The Birth of a Salesperson

Author: Walter A. Friedman [USA]
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: From the book dealer who tried to push General Grant's memoirs to the pyramid strategy of John H. Patterson of NCR, and then to the foolproof sales pitch summarized by Ford and Chrysler for dealers, sales has transformed from an art into a science. This book focuses on the work of entrepreneurs or managers who are particularly fascinated by sales and those who have designed novel and effective sales strategies, rather than on salespeople themselves. It tells the stories of many "sales enthusiasts" from the American Civil War to the Great Depression in a rough chronological order, linking these stories to the rise of modern sales management. Each chapter provides an example of a typical sales type. These examples include: traveling salesmen selling General Grant's memoirs; traveling salesmen wholesaling hardware; large manufacturers like Singer Sewing Machine Company and Heinz beginning to manage sales; NCR forming a comprehensive management system; Carnegie Technical Institute developing various methods to analyze sales; Ford, General Motors, and Fuller Brush Company establishing customer marketing strategies. These examples also illustrate the growing scale of sales organizations and the increasing complexity of implementing sales strategies.