Reference no: EM13951657

The article on the effects of technology on the changing role of sales persons as present by Paul and Anderson is a chronological account of the long-serving interdependence between technology and selling. Since time immemorial, sales persons have always been on the outlook for the latest technology to ease the sale process. Paul and Anderson start their journey at the dawn of the industrial era when sales persons were not members of the industry to the current day when they are essential pillars in firms. However, the article does not synchronize in an orderly manner the evolution of technology and its adoption by the sales person. It is not clear when particular technology dominated the market and the real benefits to the company. Elsewhere, the paper begins be introducing the sales person as an outsider in the businesses of the enterprise but fails to link how and when they became integral parts of the firms.
One of the main aspects of selling is bridging the gap between the producer and the buyer. In this sense, Paul and Anderson Center on the available transport means ranging from the railway to the invention of the car and eventually the airplane. As transport bettered, communication followed suite with the liberty of the telephone, audio and visual tape as well as projectors (Christ). The combination of better means of transportation and communication increased the number of sales persons gradually increasing the overall business. In a span of two centuries, the link between customers, salesperson and the firm narrowed allowing customers to get more information about products, the better reach of clients and increased production.

However, it is unclear of the sequential alignment and development of technology with sales. According to the arrangement of the paper, the shift from one technology to the other or the interrelation of different techniques is not clear. At one point, techniques seem to crush their invention and use, and the actual benefit is not clear. For example, the invention and use of cars in the early 20th century does not consummate to the overall increase in the sales of sales persons. Moreover, the article does not indicate the combination of other technologies present at the time such as the telegram and mailing machine and slide projector. It is not possible to disregard any technology at the date of the invention of the car and say the design of automobiles alone change the field of selling. The paper should in an apparent descent indicate how sales person sequentially and methodically adopted the new technological inventions and merged them with the existing ones to better the selling experience.

Moreover, the paper only highlights the use of technology by sales persons and disregard their roles in different firms. It's true to say a sales person is an ambassador of the respective producing firm thus in selling the sales person advertise and advocates for the production firm. At the dawn of the industrial age, Paul and Anderson points out that sales person held no apparent role in the production business. However, at the end of the paper, it is evident that the sales person is key in respective firms arousing the question, how did they become integrated into the companies. Is technology the binding factor that led to their eventual unification? Well, Paul and Anderson must have missed out that point while composing their article.

It is undoubtingly true that technology determines the face of selling at any particular age. Paula and Anderson take us through a time journey showing the evolution of technology and how it changes the selling game. Todays' selling approach borrows widely from technologies of earlier days as sales person continue to be on the forefront to maximize on any new technology. The However, no single technology at a time solely dominated selling and the eventual improvement of transport and communication is to thank for the growing importance of sales persons.