February 4, 2025

I love history. There is something fascinating about looking back and imagining how people lived, worked, and connected with one another. I often put myself in the shoes of the figures I'm reading about and try to imagine what it would have been like to live in that day, in that time.?

I've realized that technology and tools have changed dramatically...but human nature remains the same. You'd have a tough time convincing me that the Apostle Paul couldn't hold his own intellectually with the sages of today. Or Plato would be intimidated by the prowess of modern man.

On a recent walk, I found myself down the rabbit hole thinking about the history of sales. Much of my life has been dedicated to selling or working with those who sell, yet I haven't thought much about the history of sales.?

I think about those who must have bartered fish for firewood and merchants selling spices in the Mesopotamian marketplace. I've read about the "Silk Road," where the first traveling salesmen hawked their wares with exotic tales. Then, the Industrial Revolution led to products being sold door-to-door and village-to-village. Fast forward to the age of advertising, the internet, and the social media age of informed consumers. Today, some say we are racing toward AI replacing salespeople (good luck with that).?

Yet, human nature has not changed. Methods and mediums are dramatically different, but people are still people.?

Even on the marketplaces of antiquity, I suspect selling interactions started with a question, "What do you need?"?

Sales has always been about finding a need and filling it. It's discovery.?Let me understand your problem and see if my product can help you.?The best salespeople, from Mesopotamia to Mechanicsville, are the ones who ask good questions, understand issues, and ensure that their product is a good fit for the buyer.?

If you don't do that, they won't stop at your stand. You may sell today, but you'll struggle tomorrow.?

And that's as old as time.?

The Huddle?is a weekly newsletter that is designed for leaders. Leaders must be learners. There is never a?moment?when leaders arrive. It's a never-ending growth process. I hope this can be a resource that you can use to stay sharp and share with your team.?

With that, here are some things I ran across this week.?

Screens bad, paper good?-?I was on the road a couple of weeks ago and forgot to bring a book. Being resourceful, I remembered that I could read from my Kindle app on my phone. I went to my computer, bought the book, downloaded it to my app, and read most of it on my phone.?

I can't remember five words of what I read.?

I'm not alone.?

Stoic Gold -?Thanks to my friend and Huddle aficionado?Roy Locker?for sending me?this great read?centered on Citizen/Soldier/Emperor Marcus Aurelius. If you haven't read the Stoics, this is a nice overview of their ideas about living a better life.?

My favorite blurb in the piece is about Adm. James Stockdale. He once said, "Epictetus saved my life." Shot down over enemy territory in North Vietnam, he had a copy of the Enchiridion, and he credits that book for helping him endure the years of torture.?

In Stockdale's case, being a reader saved his life!?

Who will keep the lights on? -?Many of my clients are classified as "Family Business." According to one source, family-owned businesses comprise over 70% of the world's GDP.?

One question always lurks in the owner's mind—what will happen to the business when I'm gone? Will the kids want it? Can I sell? Will the new owners take care of my people??

This article shares some good insights on family-owned businesses and succession plans.?

Don't put people in boxes -?I challenge you to watch?this four-minute video?and not feel something. It reminds me that everyone we meet has a story—and we build a connection when we get to know their story. I don't know where New Hope Church is, but kudos for a brilliant—and inspiring—video.?

A quote to leave you with?

Have a great week!