Analyzing Mormon Missionaries

I've spoken with Mormon missionairies a couple times in my life. My first thoughts were "I don't want to be bothered" and "what are you selling?"

Certainly, I've been harassed, misled, and ripped off by salesman in my life, happy to offer me something. That was certainly gut reaction, combined with intense skepticism, in relation to Mormons.

It bothered me: why are these men using salesman tactics? Even if they are genuine, they've certainly been coached on how to sell, how to appear trustworthy and honest, friendly, etc. They use affinity tactics (acting friendly, well dressed), reciprocation (offering assistance, giving a gift), etc.

One must ask though - how else would they do it? Presumably salesman tactics exist because they work, humans really respond psychologically to certain behavior and signaling. So really, our problem (my problem) with salesman tactics aren't that they work, so much as that they are fraudulently mimicked and used by most salesman. That is, we hate it because we are being defrauded for the others gain. That certainly is how most people view Mormonism (Smith as conman).

Yet, the individual Mormon missionaries can't be conmen in that sense. There is absolutely no financial benefit from what they do. They must pay (or beg) large sums of money to go on missionary trips, delay education, delay marriage, and actually forfeit a large amount of money they could be earning (and Mormons do earn above average salaries, as posted previously). I don't think we should ignore the social pressure within Mormon communities for individuals to do missionary work, but we must acknowledge that missionaries must, to some degree, want to do what they're doing more than all the above.

That is, not only do they get no financial gain from converting you, they pay their own way and accept a large financial loss.

That is, despite first impressions, and having grown sick of salesman-type behavior, I must conclude the missionaries, as a whole, are entirely genuine and committed. They are not, personally, attempting to commit fraud.