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Survivial Stategies in the 2009 Economy
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Posted On 03/27/2009 23:33:48 by MilesCobbett

Opportunity Lessons from the Great Depression?

 

 

J. Douglas Edwards went looking for work in the bottom of the Great Depression and took the only kind of work he could find---Sales Work!

 

His first job was with a traveling sales crew. The system was easy to understand.  

 

"If you didn't sell that day, you didn't eat that day," said Douglas.  He sold personal stationery to school teachers and secretaries. They, the teachers and secretaries, were making about four dollars a week and the stationery was valued at $ 3.75.

 

"That was a tough sell!" he reported. "We closed sales because it was the only way we could survive."

 

Eventually Douglas met a fellow who asked him if he knew everything he needed to know about sales and Douglas had enough sense to admit that he didn't. He got involved for the first time with a formal sales presentation in a situation that forced him to learn how to sell. In three months, Douglas was a marketing executive with that firm, and then J. Edward Douglas had the good fortune to meet a man named Bob Barber. Barber was a sales genius, a super pro, and Douglas said, "I owe my foundation in the profession of selling to him."

 

 

J. Edward Douglas went on to a very distinguished career in sales,  sales training, and sales consulting, and eventually retired a wealthy man.

 

 

Notes from: How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins

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Tags: Earning Money Jobs Careers Opportunity






Viewing 1 - 2 out of 2 Comments

03/28/2009 00:40:16
From: Grapevine
Interesting story Miles, it reminds me of a friend of mine. Gabe started out in Great Falls Montana in the late 50's trying to make a living in sales; he detailed cars and fixed them up one at a time trying to sell them, this was at the age of 16. He later was introduced to a man that owned the local auction house. He ended up going to work for him on the floor of the auction. Gabe asked this gentleman to teach him to sell almost daily, finally this guy relented and told him that he would under one condition. If Gabe would show enough commitment to sell one thing every day for a year, no matter how small it was, a pencil, comb, pocket knife. Then he would teach him how to sell. Gabe said he was all over it, everyday he worked his butt off to make sure he sold one thing. Finally the year had passed and he realized he knew how to sell. The old boy had tricked him into learning how to sell the only way you can learn. By doing it.

03/27/2009 23:36:59
From: MilesCobbett
"I seen my opportunities and I took 'em."          Mark Twain

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