The History Of Sales Methodologies

Selling Method	Period	Underlying Philosophy	Authorities / Developers / Investors / Notable People	Key Characteristics of Salespeople at the Time
Snake Oil Selling	1800’s	Exaggerate and misrepresent to get the business	Former peddlers Commercial travellers	Had the “gift of the gab” – glib presenters	Sounded authoritative Controlled the sale	Customers needed them for information They were the “experts”
Pyramid Selling	1886	Identify key decision makers. Use to introduce to other prospects	Patterson – NCR	Well dressed Professional presentation	Better informed More knowledgeable than customers	Controlled the sale Introduced new ideas to customers Manipulates customers
Trust Based Selling	1916	Improve professional image by building trust	DM Barrett / Patterson World Sales Congress	Professionally trained	More knowledgeable than customers	Verbally agile Controlled the sale
Scientific Selling	1916	Use phrenology to identify prime prospects	World Sales Congress Phrenologists	Trained to keep eye contact and study the forehead of buyers	Used their knowledge to bludgeon buyers	Took early control of the call and directed the sales interaction
Mood Selling	1920’s	Use emotion to persuade customers to buy	American Bible Society Insurance companies	Used emotional “blackmail” to persuade prospects	Employed tricks such as having their children with them	Relied on the goodwill of people to buy their product
The Fuller Brush Men	1920	Focus on people, helping the sales teams	The Fuller Brush Company	Kind, courteous, helpful	Open with a gift	Demonstrations are key
Psychological Selling	1930	Learn to understand what makes buyers tick	Dale Carnegie Ford Motor Company	Used pseudo psychological jargon to confuse buyers	Used the sales interaction to direct prospects’ perceptions	Controlled the entire interaction Seldom introduced anything new
Barrier Selling	1930’s	Get prospects to say ‘yes’ often enough to be trapped	Peter J Wosh	Used leading questions to trap and embarrass buyers into agreeing	Used to use heavy shoes in order to stop door from being closed on them	Manipulative style of selling gave salespeople total control
SELL	1940- 1950	Tell-Sell process leading customer to a commitment	Retail industry in the USA	Seldom allowed customers to give detailed thought to what was being said	Overwhelmed customers with information	Took control of the sale
ADAPT	1940- 1950	Develop some pseudo technical jargon to keep buyers intrigued	Unknown	Used jargon to confuse buyers and then came to their rescue with explanations	Controlled the sale Follows own instinct No firm guidelines	Always discussed things customers were familiar with Never introduced new concepts
ARC	1940- 1950	Cross and up selling in retail	Richard S Tedlow	same as above.	same as above.	same as above.
Formula / AIDA Selling	1950’s	Use the same, fixed approach to get Attention, Interest, Desire and Action	Unknown	Canned presentation Customers told, not sold to	Salespeople had in depth knowledge of the product Kept customers at arm’s length	All customers treated the same Had a large compendium of ways to handle objections – an answer for everything
Needs Satisfaction Selling	1968	7 step process to uncover needs and introduce benefits	Don Hamalian Xerox Corporation	Allowed customers to have some control of the sale Understands the customer’s business	First time ever customers partnered with sales to discuss what they wanted	Salespeople knew where they were taking the sale – customers did not know what was taking place
Strategic Selling	1970’s	Use fixed planning process to highlight danger areas and penetrate decision-making process	Miller Heiman	Salespeople had and used their in-depth knowledge of the product and the customer’s market	Penetration of the customer’s business pre-planned Detail oriented	Salespeople trained to plan for the close and to harness support across the company
Consultative Selling	1980’s	Use in-depth questioning techniques to understand customer pain and then consult by helping buyer see impact for themselves	Neil Rackham	Salespeople well trained to conduct effective analysis of the customer’s business requirements Understands the customer’s business	Use of probing skills to help buyers understand the implications of a proposed product	Customers and salespeople shared control in order to find a solution
Relationship Selling	1990’s	Develop strong trust-based relationships to encourage buyers to make a commitment	Mike Bosworth	Willing to do more than is needed to satisfy customers	Becomes an advocate for the buyer in the sales organisation – often challenges his own company	Same sales skills and methods used as in 1968
Solutions Selling	2000	Work with customers to develop a mutual understanding of the solutions that would be a best fit	Unknown	Self assured and confident Detail oriented Understands the customer’s business	Wants to work with buyer Shared control of the sale Negotiates a win:win outcome	Overcomes any conflict between best fit solution and selling the products / services of the company
Challenger Sale	2011	Challenge customers to think differently while controlling the sales process.	The Corporate Executive Board	Has a different view of issues Understands the customer’s business	Prepared to debate and challenge customers Introduces new ideas Manipulates customers (1886 methodology)	Tries to control the sale Uses knowledge to manipulate customers
Selling Better	2017+	Ethical and human-centred, underpinned by a practical sales philosophy	Selling Better Movement (Barrett Consulting Group)	Ethical, helpful, community and environmental aware	Business people who can sell	Views selling as the vehicle that allows people to prosper