I agree with you David,but Ron says "anyone''.You differentiate by saying if the Hiring process is done well.It sounds like splitting hairs but" anyone "means taking any unmotivated ,not too bright,not good with people,no fire in their belly shlub,and molding them into a productive professional sales person.I dont think it can be done. If you were not "born" with,or have the desire ,intelligence and inner motivation deep inside you which many people don't.Now by weeding out the dead wood(many of the "anybodys") through the hiring process,and finding a bright,motivated ,good personality person who has never been in sales or who has never been taught the proper way to sell, that person ,with the proper training and desire can be trained to be a productive salesperson.But as we all know,that person is not "anyone".I find this subject interesting also,so please don't take this the wrong way.I have been in sales,and a sales trainer also(automobiles,insurance,restaurant equipment,and have owned a couple of restaurants and small Trucking companies).I have also been a personnel supervisor in charge of human resources and hiring for a major hub for UPS,and have interviewed thousands of people for all diffferent positions.Sometimes people can fool you,and you hire someone who you think is going to be great,and they are all talk,and sometimes you need to put an ass in a seat and give someone a shot who you normally would not hire and they turn out to be a superstar who exceed your wildest expectations of them and have abilities in them that you did not realize they had,and a fire in their belly ,ready to burn if given the proper chance.I have seen this on a few occasions.I just take issue with the term "anybody",because if taken literally,just anybody,I don't think is correct.I have seen some people given great training,patience,motivation and many chances to succeed and be dismal failures,because it really was not in them in the first place to be a salesperson.