The Sales History Podcast

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We so often think about the telephone, or email, or the internet, or even AI as being periods of significant change for the sales profession. In today's episode, I want to take you through two underappreciated eras that literally flipped the sales profession completely upside down...and we don't even think about them.

In the early 1900s, it was the automobile that flipped the sales profession. In the 1950s, the rise of automation and technologies suddenly started mechanizing the sales force. 

At both times, like every other, it brought m...

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What would it have been like to sell during a depression, and specifically, the Great Depression? In this episode of The Sales History Podcast, I take you through it, starting with the boom and prosperity of 1926, then tracing the collapse into the darkest years of 1932–1933 and the uneven recovery that followed.

During the episode, I'll take you through what life actually was like, we'll go into some of the details around why (and how) salespeople were largely excluded from New Deal wage protections, and the advice Norval Hawkins gave businesses in 1931 th...

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In the category of foundation builders in the sales profession that you've got to know, there's Worthington C. Holman. He'd be my fourth on the Mount Rushmore of sales goats. Why? Holman taught an emerging sales profession how to write, and an emerging sales leadership profession how to inspire, through writing, many miles from their teams. He worked under John Patterson at NCR, was a prolific writer on sales and sales leadership, and created the "Ginger Talk".

But this isn't just a biography. His writing was next-level creative, hilarious, and I'm...

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In 1926, W.L. Barnhart began publishing something called the Salesman’s Dictionary in How to Sell magazine into 1927. Some of the terms are still familiar today. Others, like “swindle sheet,” “ginger letter,” “information clerk,” and “knights of the grip”, have disappeared completely. And a few, like “character analysis” and “phrenology”, are probably best gone away.

In this episode, I take you through some of the language used 100 years ago in the sales profession. What they used, what we’ve just renamed, and some great advice for the sales profession through the dictionary and terms the...

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In the 1950s and 1960s, aluminum siding salespeople, known as “Tin Men”, became infamous for some of the most creative and dishonest sales tactics in American history.

Bait-and-switch advertising. Fake “model home” discounts. Theatrical calls to nonexistent managers. Broken yardsticks. Phony guarantees, misleading financing, fake deadlines and “free” gifts that were neither free nor delivered. Some salespeople even refused to leave a homeowner’s kitchen until a contract was signed.

In this episode, I dig into the aluminum siding history and explore the real schemes that inspired the 1987 movie Tin Men, the g...

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A hundred years before many (including myself) thought women really entered sales offices in the 1980s, they were traveling America’s railroads, dirt roads, mining towns, and rural communities, selling books door to door. 

In this episode, I dug deep into the stories of the women who "carried a bag", literally, in the 1800s, confronting hardship, danger, sexism, and social stigma in pursuit of income, independence, and opportunity.

#womeninsales

For more, check out:

@saleshistorian on Instagram - quotes, pics & comics from the past (and can als...

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Benjamin Franklin is known as an inventor, printer, scientist, and Founding Father. In this episode, we look at him through a lens he rarely gets credit for - and I had no idea about: sales savant. Turns out, Franklin was a master persuader who sold ideas, institutions, French support for the American Revolution, and ultimately consensus around the U.S. Constitution. 

Through stories from his autobiography and things I dug up from 100+-year-old sales books and magazines, we explore Franklin’s sales philosophies that you can use today.

For mor...

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In 1908, Broadway audiences packed theaters to see The Traveling Salesman, a comedy built on something really familiar - the fact that nobody trusted salespeople.

In this episode, I take you through the play, exploring how the sales profession went from untrusted to trusted and back again, and what this old play can teach us about buyer skepticism, transparency, and reputation.

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@saleshistorian on Instagram - quotes, pics & comics from the past (and can also be found @saleshistorian on X, too)

Four Levers...

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The sales profession spent the early 1900s trying to shed the stereotype of the hard-drinking, back-slapping salesman. Then came Prohibition...and suddenly, and ironically, booze became more valuable to the sales profession than ever. 

This episode explores how scarcity transformed alcohol into a powerful relationship-building tool, why sales leaders were alarmed by the trend, and what their debate can still teach us about influence, ethics, and creating value over a century later. 

