Sales lessons from the man who built the Coca-Cola empire

Published: Wed, 07/09/25

Updated: Fri, 07/11/25

July 9, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Quota Readers. We missed you—a week apart is way too long. Let us make up for our absence with another non-manipulative issue, where we’ll share the story of Asa Candler, the sales and marketing genius who brought Coca-Cola to the masses. After that, enjoy some quizzes, Fails, and advice. Let’s go!

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

81% of buyers initiate first contact with sellers, not the other way around.

Source: 6Sense

SALES ROUNDUP

Here’s what’s happening in the sales world this week:

A car salesman at Royal Automotive Group in Cortland, NY has been accused of pocketing money intended for customers who had referred other buyers. New York State Police charged 40 year-old Jason Allen of Liverpool with forgery and grand larceny. According to police, Allen was forging his name on referral checks intended for customers who encouraged others to do business with Royal. Allen allegedly pocketed $13,000 through the scheme. Allen is no longer employed at Royal Automotive. You can read about it here.
Microsoft is fundamentally reshaping its approach to selling artificial intelligence, as revealed in a recent internal memo from Judson Althoff, the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. The memo outlines a sweeping strategy shift: Microsoft will move away from traditional sales roles, instead prioritizing technical experts to lead the charge in promoting and implementing its AI solutions. This comes on the heels of significant layoffs, with thousands of salespeople being let go and many of their roles slated to be replaced by more technically skilled employees. You can read more about it here.

FEATURE

Photo by Georgia Public Broadcasting licensed under CC BY 2.0

Sales lessons from Asa Candler, the man who built the Coca-Cola empire

In 1888, a small-town pharmacist named Asa Candler tasted a strange, fizzy drink at his Atlanta drugstore counter and made a decision that would alter the course of history. He paid $2,300, (about $100,000 today), for the recipe to an obscure tonic called Coca-Cola that was selling just nine glasses per day. Within a decade, Candler had transformed that failing pharmacy drink into America's first national beverage brand, and did it using sales techniques that were revolutionary for their time.

The Free Sample Revolution

When Candler encountered resistance from pharmacists who were hesitant to try his syrup, he deployed a tactic that was unheard of in the 1890s: he gave it away. He offered pharmacists who were reluctant to sell the drink the first barrel of syrup for free.

This wasn’t generosity—it was calculated psychology. Candler understood that skeptical pharmacists needed proof, not promises. By offering the first barrel free, he removed all financial risk from the decision. The only way they could lose money was by not trying at all.

But Candler took the strategy a step further. He flooded cities with coupons for free glasses of Coca-Cola, creating artificial demand that pharmacists couldn't ignore. Suddenly, customers were walking into drugstores specifically asking for a product the pharmacist had never heard of. The fact that the original recipe included cocaine until 1903, probably helped make the “first glass is free” tactic more effective.

The Army of Traveling Salesmen

While competitors relied on newspaper ads listing the medicinal benefits of their tonics, Candler built something unprecedented: a professional sales force. A team of traveling Coca-Cola syrup salesmen was sent out to ensure that pharmacists were mixing the beverage correctly with carbonated water, and that their stores were properly adorned with Coca-Cola logos and signs.
These weren't just salespeople, they were also brand evangelists and quality control specialists. Candler understood that consistency was critical for building trust. If a customer had a bad Coca-Cola experience because a pharmacist mixed it incorrectly, it could kill future sales across an entire region.

His traveling salesmen carried more than order books. They brought branded serving trays, apothecary scales emblazoned with the Coca-Cola name, and fresh advertising materials. Every pharmacy became a perfectly orchestrated Coca-Cola experience, from the moment customers walked in, to the branded tray their drink was served on.

The Psychology of Ubiquity

In 1891, when most Atlanta merchants spent less than $100 annually on advertising, Candler invested $11,000, just under $400,000 in today's dollars. But this wasn't random spending. Candler had discovered something that wouldn't be formally studied by psychologists for decades: the mere exposure effect. The more people saw the Coca-Cola name, the more they wanted to try it. Today, Coca-Cola has significantly upped their spending to around $4 billion annually on global advertising—mostly on brand awareness campaigns focused on exposure.

