Are Top Salespersons Born or Trained?

Every once in a while, this nature versus nurture question will pop up.

Most of the time, the heated discussions often are merely "talk male-chicken" in nature, with no consequences to your daily lives.

You know what? 

I was asked this question in a job interview when I was 25.

Its for a recruiter position at a global insurance giant.

What's a recruiter? 

Its to recruit, train, and coach insurance snake-oils to sell for the agency. Its a shepherd position. Wink.

Sitting across the desk is the interviewer. Young man in his late 20s.He is the typical Teochew "pui nei nei" (chubby), fair and educated looking type.  

Behind him sits a "chow ah beng" (face you like to punch) looking man in his 40s. Dark like 非洲华侨 (African). Oily face full of craters like the moon. Very rude. The whole time reading his notes. Ignored me. I am guessing he is the boss of the agency.


The "pui nei nei" interviewer asks, "Are salesmen born or trained?"

"They are born," I replied with a straight face.

The "chow ah beng" boss finally stops his reading, looks up at me. I've got his attention.

The interviewer turned back to his boss with an expectant look that tells me I must be the only one who gave them a different answer. Great! Half the battle won...

"Why? And what's the point of us recruiting you then?" The interviewer continued.

"An unpolished diamond looks exactly like an unpolished glass bead.

Training is the act of polishing the stones. 

A polished glass bead will outshine an unpolished diamond.

But no matter how much I polish any glass beads, they will never outsparkle a polished diamond!"

How?

Do you think I got the job?