The Sales History Podcast
Welcome to The Sales History Podcast, the show that uncovers the forgotten stories, ideas, pioneers, and moments that shaped the sales profession and what they can teach us about selling, leading, and earning trust today.
The show is hosted by three-time award-winning author of The Transparency Sale, The Transparent Sales Leader, and Four Levers Negotiating, who has earned the Certified Speaking Professional keynote speaker designation, is a go-to-market sales trainer, and a sales nerd, Todd Caponi.
The Sales History Podcast
225 Years of Evolving Sales Personas
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
"The selling methods of any period grow out of the economic situation of the time." - H.K. Nixon, Principles of Selling, 1931
Looking back over the past 225 years, the prominent persona in the sales profession has moved from the Peddler to the Drummer to the Confidence Man, then swung back and forth between "high pressure" sales versus the true "service" salesperson. In this episode, we explore the personalities and personas since the early 1800s, understanding what drove those shifts, and how to think about the future required sales personas.
@saleshistorian on Instagram - daily quotes, pics & comics from the past (and can also be found @saleshistorian on X, too)
The Transparent Sales Leader - The book on revenue leadership 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.
COMING IN JANUARY OF 2026 - Four Levers Negotiating - chock full of history quotes, too...pre-order now.
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