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根据有道词典，missionary selling可以翻译成推销式销售、传教士式销售，而前一个翻译被更广泛采纳。但是，只从中文翻译字面很难理解missionary selling到底是什么，第一个翻译其实有很大的误导作用。

Salesopedia网站对missionary selling的解释是：

   Missionary selling is the selling in which the salesperson's role is to inform an individual 
   with the power to influence others to buy a product, rather than to make a direct sale to 
   that person, a missionary salesperson is also known as a detailer.

意思是说，销售人员向一个人传递很多关于产品或者服务的信息，而这个人并不是购买该产品或服务的人，他却能影响其他人购买该产品或服务。

Answers网站对missionary selling的解释是：

   A missionary type of sales job involves convincing someone who has never used a product 
   to buy it. Selling financial planning or life insurance and other financial products typifies 
   the missionary sales job. The metaphor of a missionary involves educating someone about an 
   idea or concept and convincing them to have faith in that concept.

意思是说，说服一个从来没有购买过该产品的人来购买该产品。比如推销理财产品或者人寿保险。这涉及到用一个理念或者概念教育此人从而让他相信这个理念。

这两个解释有些不同，但是都强调向一个人传递信息、理念，像一个传教士一样。Chron网站用例子更详细地解释了Missionary Selling

   Missionary selling is a form of personal sales in which the salesperson provides information 
   to an individual who will influence the purchase decision. This is an indirect sales technique; 
   the goal is not to close a sale, but merely to get information into the hands of a key 
   decision-maker. Jobs in missionary sales are most common in technical, pharmaceutical and 
   textbook sales.

在技术、医药和教科书销售领域，传教士式销售方法很常见。

• 在技术领域，IBM和Xerox系统专家（Systems Specialists）是典型的传教士式销售员，技术专家和客户一起工作解决客户遇到的技术问题，在解决问题过程中，向客户传递能解决问题的相关产品的信息。
• 在医药领域，有个专门的词汇叫pharmaceutical detailing，根据必应词典，翻译成医药详述，也就是传教士式销售，销售员不是把药卖给医生，而是通过向医生传递详细的医药信息说服医生将药开给病人。
• 在教科书销售领域，购买者是学生，而教授决定学生买什么书。