A (very) brief history of selling part 1

The USA is acknowledged as the birth place of sales, the exploits of book agents selling Ulysses S Grant's memoirs, John Patterson's revolutionary ideas at National Cash Register, Ford, Chevrolet and others are all well documented. However many of these men were amateurs - Ford failed at three businesses before doing alright with some motors. Others were first movers in a new space. Some of them were crooks, best illustrated by what they sold - lightning rods in the nineteenth century or by how much they sold and to whom - double glazing to old aged pensioners and financial instruments to unsuspecting members of the middle classes in the 20th century. Indeed the exploits of many of these sharks is probably why in a post-WWII survey of mothers asking what they hoped their "sons" would grow up to be, salesman was bottom of the list!

The term "Salesmanship" comes from the turn of the century, a neccesary result of mass production. Managers put together teams of well turned out, honest hard working salesmen who portrayed honesty and integrity instead of hustler or dodgy bloke to sell the results of efficient production lines. People became prospects; leads were generated, scripts were required, prospects homes became territories and closing was born.