Social Selling Has A History Much Further Back Than Any Social Media Site:
The origins of the sales process can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where merchants actively traveled to different cities and markets to sell their goods. These merchants were known for using persuasive techniques, such as storytelling and negotiation, to effectively make a sale. One historical figure who is credited with developing early sales techniques is Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, who is best known for his creation and documentation of the sales process in his works.
Together let’s explore the origins of the sales process and where & how it all began
As commerce and trade developed over time, the sales process became more formalized. In the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution led to the rise of mass production and the need for efficient sales methods. This led to the development of modern sales techniques, such as door-to-door sales and the use of sales scripts.
Why is Herodotus Called The Father Of History
One historical figure who is credited with developing early sales techniques is Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian.
Herodotus is considered to be the “Father of History” and his work, “The Histories,” contains many examples of persuasive storytelling and negotiation. In particular, Herodotus emphasized the importance of understanding the customer’s needs and tailoring the sales pitch accordingly. This approach, known as the “Herodotus Sales Process,” is still used today in modern sales training.
While the sale process has evolved over time with the development of commerce and trade. Herodotus’s emphasis on understanding the customer’s needs and tailoring the sales pitch accordingly is still considered a valuable approach in today’s sales process. Think about some ways a conversation is approachable and may contain negotiations. At times even if there isn’t a sale necessarily taking place.
FlowChat Sales Tip: Daniel Pink has a book you would probably really enjoy reading called “To Sell Is Human.” This book will shed light on the concept and bring it to a modern era.
Social Selling Like Herodotus
What was once in the markets of Greece, Rome and Turkey in around 440 BCE is now available to you and your business on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, Slack, Discord, and Telegram. A marketplace to reach the masses, and we’ve got the social media selling tool for you to do it.
Congratulations and welcome to the future! It’s a new year and we’ve created something new and amazing for you!
It’s FlowChat. The #1 Ultimate Social Selling Tool available for your business today. Once you have our sales made easy system you and your team can begin prospecting on social media with 1-click import. AND, now you can have all the highly-targeted qualified leads your business will ever need. I bet Herodotus would love to have FlowChat and I know you will too!
Herodotus – The Father Of History and Sales
Let us know inside the FlowChat community if you think the word Hero might actually stem from Herodotus…
Herodotus was a Greek historian who lived around 484-425 BCE, during the classical period of ancient Greece. His work “The Histories” which is where most of the information about his sales process is found, was written around 440 BCE and is still widely read today.
Herodotus was born around 484 BCE and died around 425 BCE. He lived during the classical period of ancient Greece and was active during the 5th century BCE. To convert that to years before Christ was born, you would subtract the number of years before Christ (484 BCE) from the number of years after Christ (0 CE) which would give you -484 years before Christ.
Oddly enough the word “hero” does not come from the name of Herodotus. The word “hero” comes from the Greek word “ἥρως” (hērōs), which means “hero, warrior, demigod.” This word existed in ancient Greek times long before Herodotus lived. Learn about the method of narration and writing history of Herodotus.