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@saleshistorian on Instagram - quotes, pics & comics from the past (and ca...

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Anxiety in negotiating is timeless. In this episode, I tell a story written in 1907 about a salesperson who lacked courage as it relates to delivering and negotiating price. It has so many lessons that are still so applicable today.

This 115+ year old problem matters more today than ever. Today, we're still treating negotiating like it's the peak of the selling engagement, versus the early milestone it truly is. We are taught to defend, explain, and concede, eroding trust right at the goal line instead of negotiating on a sound foundation that...

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Picture this. A sales conference featuring the then-sitting president of the United States as the keynote speaker. It happened in July of 1916. 

It wasn’t because the president had nothing going on that day, happened to be in town, and decided to swing by.  A world war was raging in Europe. What we now know as World War 1.

It was because Woodrow Wilson had an important message for the sales world that day. It was the United States' opportunity to establish itself as a world superpower…and it depended largel...

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This may sound crazy, but I truly believe that government legislation has had a larger impact on changing the sales profession than has technology or the proliferation of information available to buyers. 

Legislation changed things more significantly. Legislation changed things faster. 

The sales profession has consistently pushed the boundaries since the 19th century, driven by greed, and it is the government that has created the rules by which we've all had to play. In this episode, I take you through those significant pieces of legislation and how they immediately an...

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"The selling methods of any period grow out of the economic situation of the time." - H.K. Nixon, Principles of Selling, 1931

Looking back over the past 225 years, the prominent persona in the sales profession has moved from the Peddler to the Drummer to the Confidence Man, then swung back and forth between "high pressure" sales versus the true "service" salesperson. In this episode, we explore the personalities and personas since the early 1800s, understanding what drove those shifts, and how to think about the future required sales personas.

...

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In March of 2022, I released an episode of this podcast called "Using History To Predict - The Future of Sales", as we had been repeating the 1920s. Here we are over 3 1/2 years later, and so far, it's been right on! 

In an article I found from 1921, the writer describes in striking detail what was happening at the time, coupled with profound advice and guidance on how to prepare for what's to come.

In this episode, I walk you through the overlap, share paragraphs from the article, and help you p...

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You’ve heard about Abraham Lincoln. You’ve heard about Ulysses S. Grant. They’re credited with putting down the rebellion during the Civil War. But there was a forgotten sales master who may have been just as important. 

“If ever there should be a Salesmen’s Hall of Fame, one of the first pedestals must be reserved for Jay Cooke.” - Ads and Sales, Herbert Newton Casson, 1911

In this episode, we explore the story of the "first national sales campaign" and the story of the unsung hero who, without his g...

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We believe we know today the traits it takes to be a successful salesperson, but do we? In the early 1900s, while many of the thoughts were the same as today, there was some "off-limits" thinking as well. In this listener-inspired episode, I break down many of the ideas from a hundred years ago about sales hiring, including an exploration of the age-old introvert versus extrovert debate, and some of the wilder criteria.

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
The Transparent Sales Leader - The...

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In this, the 50th episode of The Sales History Podcast, I step into the role of prosecuting attorney to put one bold claim on trial: that the sales profession has changed dramatically in the past decade. My case? The evidence shows otherwise. Drawing on over 140 years of books, magazines, and other artifacts, I attempt to prove that the foundational principles of selling are the same today as they were over 100 years ago. Decide the verdict for yourself.

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
The Transparent...

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I got "lit up" by a social media troll...and it turns out, the troll was right! I was complaining about my seat on a plane; a metal tube traveling 500 mph 35,000 feet above the earth. Me, sitting comfortably in a cushiony chair sipping a Diet Coke and enjoying a Stroopwafel. 

Uncle Charlie Terry shared his travel stories from the 1800s...and (a) it made me realize what a wimp I was by complaining, but (b) opened my eyes to what traveling salespeople sacrificed and dealt with to make a living in t...

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Imagine: it's spring 1893. You're a salesperson for the National Cash Register Corporation (NCR). Your ultimate boss? Oh, it's just the founder of the modern sales profession...John H. Patterson. 

