The Salesman

"The Salesman" by Waldo T. Boyd is a short science fiction story set in a futuristic department store filled with humanoid robots called "Roboids." The story follows Trevor Anson, a salesman at Tracy's Roboid Department Store, as he attempts to sell a Roboid to a skeptical couple. Anson tries hard to follow his sales guide, but "Red-tie" and his wife, Millicent, question the Roboid's safety and usefulness. Despite Anson's best efforts to highlight the Roboid, the couple leaves without buying it. Anson then goes back to his usual routine, showing the everyday challenges of sales in a world filled with advanced technology.