Do We Need Salespeople? 

“Salesmen are an economic waste in industry, and, therefore, as such, should be eliminated.” – Herbert Hoover, 1923

Herbert Hoover

While serving as the United States Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover believed that salespeople were an unnecessary expense. As it turns out Hoover’s perspectives on economics didn’t age very well. Nine years after this quote, Hoover became President of the United States. His tenure ran from 1929-1933, where he presided over the first four years of the worst economic depression the United States has ever encountered…The Great Depression.

What he also got wrong? The sales profession flourished. 

Why would he say such a thing? And how did the profession survive?

One could say his perspective wasn’t far off from what many were thinking in early 1923. Salespeople were doing more harm than good, so why bear the expense? 

– – –

Our economy had undergone rapid growth – where production couldn’t keep up with demand. Following World War 1, which had pent up demand, manufacturers couldn’t keep up with the desire for all the new fangled goods being produced and within reach. As a result, selling was easy. Salespeople just showed up. “What do you need today?” They’d take the customers’ orders, and similar to The Great Resignation period from late 2021 into 2022, salespeople changed from job to job with relative ease.

Salespeople stopped adding value.

When the boom ended, and production exceeded demand, salespeople forgot how to add value. Many were let go during The Great Salesperson Purge. 

An economic depression occurred in 1920 & 1921, one that is often referred to as The Forgotten Depression because of how it paled to The Great Depression of 1929-1939. For the salespeople who were able to keep their jobs, the desperation of the manufacturers rolled down to the salespeople, who then placed it upon their customers. 

Salespeople shifted to high pressure.

To put it simply, salespeople either (a) weren’t adding value, or (b) were no longer invited. Who could blame anyone from believing that the sales professional’s job was no longer needed, with these two categories as the perception? 

Thank goodness there was a third type of salesperson. Not the order taker. Not the slimy high-pressurer. It was the sales professional who served instead of sold. It was the one that embraced the original design of the profession.

The foundation of the sales profession has always been on service. Arthur Sheldon’s definition is my favorite, from his 1911 book, The Art of Selling.

“…true salesmanship is the science of service. Grasp that thought firmly and never let go.” 

As well as in 1920, in the first book of Salesmanship called The Salesman and His Job, Arthur H. Myer proclaimed that sales was the keystone of business, and went on to share this quote:

“Service is the fundamental keynote of all selling. Profits and salary or commissions are but by-products of service.”

The mentality of SERVICE was the seed. That seed not only caused the profession to survive but is why we’re still talking about the profession 100+ years later.

Service. 

Your customers have access to more options and more information than ever before, and that access is only growing. As it turns out, more information hasn’t made life easier on those customers, it has made it harder. If you really want to be an asset, to stand out, and to thrive, view your role through that lens – do the homework for the buyer. Present the pros and the cons for them. Do all things through the lens of transparency and service, and you’ll always be wanted. 

I’m a sales keynote speaker who also teaches revenue organizations how to leverage transparency and decision science to maximize their revenue capacity. It’s what I do…teach sellers, their leaders, well…entire revenue organizations how we as human beings make decisions, then how to use that knowledge for good (not evil) in their messaging (informal and formal), negotiations, and revenue leadership. I wrote a book Book Authority listed as the 6th best sales book of all time (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦), and a second award-winning book (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳).

Reach out if you want to discuss The Transparency Sale sales methodology, or really…anything else (sales kickoffs, workshops, keynotes, the economy, history, etc.)! Email info@toddcaponi.com or call 847-999-0420.

Sign up for the newsletter for more of my nonsense in your inbox every other week, with some sales history sprinkled on top…Sign Up – The Transparent Newsletter