The Evolution of Sales Tools
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The Evolution of Sales Tools
At Drift, we're constantly thinking about the future of sales.
But in order to prepare for the future, we need to understand the past.
We need to understand how the salesperson's tool set has been evolving over the years.
So let’s travel back in time and take a look at some of the major milestones in sales technology.
The Megaphone
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Back in the day, “sales & marketing” meant announcing what goods you had for sale. With the invention of the megaphone in the 1600s, salespeople gained a louder voice.
Advertising
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With the arrival of the first newspaper advertisement in 1704, salespeople no longer needed to rely solely on shouting in order to get their messages across.
The Doorbell
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Ding-dong! (door opens) “Hello there, have you heard about this amazing new product ...” The invention of the electric doorbell in 1831 made it easier for door-to-door salespeople to get our attention.
The Telegraph
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Patented in 1837 by Samuel Morse, the telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication. In 1864, a dentist used it to send unsolicited, promotional telegrams—history’s first spam.
Direct Mail
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Today, the direct mail industry brings in around $12 billion in revenue each year. But it all started with Aaron Montgomery Ward, who produced the world’s first mail-order catalog in 1872.
The Telephone
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For more than a century, the telephone has been a salesperson’s best friend. It was patented in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell. (The hands-free headsets came later.)
Content
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In 1895, John Deere launched the first-ever brand magazine, The Furrow. Today, salespeople the world over use branded content as a way to educate and win over customers.
The Rolodex
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Invented by Danish engineer Hildaur Neilsen in 1956, the Rolodex was instrumental in helping salespeople stay organized in the pre-CRM days.
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The first email was sent in 1971. The first spam email was sent just 7 years later. Today, email is an important tool in a salesperson’s tool belt. However, a new technology—1:1 messaging—is beginning to replace it ...
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CRM Software
In 1986, the first customer relationship management software application, ACT!, was released, forever changing how salespeople keep track of customer data.
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1:1 Messaging
Meet the modern salesperson’s best friend: 1:1 messaging software. Originally developed in the 1990s, a new wave of 1:1 messaging software is now sweeping the globe.
For billions of people around the world, 1:1 messaging is now their preferred mode of communication. And 9 out of 10 consumers want to be able to use messaging to talk to businesses today.
Has your sales team adapted?
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