In order to convince “Helen Housewife” that the suction sweeper would not remove the nap from her rugs, the company began to make connections with salesmen at department stores around the country. They would send a sweeper to the store so the salesman could demonstrate that it was safe on carpets. If the salesman wanted to, he was given the opportunity to become a Hoover agent. Thus, the “Hoover Man” began to appear and be listed in the directory of higher end department stores (Basner 166).