What Mr Bell Had in Mind (1954)

[Music] more than 75 years ago a man invented the telephone his name was Alexander Graham Bell everybody knows that but who knows precisely what Mr Bell had in mind for his ingenious new device who knows homicide Donan speaking Yeah be right over at the tone the time will be 5 5 [Music] exactly hello Mom Danny you're home do you think this is her first husband oh Lu tell me more well I'm not one to talk but the number you have dialed has been disconnected this is a [Music] recording and they have besides there's more in life than boys oh I must read you a note I got from Herby it'll only take a few minutes yes Daddy I'll call you [Music] later of all the cocky times for the pher ring all right I'll be there I'm [Music] coming the telephone few products of man's Ingenuity have been so widely used and misused today everybody knows everything about the telephone but who knows what Mr Bell had in mind also what he did not have in mind here for example is Agatha fith she's calling a Mrs Evans about the local church Bazaar but if you were Mrs Evans you'd never know it for some reason Agatha can't get to the point the weather leads to Summer colds and summer colds to that nice new doctor in the church membership and Mrs Evans is just confused what's this all about anyway and when is it going to end by this time Mrs Evans feels trapped and perhaps even a little bitter of about the telephone oh that woman well I never Mr Bell did not have this in mind but what he did have in mind is so easily accomplished all it takes is a little organizing that makes it easier on you and it makes for a quicker more pleasant way of getting things done precisely what Mr Bell had in mind that's even more important in the big Busy World of business yet in his wildest imagination Mr Bell would never have conceived anything like the use salesman Sam black is making of the telephone that's just one important feature Mr Reynolds now let's talk about the power train uh that's right uh powertrain uh that's the engine the transmission the rear axle well sure uh every car's got them but the important thing is this you know sounds really real interested doesn't he Mr Bell definitely did not have this in mind it's well it's unstr for two reasons first of all you can't really sell a complicated piece of equipment over the telephone whatever your product your prospect has to see its features and see them demonstrated to appreciate them more important your prospect has to understand your products benefits to him before you'll buy and it's simply too easy to say no over the telephone in fact it doesn't take any effort at all but where does the telephone fit in here well what Mr Bell had in mind for the telephone was not keeping people apart but getting them together using the telephones to establish an opportunity to do a good selling job or to bring your prospect into the right selling atmosphere but here's another example of something Mr Bell would frown on this this energetic young man is Pete Wilson and believe it or not he's fairly intelligent too he's an air conditioner salesman and he shrewdly figured out a sales plan there must be a tremendous concentrated market for air conditioners all he has to do is cover that market like a blanket Mr Bell would approve the determination but he did not have such a pedestrian approach in mind Pete has completely overlooked the whole point of Mr Bell's invention with time-saving telephone calls our young salesman can quickly determine his air conditioner Market who is a Potential Prospect and who is not and Pete's ready to concentrate his selling time and energy on real prospects that's when the telephone can really be an extra sales tool to help any salesman create selling opportunities for instance with his telephone and an owner list a service file or a registration list depending on his field a good salesman can literally ring hundreds of prospect Bells right from his own office and of course using the telephone strategically like this is just what Mr Bell had in mind yet even when the telephone is used strategically unfortunate things happen that Mr Bell did not have in mind for example hello Mr KY this is Wally Smith Dependable life insurance company with that new home of yours I'm sure you'll want Dependable Insurance protection not with you brother another brush off for Wally and it's really not the telephone's fault sure anyone can see that Wally's actually a nice friendly guy but he doesn't sound that way over the telephone like a lot of other people Wally doesn't project his true personality over the telephone pH and again the answer is so simple before you make your call try imagining how you might sound over the telephone I'm sure you'll want Dependable Insurance protection and then how you want a sound yes Mrs Carson I'll be glad to drop by and explain it to you so whoever you are before you make that next call think a moment remember how Agatha ambles on and on and make sure you organize your call even writing down the things you want to talk about before you make the call remember too that you can't sell a complicated idea or product over the phone so use the telephone strategically to arrange your selling opportunities and remember how valuable the telephone can be as a time and work saver when it's also used strategically to create new selling opportunities quickly and easily and most important of all remember how easy it is to give the wrong impression over the telephone so imagine how you might sound to yourself the chances are your true personality will go out over the telephone just as Mr Bell had in mind for he was not only an inventive man but a man of great vision and even though his first telephone message was sent quite by accident Mr Watson come here I want you Mr Bell I heard you I heard every word you said distinctly you said Mr Watson come here I want you or so I did oh it's a wonderful day for you Mr Bell everything you've worked for every dream has come true it works Mr Bell it works yes I I dare say you're right Watson our experiment have opened up a a new age of communications there'll be a day when when people will think nothing of conversing through instruments such as we have developed you mean as an everyday occurrence well that's what I had in mind the day will come when when people will think no more of speaking to someone miles away than as if they were in the same room think of its possibilities yes Watson I can foresee the day when homes will be linked to other homes homes to factories factories to stores cities will be joined to other cities and Nations to other nations but tell me how Mr Bell how can you forell all these wonders well now really who would know better than I any resemblance between Alexander grahamb Bell and donamichi was strictly intentional [Music]