The 1926 Sales Dictionary: The Sales Terminology of 100 Years Ago

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In 1926, W.L. Barnhart began publishing something called the Salesman’s Dictionary in How to Sell magazine into 1927. Some of the terms are still familiar today. Others, like “swindle sheet,” “ginger letter,” “information clerk,” and “knights of the grip”, have disappeared completely. And a few, like “character analysis” and “phrenology”, are probably best gone away.

In this episode, I take you through some of the language used 100 years ago in the sales profession. What they used, what we’ve just renamed, and some great advice for the sales profession through the dictionary and terms themselves. Another example of how in many ways, sales hasn’t changed much at all.

For more, visit me at www.toddcaponi.com. Or, check out:

@saleshistorian on Instagram – quotes, pics & comics from the past (and can also be found @saleshistorian on X, too)

Four Levers Negotiating – Why do we change personalities at the goal-line of our deals – from building trust to lying – and from focusing on the customer’s outcomes to focusing only on our own? It’s no longer sustainable. The book lays out a simple way to build trust and add deal value, with many lessons from sales history throughout.

The Transparent Sales Leader – This revenue leadership book includes several quotes and lessons from past sales.

The Transparency Sale – the first book, (ironically) named one of the top 100 sales books of all time.