Legendary vacuum cleaner salesman Oreck recounts career

Not many lectures on successful business tactics open with a
scene from "Casablanca," but David Oreck isn’t a typical
salesman.

By KAYLEY MENDENHALL Chronicle Staff Writer

The vacuum cleaner guru spoke to Montana State
University business students, faculty and members of the
business community Tuesday afternoon about the
importance of establishing brand recognition.

"Listen carefully to the words," Oreck told the crowd. "’A kiss
is still a kiss. A sigh is still a sigh. The fundamental things apply. As time goes by.’

"To build a brand, pay attention to the fundamentals," he said.

And he should know. Since 1963, he’s sold millions of the Oreck XL lightweight vacuum
cleaner around the world, simply by paying attention to what people want and need out of a
vacuum cleaner.

"He has had this fantastic career," Richard Semenik, dean of the MSU College of Business, said
in his introduction to the speech as part of the David B. Orser distinguished lecture series. "He is
a legend in marketing."

Like Dave Thomas of Wendy’s and Sam Walton of Wal-Mart, Oreck built a brand by putting his
name and his face on every advertisement — along with an 800 number and a Web address.
During a question-and-answer session with the audience Tuesday, one person wondered if
Oreck had invested too much of himself in the product.

"I believe when I die, someone will take over," he said. "I felt there was a namelessness and a
facelessness to business. And yet, we are all just people.

"If people have our product and they are dissatisfied, they call me," he said. "They won’t
always get me, but they always get an answer to their problem."

The Oreck XL was originally different than other vacuums because it weighs only 8 pounds.
Advisors told Oreck consumers equate heaviness with cleanliness and he should add some lead
to the product.

He disagreed.

"I decided to sell my 8-pound vacuum cleaner to places known to be clean, luxury hotels,"
Oreck said. "For the consumer, if the 8-pound Oreck XL is good enough for a hotel, it’s good
enough for her home."

The mostly full auditorium in Gaines Hall rocked with laughter as a younger David Oreck
appeared on screen with a bowling ball suspended above his head by only the suction of the
powerful Oreck XL in an old commercial.

The next commercial showed the Leaning Tower of Pisa sucked further to the side with vacuum
cleaner noise in the background.

"To build a brand you have to be a salesman," Oreck said. "To build a brand you have to
recognize ideas that bowl people over."

Greg Metzger, president of Montana Furniture Industries, asked Oreck if he has a certain
standard he follows when hiring his marketing crew.

"I think honesty is an important component in selling, or credibility, if you will," Oreck replied. "I
think credibility is a big issue in selling and in human relationships."

Kayley Mendenhall is at [email protected]

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