The Sales History Podcast

Send us a textThere'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@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the showSupport the show

Send us a text“It is far better that the quota be right than that it be simple.” – 1926Something 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. (I will be doing another episode on quotas & variable compensation structures...today is just focused on an era of when quotas were set right!)@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Send us a textEvery "greatest sales book of all time" listing has its share of "snubs", or books that should be on it that aren't. Even worse...I have yet to find a list that hasn't snubbed an entire era!In this episode, I highlight six of many books from 1900-1930 that should be on the lists, but aren't. @saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Send us a textIn another case of a misguided Google result, it's time to set another record straight. What was the first "modern" sales methodology? What was it? Who developed it? And why did it serve as a baseline for so many companies throughout the early portion of the 1900s?@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Send us a textIt's sales kickoff season. Kickoffs, or what was called sales 'conventions", have been around for at least 130 years. Today, we dig into the first known kickoff that I could find, from 1887. We'll dig into what they did, lessons learned from those 100+ year-old kickoffs, and a modern view of how you can apply those to yours today.@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past@saleshistorian on Twitter - daily quotes, pics & comics from the pastThe Transparent Sales Leader - my newest book which includes a number of quotes and lessons from sales' past.The Transparency Sale - the first book, named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.Support the show

Sales forecasting has a rich history, revealing that many challenges faced today mirror those from a century ago. The discussion highlights how early sales processes centered on buyer behavior, unlike modern seller-focused methods. A critique of the AIDA model shows its potential to improve accuracy in forecasting by realigning focus on the buyer's journey. The talk encourages rethinking current CRM practices to foster sales performance by integrating this buyer-centric framework.

Send us a textA once admired profession, taught in colleges and high schools in the early 1900s, was detested by the 1960s. Why? And can we get our mojo back?In this episode, we explore a 1965 study on what makes a profession prestigious matched up against the profession of sales - and why at least one scholar believes we may never get back to once was both trusted and respected!The new book, The Transparent Sales Leader, is NOW AVAILABLE for pre-sale and will launch on July 5th. Chock full of takes and quotes from sales history, this book lays out a structure for sales leadership, optimized for science, and all on a bed of sincerity and transparency. Order now for Kindle and Paperback. https://www.amzn.com/B0B23DZHFR/Support the show

Send us a textSales objections - they've been around since the beginning of time. But the amazing thing is, they read almost EXACTLY as they do today. What's even more amazing? The experts answers to the most common ones that come up.In today's episode, we choose six - and the experts from 1907 to 1920s answers may actually be useful to you today! I also dig into a new way to think about objections - transparency style. Enjoy...Got feedback, or things you want me to research? Reach out directly at info@toddcaponi.com.Support the show

Send us a text"If the truth won't sell it, don't sell it." - the words of Arthur Dunn from 1919. In the early 20th century, the sales profession embraced a culture of honesty & transparency. In today's episode:We start with an amazing passage from Baltasar Gracian from his 1647 book, The Art of Worldly Wisdom. We explore the brilliant quotes and minds of that period as it relates to honesty in sales. Then, we put a bow on it by theorizing on why the sales profession sits at the bottom of Gallup's annual "Trusted Professions" list - and why honesty is the key to regaining our admiration.Follow daily sales history quotes @saleshistorian on both Instagram and Twitter.Check out www.toddcaponi.com for articles, the books, videos & his speaking & workshop programs.Support the show

Send us a textWith Ask Me Anything's (AMAs) being all the rage today, there was a similar outlet for salespeople...in 1906! Via Salesmanship Magazine, every month, salespeople from around the country were encouraged to send in their questions. Experts fielded those questions and provided their answers.In today's episode, we explore four "queries" from that year.1) A question about a sales pursuit and the associated expenses2) A question about prospecting - getting in, and what to say3) A job search question for an individual struggling to find a sales job in a new city4) A precarious situation where the answer is...you guessed it...TRANSPARENCY!@saleshistorianSupport the show