says. "I just tell myself if I can't sell a book, then at least I can leave people in a good mood."

The Kinston Free Press, June 2004

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Door-to-door Education
Nashville's Southwestern Co. offers students a chance to earn something more valuable than the money they make selling the company's products.

The Tennessean, June 2004

"At the Direct Selling Association’s (DSA) annual meeting in New Orleans on May 18, Jerry Heffel, president of The Southwestern Co. and a Brentwood resident, was honored with the Direct Selling Education Foundation’s Circle of Honor Award."

The Review Appeal, June 2004

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Visit Dave Ramsey online

"Take a high-rejection, high-paying summer sales job. There are countless stories of young people selling books or participating in similar programs to get through school. Some of these young guerilla-combat sales people get more of an education in the summer trenches than they do in marketing class."

The Total Money Makeover
by Dave Ramsey

Read the article here

Visit FRP online

FRP (Favorite Recipes Press), a sister company to The Southwestern Company, is one of the nation's best-known and respected cookbook companies. In this article that ran in the Tennessean on April 4, 2004, Dave Kempf, division vice-president talks about the history of FRP (co-founded by Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity), current and future growth trends of the cookbook market, "Cookbook University" and customer trends.

The Tennessean, April 2004

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Developing an inclusive work culture symbolic of diversity was a target that the Southwestern Company aimed at years ago. With strategies aimed at equipping college students with educational materials and selling techniques as well as entrepreneurial skills through training programs, the Southwestern Company has seen thousands of students bring a vast array of ideas and talents because of its broad reach.

Culture Magazine, 2004

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Courtesy of The American Legion Magazine

Between his freshman
and sophomore years at Texas
A&M, Brieden roomed with a
student by the name of Rick
Perry, now the governor of Texas. “We were in Missouri selling
Bible reference books door to
door,” he says. “Rick and I were
paired together. It taught us a lot.
You’ve got to get up and knock
on doors whether people buy from you or not, whether they’re
rude to you or not. To a certain
degree, our two careers came
from that summer.”

John Brieden,
National Commander of the American Legion

October 2003

Read the full article here{.pdf}

Courtesy of Job Postings Magazine

Ingrid Kuester remembers the first door she knocked on. "It was awkward - I was definitely out of my comfort zone," she says of her start selling textbooks door-to-door for Southwestern Company. "It was hard trying to build a rapport with a stranger, getting them to like me and my products." But Kuester persevered - she discussed the merits of her products with the family and walked away that morning with her first order. By the end of the summer, she had earned $22,000.

Job Postings Magazine, October 2003

"It's really exciting, almost like a college basketball game. You're learning all this information. I'd almost compare it to finals week."

Columbia Missourian - May 2003

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"Southwestern built institution by instilling strong work ethic."

The Tennessean, December 2002

This summer Williamson County is being visited by three very eager, highly motivated and very polite college students from Texas A&M University who are learning the road to success through experience. The young men are selling student handbooks and software published by Southwestern Publishing by going door to door. By summer’s end, they will have seen every road and knocked on almost every door in the county.

The Review Appeal, July 2002

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Courtesy of Job Postings Magazine

"Students that enter the workforce in the field of sales are not only in high demand, but are positioning themselves for very good income opportunities."
"If a person knows how to sell, then no matter what, they will have job. More and more students are buying into this philosophy and are jumping in with both feet to see what this sales thing is all about."

Job Postings Magazine, October 2001

Another popular option is the Southwestern Company.
"Students who join the program head to Nashville for a week of intensive sales training and then are sent off with one to three other students to another part of the country. Many find lodging with host families for the summer, who are often times program alumnae."
"The objective is to gain some independence and show a willingness to travel to another part of the country on their resumes…"

CNNfn - the financial network, May 2001

"Doorstop selling is the latest way to get a good degree, and potentially a great job. Impeccable sales patter combined with youthful business flair has turned out to be a lucrative formula for Southwestern…"

The Guardian, August 2000

"Door-to-door sales. Say, didn't they disappear about the same time as tail fins? Hardly. While it may be a dot-com world out there, plenty of college kids still make a buck via shoe leather and a smile."

Arizona Daily Star, July 2000

"Tennessee Sen. Marcha Blackburn and former U.S. Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, Mississippi Lt. Governor Ronnie Musgrove and Nashville real estate baron Ted Welch share a heritage that may well lay at the foundation of their professional success.
They all started their working lives as door-to-door salespeople for Southwestern/Great American Co. best known for a program that launches legions of college students into the free-enterprise system via book sales, this 144-year-old company has often reinvented itself while remaining true to its sales roots."

Nashville Business Journal, March 2000

"The Southwestern Company has won the Education for Life Award from the Direct Selling Association. The DSA's annual award is given to companies that invest in new ways to educate and train their sales forces and that promote personal growth and life skills in individuals. Jerry Heffel, Southwestern president, received the award last night at the DSA convention in San Diego. Nashville-based Southwestern each summer trains thousands of students from colleges across the United States, Canada and Europe to sell its books.

The Tennessean, Business Section - May 1999

Forbes, December 1997

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