The person responsible for almost everything about sales today, back in the 1890s, wrote a newsletter to his salespeople across the country on a regular basis. In this episode, we explore some of the thoughts, tips, and rules for the NCR team.

Trust me - they're amazing, and still applicable today.

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Is AI coming for the sales profession? Will "everything change"? Turns out, history can help us predict the future of the sales profession in the face of the rise of AI.

Because, as I read all of the commentary, they mostly all say the same thing…
…the same thing as was said throughout history every time there was either (a) a significant shift in the world of business, or (b) a significant downturn.

In this episode, I attempt to answer the question, "Will AI kill the sales profession? What...

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What would it be like to be a salesperson during a World War? Well, it's happened twice, and in this episode, we explore the lens by which salespeople were asked to do their jobs during World War I. 

It's an incredible example of selling with a higher purpose beyond just hitting a quota and receiving a commission check...

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
The Transparent Sales Leader - The book on revenue leadership includes several quotes and lessons from past sales.
T...

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In the January 1918 edition of Business Philosopher Magazine, a story by William W. Woodbridge was printed. It's the story of a down-and-out salesperson, John Bradford, who essentially fired himself! 

It’s a story of getting right with yourself. I fell in love with it, and wanted to share it with you.

"Bradford, you're fired!"

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
@saleshistorian on X - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
The Transparent Sales Leader - The book on revenue lea...

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The beginnings of the modern sales profession (1890-1920) were associated with trust, respect, and even admiration. 100 years later, the sales profession sits at the bottom of Gallup's annual listings of ethical professions...along with politicians.

What happened? Where did it all go wrong?

I put my finger on it. In this episode, I diagnose the specific period where it all went bad, explore the many justifications and debates around high-pressure versus low-pressure selling, and why we may still have hope to return to those trusted roots.

@saleshistorian...

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Some individuals from sales history moved mountains - and nobody knows about them today! This time, I wanted to highlight one from the 1970s & 1980s - Barbara Pletcher. She noticed a void in the development of women for the boardroom, and it started with sales skills.

I found her story really compelling. The way she thought about raising the bar for all is brilliant. Here's her story...

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
@saleshistorian on X - daily quotes, pics & comics from the...

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The way we live today wasn't defined just via the invention itself. Things like the steam engine, telegraph, reaper, highways, the telephone, the automobile...and just about every other revolutionary advancement was met with extreme skepticism. They all HAD TO BE SOLD.  The incredible inventors had to be ingenious salespeople, too.

Here are their stories. 

In this episode, which I really enjoyed researching, I take you through the stories of so many things we just assume have always been around - and must have sold themselves...but di...

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The early 1900s were made up of the foundation layers for our great profession. Incredible ideas. Great Writing. Things we all use still today.

 However, there were a few odd ideas out there, too.

Here’s a collection of ten of those odd quotes on everything from bowel movements, your thyroid, and your ability to fight that made up these fine individuals’ thoughts around what led to success in sales.

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
@saleshistorian on X - daily quote...

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This episode dissects prospecting from 50 to 120 years ago...discussing five key elements:
1) The origins of the word "prospecting" as it relates to sales
2) The mindset - quality prospecting over simply focusing on metrics and scale
3) Metrics and prospecting quotes - the counterpoint of above in terms of working backwards to determine how many prospects you have to reach out to to hit your numbers
4) The use of the telephone in prospecting - some initial thoughts on multi-channel versus a reliance on the tool
5) Data around the number of...

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We've heard it all before - the "death of" this, and the "demise of" that as it relates to the sales profession. Everything is dead, right? Well, like so many other sales-related things, this concept isn't new, either. Experts have been casting the profession and its elements to the grave since the early 1900s. 

In today's episode, I share multiple times when the sales profession was theoretically on its deathbed - and why it not only survived but thrived. I also take you through why things that work, specifically the "service m...

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Let’s explore sales discounting…it’s history, commentary, and why we haven’t been able to break this terrible habit. It's a problem that's as prominent and as recognized today as it was in the early 1900s. 

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
The Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes several quotes and lessons from sales' past.
The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 1...