Candler ordered 45,000 calendars emblazoned with the red Coca-Cola logo in his first year alone. Each month, his team painted fresh Coca-Cola signs on the sides of brick buildings across Atlanta. The signature Spencerian script of the logo became as recognizable as the taste itself.

The National Sales Machine

By 1895, just seven years after purchasing the recipe, Candler had sent salesmen across the country instructing druggists not only how to sell Coca-Cola, but how to market it effectively. The same year, he announced that "Coca-Cola was now being drunk in every state and territory in the United States."

His sales force understood something that modern sales professionals still struggle with: it's not enough to get your product on the shelf. You have to train your distribution partners to sell it properly, support them with marketing materials, and create consumer demand that pulls them into the sales process.

When Candler sold Coca-Cola in 1919 for $25 million, he had proven that the right sales strategy could turn any product into a national phenomenon. His techniques — free samples to reduce risk, professional sales forces to ensure consistency, ubiquitous branding to create familiarity — became the foundation of modern consumer marketing.

The lesson for sales professionals is simple: Candler didn't succeed just because he had a better product. He succeeded because he understood the psychology of selling to skeptical buyers and built systems to execute those insights at scale.

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MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

Which company is the largest, based on market cap?

A. Salesforce
B. Oracle
C. HubSpot
D. Adobe

SALES FAILS

Each week, we bring you the most cringe-worthy sales moments from across the web. To submit your sales fail story for consideration, click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

I sell telecom services to small businesses. One Friday afternoon, I walked (cold) into a restaurant. It was before business hours, and I was planning to catch someone before the evening rush started. The door was open but there was no one inside, so I walked in anyway and heard some noise behind a door. I knocked and a frazzled woman opened the door, immediately grabbed my arm, and whispered urgently, "Get inside, he'll be here any minute!"

Before I could explain who I was, she pulled me into the restaurant function hall where about forty people were crouched behind tables and standing against walls. I realized I was now part of a surprise party, but I didn't want to speak up since it seemed the guest of honor would be arriving imminently. About a minute later, the woman yelled "He's here!" and everyone got quiet. As the door opened, forty people, including me, jumped up screaming, "SURPRISE!"

The birthday guy, who it turns out was one of the owners, looked shocked and thrilled as everyone rushed to hug him. I got caught up in the moment and congratulated him too. I decided that a surprise party wasn't a good time to pitch him, so I took a piece of cake I was offered, ate it, and then quietly snuck out. No sale, but that was some damn good cake. Sometimes the job has unexpected perks.

Anonymous Location Withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- July 2025

WORTH A PEEK

Would you leave a good sales job to go into sales training? A successful rep is considering leaving his job and buying a Sandler Sales Training franchise, and asked Reddit users for advice. There are over 300 responses. You can see the conversation here.

ASK THE QUOTA

Want to submit a question and be featured in our advice column? Click here. (Don't worry, you'll remain completely anonymous).

Dear Quota Team,

My mother-in-law moved in with us six months ago to help my wife with childcare, but she's become a constant distraction during my workday. Every time I go to the kitchen for a quick coffee between calls, she starts conversations about her doctor appointments, what she saw on the news, or asks for help with her phone or tablet. When I try to politely excuse myself for a meeting, she'll say "just one more thing" and launch into another story or request. I've been late to several client calls because I got stuck listening to a story about her trip to the grocery store or helping her figure out why her email isn't loading. I'm going crazy in my own home. My wife thinks I'm being ungrateful since her mother is providing free childcare, but these constant interruptions are affecting my ability to stay focused and professional. How do I set boundaries in my own home without creating family drama?

Interrupted Out West

Dear Interrupted,

Working from home with family requires the same professional boundaries you'd maintain in an office, and it's completely reasonable to establish "do not disturb" hours. Have a calm conversation with both your wife and mother-in-law explaining that your income depends on uninterrupted client interactions, then create visual cues like a closed door or sign when you're on calls. Consider setting specific times for family interaction, maybe 15 minutes at lunch or between morning and afternoon call blocks, so your mother-in-law feels included without disrupting your work flow. If gentle boundaries don't work, you might need to invest in a separate workspace or co-working space a few days per week to maintain your professional performance and sanity. Good luck!