People for the Ethical Treatment of Salespeople Organization Launched to Promote Human Rights for Sales Professionals; Membership Fees to Support Youth Education Program

    AUSTIN, Texas--Feb. 7, 2002--Sales Research & Consulting (SRC), a business development and leadership training, coaching, and consulting firm, has taken the lead in forming People for the Ethical Treatment of Salespeople(TM) (PETS). The PETS Project(TM) is a membership-driven organization designed to build awareness for the rights of salespeople, while raising funds for non-profit youth organizations.
    Salespeople are often treated poorly, lied to and hidden from, yet professional salespersons make up a large portion of our economy. Sales is a proud profession, with many respected and prominent leaders. In fact, every business professional is involved in selling their ideas, concepts, plans, products, and even themselves to a manager.
    "Sales professionals make up nearly 22 percent(1) of America's workforce and play a key role in the turn-around of our economy," said Alan Buhler, author of the Selling Safari series and president of Sales Research & Consulting. "People have grown accustomed to making jokes and treating salespeople poorly. Parents may not encourage their children to grow up to be sales professionals, but they are a vital part of our economy."
    Individuals interested in the PETS Project and becoming founding members of PETS can register at www.HugASalesperson.com. The site offers people a "Salesperson's Bill of Rights", an outlet to share best and worst sales experiences, links to sales support and coaching, and an easy way to contribute to a PETS designated charity. The $25 membership fee will be donated to The First Tee, a non-profit organization whose mission is to teach our nation's youth valuable life and business skills through a unique educational golf curriculum professionally developed by the Stanford Research Institute through a national grant provided by The First Tee of Greater Austin. Proceeds will be contributed toward the national life skills grant. More information on The First Tee of Greater Austin and the national life skills initiative can be found at www.firstteeaustin.org.
    The organization encourages salespeople to continue their hard work in the marketplace to keep our economy moving and generate revenue for their companies. PETS members will receive an official membership certificate, free silver membership to SRC's online consulting service at www.SalesResearch.net, and be eligible for prizes.
    "Without professionals to sell businesses products and services, the economy would stand still," added Buhler. "There are more than 13 million Americans who wake up each morning with the goal of helping their companies succeed through solid professional behavior. It is those sales professional that the PETS Project celebrates."

    About SRC

    Sales Research & Consulting is an Austin, Texas-based business development and leadership training, coaching, and consulting firm. The site, www.salesresearch.net, is a premier online coaching service offered to business professionals across the country and around the world. This site is designed to help professionals sell more products and services, and improves the overall sales process.

    (1) Source: The Benchmark Corporation, Austin, TX, 2001. www.thebenchmarkcompany.net