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In 1937, Paul W. Ivey released a second edition of his book, Salesmanship Applied. Chapter 6 is one of my favorites from my collection of books from 75+ years ago. Want to be the best version of you? Instead of recreating the wheel on these ideas, let’s turn the clock back 87 years.

We spend so much time on sales methodologies and techniques to be better - but how about building up the value in ourselves?  Ivey nails it with these ten...

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Sales - the most brilliant minds in the profession view our responsibility as "selling ideas'. Those brilliant minds date back to the 1600s and Sir Francis Bacon, the late 1700s and Benjamin Franklin, and many more throughout the 1900s.

In today's episode, we'll explore the advice from Bacon, Franklin, and a couple of amazing thought leaders on selling from the 1950s - how logic polarizes an audience, along with how to think differently about your approach.

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
@saleshistorian...

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Our version of sales recruiting, sales training, dedicated territories, quotas, salary + variable compensation plans, even sales kickoffs all began between 1890-1920.  The process designs, compensation strategies, and almost all of the selling methodologies are based on this foundational approach - which, for the most part, I’d argue has been correct. Sure, people argued for change, but the core has been the core.

In today's episode, I take you through the "why", inject some wisdom from the great Arthur Sheldon, and take you to an exploration of why we may need to...

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Salesman's "Creeds" - There was a concept that started popping up around 1905, spreading to individual companies, industries, and eventually to entire cities by the 1910s. Established to change the perception of the sales profession. these "creeds" defined a core set of beliefs every salesperson should have in taking goods to market.

In this episode, we'll talk through what these creeds were, why they were developed, how they were used, and how the concept is suddenly springing up again today.

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It's the story for so many - great at selling, promoted into leadership without training or a holistic understanding of what the role actually is. 

In today's episode, I share a parable written by Worthington C. Holman in 1909 about a medieval military leader named Dunderblitzen Von Shoosh. I loved this story so much, I had to share it...along with lessons for today.

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
The Transparent S...

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I went digging...into the origins of email as a communication medium. Along the way, I found a ton of really interesting timeline milestones that are amazing, interesting, and in some cases pretty funny.

So, in this episode, we explore those milestones - from invention to the CAN-SPAM act, and how we really haven't fixed a whole lot along the way.

Here's the article I reference - with a full timeline with resources, links & pictures: https://toddcaponi.com/history-of-email-in-sales-and-marketing/
@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from...

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Sales compensation plans - where did they come from? How did they evolve to where they are today? Are there lessons we can learn from their origins we can apply today to make our plans more of what they are meant to be?

In today's episode, I take you back as far as 1914 to learn about the types of quotas, the mistakes they acknowledged in 1918, and the lessons from the 1920s about compensation plan design that are possible things to consider even today.

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes...

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Can you imagine - a profession so deplorable that those in it were rounded up and murdered? As crazy as it sounds, I found that it actually happened during the Roman Empire B.C.

In an incredible find, I uncovered a sales history well over 2,000 years old where money was prioritized over virtue - in a way we still see today. In today's episode, I tell the story, with quotes from the great philosophers and poets from the final two centuries B.C.

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes...

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If sales has changed so much, why haven't the #salestips? Reading a collection of the top sales tips in 1913 - and I swear I was reading a collection of the top sales tips today. There's no conflict...at all.

What's presented as revelation today on all of the socials are fundamentally the same through the eras of selling, so in today's episode, I share them. Worthington C. Holman's 9 things a successful salesperson must do, from System Magazine's February of 1913 edition.

And given that Holman was an artist with his...

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There's a direct correlation between the difficulty of the selling environment and the need for optimized sales management. There was a lag between the modernization of sales and the modernization of sales management. In this episode, we track that evolution...from the 1900s through after the lesser-known depression of the early 1920s. 

The amazing thing - the lessons they learned 100 years ago, we still often ignore today. Let's dig in...

@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past
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“It is far better that the quota be right than that it be simple.” – 1926

Something odd struck me as I was investigating the origins of quotas and variable compensation. 75-100 years ago, organizations did MUCH MORE with MUCH LESS data. Today, not sure anyone could claim that quota setting is in a good state - and I think I know why.

In this episode, we explore how quotas were set back then...much more correctly...and why there's a very real way for us to fix it today...