From commercial travellers to sales representatives: the evolution of the sales profession in Britain, 1930s to 1960s

French, M. (2014) From commercial travellers to sales representatives: the evolution of the sales profession in Britain, 1930s to 1960s. Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte = Journal of Business History, 59(2), pp. 179-195.

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Abstract

In analysing the development of modern marketing, business historians have focused on the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the United States and Europe. This paper reviews the debates about the sources and timing of key changes in relation to the role of commercial travellers or travelling salesmen in Britain. It explores the later evolution from the 1930s to the 1960s with the transition to sales representatives, highlighting the gradual process of change and the hesitant, often negative, attitudes of managers and salesmen towards new ways of working.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:French, Professor Michael
Authors: French, M.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Economic and Social History
Journal Name:Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte = Journal of Business History
Publisher:Verlag C.H. Beck
ISSN:0342-2852
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2014 Verlag C.H. Beck
First Published:First published in Zeitschrift für Unternehmensgeschichte = Journal of Business History 59(2):179-195
Publisher Policy:Reproduced with the permission of the publisher

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