Selling With Purpose – Selling During World War I

When we do anything with purpose, we tend to do it better. We find another gear. We’re more precise. We bring more enthusiasm and energy to the task at hand. 

Whether or not you are a fan of ice hockey, in February of 2025, the National Hockey League took a break from the season and hosted an exhibition tournament. Called the 4 Nations, this mini tournament put country versus country.

While these professional hockey players are all paid to play during the season, the passion resulting from this pursuit of winning for their country took the sport to an entire new level. During the first game between the United States and Canada, there were three fights in the first nine seconds. The speed and energy was incredible. While the United States won that game, when the two met in the finals, Canada ended up taking the crown.

In the world of sales, there was a similar circumstance that took place in 1917. Salespeople selling for their country did things the right way. They sold with purpose, energy, and a calling beyond just their paycheck.

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In July of 1916, the sales world held its first significant convention. Taking place in Detroit, Michigan, over 3,000 salespeople attended the first World Sales Congress. As an example of its significance, the opening keynote speaker was none other than Woodrow Wilson. Part of the way through his first term in office, Wilson’s keynote focused on the importance of salespeople to the overall economy of the country. The theme of both his keynote and the conference itself was encompassed in a single word; service.

1916 also represented a time when Europe was falling into what would become World War I. The fighting began in 1914, grew through 1916, and in early 1917, the United States stepped into an active role in the war. In April of 1917, the United States officially declared war against Germany. Along with the declaration, Woodrow Wilson asked for “universal concentration upon preparation for war”. 

His message to the American people was, “Let us unite for service”. 

For the sales community, what did “prepare for war” mean? What role could sales professionals play in helping the country ready for battle? 

Leading up to the April 1917 declaration of war, tactically, the sales community had been focused on their own enablement. The World Sales Congress had been planning for its second convention to take place once again in Detroit, Michigan, in June of 1917.

The question being asked was, “Should we still have the convention?” 

Woodrow Wilson himself made the decision. His answer was “Yes”.

D.M. Barrett wrote in the May, 1917 edition of Salesmanship Magazine,

“Some will go into the war with muskets, some with airplanes, some with boats and some with bandages. Call this the line of attack. Others will go into the war with hoes, and flails and teams of oxen. Call this the line of support. Still others will go into the war with pens and traveling bags and adding machines and cash registers. Call this line the bulwark of both attack and support. The components of the three lines may interchange, going back and forth, but the lines themselves must remain. They are interdependent.

“There must be the man to fight, and the man to feed the man who fights, and finally the man who compensates the feeder of the man who fights. Soldier, farmer and salesman form the only trio which can triumph in the test to which we are put.”

Our military prepared to fight.

By “feed the man who fights”, Barrett was referring to the equipment, tools, supplies, machines, ingredients, and everything else that must be readied for the fighting. 

By “compensates the feeder of the man who fights”, Barrett speaks of helping those organizations who are providing the supplies do so with the right products and solutions, sold at the right price with the right expectations set, delivered as promised. Salespeople helping manufacturers understand what’s possible, make the right decisions to aid in their effort, with the salespeople’s own commissions and quotes far in the back seat. 

It required a higher level of trustworthiness, selflessness, and service from the sales professionals.

Salespeople served instead of sold. The country respected the profession, trusted the professionals in it, and admired those who helped the feeders of the man who fights.

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On Sunday, June 10th, 1917, at 9:30 am at the Arcadia Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan, the second annual session of the World Salesmanship Congress kicked off. The orchestra played, the invocation was given by Reverend Joseph A. Vance, the national anthem was sung by all participants, and the WSC President Norval A. Hawkins gave the opening address of welcome.

“Ladies and Gentlemen: – or better, Fellow Salesmen: – I am mighty glad to see you. Despite the war, with all its horrors and sadness, I am happy at this moment when I meet you and we think together of what we are doing and can do among ourselves in our common and universal Service for Better Salesmanship.”

Hawkins added,

“You are all soldiers of the daily fight – the fight to meet each day and win it; but your enlistment is for a lifetime – not for a short term. You cannot come back from service in the world field, after a year or two, and wear the hero’s laurel for the rest of your life. The public waves no flags, and erects no monuments for you. Yet in this great crisis of civilization your services are as vital to America and the Allies as the services of the men in the trenches, and the professional men and women serving with the Red Cross. The commander-in-chief of our army and navy, the President of the United States himself, recognizing the vital necessity of an organized army of salesmen to develop the “sinews of war”, has especially sanctioned this second meeting our Congress, and our motto is thus entailed, for our SERVICE now, more than ever, is to our country.

“Without you salesmen and saleswomen, the efforts of the men in the trenches will be futile. The business of America is the very lifeblood of civilization. If we let American business become sluggish, the life supply of the men who face the bullets will be cut off.”

Hawkins went on to talk of the magnitude of the war, and how “Germany, I understand, has already borrowed nearly twenty-five percent of her total wealth.” He added that “business in the United States must go on as usual, and we salesmen must do our big share to keep it going.”

The featured keynote speaker at this second convention was not the President of the United States as it had been the previous year. This time it was Charles M. Schwab.

His message was the same. “If the privilege of going to the front by reason of age has been denied to most of us, the privilege of serving our country at home in industry, in food and in money, will still come to each of us, and your credit and reward in the years to come will be equal with all classes of people.” 

World War I came to an end on November 11th, 1918, as Germany signed the Armistice at Compiègne. The sales world began to look different following the war, but for a time, the profession was considered a trustworthy, respectful, and even admired focus.

What may be my favorite sentence from Norval A. Hawkins opening address was this:

“In the service of salesmanship you unite for the permanent betterment of humanity.”

While spoken during a time of war, and a need for national unity, if we really take a step back and think about what the sales profession means, could this sentence not still apply?

We know who we’re selling TO. But what are we working FOR? I believe that when we embrace the idea that our work matters more than just our paycheck, our quota attainment, and the sustainability of the company we work for, all ships rise.

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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.

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