Have you ever had an idea, then found a book that was written in 1957 that already nailed it?
Ok - maybe not, but it’s amazing how far the sales profession has come in the past 70+ years, and at the same time, how far it hasn’t!
I've had a book on my shelf for years called The 5 Great Rules of Selling, written by Percy H. Whiting originally in 1947, then updated in 1957. Not sure where I got it, but it's a fun read!
You're going to love some of the quotes from the book listed out below - some sound insane to many of us. However, you'd be shocked that others were written over 70 years ago!
Two of the most pronounced changes since then are (a) how the world of selling was dominantly male at the time, and (b) how well-thought-out door-to-door selling techniques were - many of which sound a lot like today's techniques to get around caller ID and gatekeepers.
But the thing that struck me as being ingenious at the time is how the idea of leading with your flaws and embracing transparency was a known winner even back then!
Here’s a couple of quotes about transparency from the 72-year-old book that stand out:
Embracing transparency and leading with your flaws seems obvious, and clearly isn’t a revelation, as it builds trust, increases win rates, qualifies deals in faster, qualifies deals out faster, and makes it really hard for competitors to position against you. But now we know why (the brain science) and know that the path for our buyers to find it on their own is easier than every - and getting easier every day.
Enjoy the list below - which is a collection of quotes from throughout the book on all subjects from learning, door-to-door-selling, pitching, demonstrations and closing. Some I've captured because of how crazy they sound, but many for how they’ve withstood the test of time. Remember - these are from between 1947 - 1957!
Overall:
Door-to-door selling:
The pitch:
Demonstrations:
Closing:
Transparency
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