The manipulative monk who sold forgiveness

Published: Wed, 09/17/25

Updated: Thu, 09/18/25

September 17, 2025

TOGETHER WITH

Welcome back to another low-carb issue of The Quota. We’re glad you’re here. In this week’s newsletter, we’ll take a look at the manipulative monk who invented and perfected sales techniques centuries before they became mainstream. Then, we’ll share a Sales Fail about sad karaoke, and give some advice to a rep who’s training someone they’re jealous of. Enjoy!

NUMBER OF THE WEEK

Lack of prospecting motivation is the biggest challenge for 66% of sellers.

Source: 99firms

SALES ROUNDUP

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

An Arkansas cellphone saleswoman pled guilty to texting intimate videos of a male customer to herself. Riley Michael Shane Tapp was arrested and charged in February of this year. According to court documents, the victim went into the store where Tapp was employed to have his phone upgraded. After leaving, the victim noticed a sent message on the upgraded phone that he did not recognize. According to the probable cause affidavit, the message contained a sexually explicit video of the victim that was reported to have been on his phone. You can read more about it here.
A group of seven salespeople in Texas have agreed to pay a portion of a $1,459,620 settlement to resolve allegations of paying kickbacks to doctors. The U.S. DOJ has recently taken over civil lawsuits filed under the False Claims Act in the cases of doctors, executives and marketers who allegedly engaged in illegal payments to doctors for laboratory referrals, which were disguised as managed service organization (MSO) investments. You can read more about the case here.

FEATURE

Johann Tetzel: The manipulative monk who sold forgiveness

Picture this: A charismatic salesman arrives in town with fanfare, draws massive crowds with theatrical presentations, creates urgent buying decisions using emotional storytelling, and walks away with more money than most people earn in a lifetime.

This was Johann Tetzel, a Dominican monk, who 500 years ago perfected sales techniques so effective, they funded one of history's greatest construction projects, sparked the Protestant Reformation, and gave us the phrase "snake oil salesman."

The Making of a Master Salesman

Born around 1465 in Germany, Johann Tetzel seemed destined for an unremarkable life in the church. He studied at Leipzig University, graduated sixth in his class of 56, and entered the Dominican order in 1489. For his first decade as a monk, Tetzel was simply another religious scholar in medieval Germany.

Then he discovered his true calling: sales.

Starting in 1503, Tetzel began traveling across German cities selling "indulgences" – essentially receipts that promised forgiveness of sins and reduced time in purgatory. But he wasn't content to simply offer indulgences from behind a church pulpit. He created an entire sales experience.

When Tetzel's entourage arrived in a city, it was a major event. He would set up in the town square, draw crowds with music and pageantry, then deliver performances that combined religious authority, emotional manipulation, and urgent calls to action. His presentations were so compelling that people traveled from neighboring towns just to hear him speak.

The Psychology Behind the Pitch

What made Tetzel so effective was his understanding of human psychology. Five centuries before modern sales training existed, he intuitively grasped principles that today's top performers still use.

Fear-Based Selling: Tetzel's core technique centered on activating his audience's deepest anxieties. He would paint vivid pictures of deceased loved ones suffering in purgatory, describing their torment in gruesome detail. "Listen to the voices of your dear dead relatives and friends, beseeching you and saying, 'Pity us, pity us. We are in dire torment from which you can redeem us for a pittance,'" he would proclaim to weeping crowds.

The Memorable Jingle: Tetzel created what might be history's first sales jingle: "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs." This memorable rhyme made a complex theological concept instantly understandable and actionable.

Artificial Urgency: Tetzel perfected the limited-time offer centuries before Black Friday. He created deadline pressure by announcing his departure dates, making it clear that this was the only chance townspeople would have to save their relatives' souls. The choice was binary and immediate: pay now, or condemn your loved ones to continued suffering.

Social Proof: He brought testimonials from previous customers and staged emotional reactions from planted audience members. When someone publicly purchased an expensive indulgence, others would follow suit, not wanting to appear less devoted or financially capable.

Expansion Selling: What began as forgiveness for past sins expanded into a comprehensive product line. Tetzel offered indulgences for future sins (essentially pre-forgiveness) and special rates for bulk purchases that covered extended family members. He even developed tiered pricing based on social class – nobles paid more than merchants, who paid more than peasants.

By 1517, Tetzel was earning approximately 1,000 gold pieces per week in some cities – equivalent to millions in today's money. He had developed a sophisticated sales operation with advance teams that would arrive weeks before him to create anticipation through promotional materials (early advertising posters) and word-of-mouth campaigns. He worked with local church officials who received portions of the revenue, creating a network of motivated partners across his sales region.

His success attracted the attention of the highest levels of the Catholic Church. Pope Leo X, desperate to fund the reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, appointed Tetzel as Grand Commissioner for indulgences across Germany. Half of Tetzel's revenues went directly to the Vatican's building fund.

A Competitor Enters the Arena

Tetzel's empire might have continued indefinitely if not for a competitor who understood different psychology: credibility over charisma.

Martin Luther, a theology professor in nearby Wittenberg, watched Tetzel's performances with growing disgust. Where Tetzel saw a lucrative business, Luther saw manipulation of people's deepest spiritual fears for financial gain. On October 31, 1517, Luther posted his famous Ninety-Five Theses on the Wittenberg Castle Church door, directly challenging Tetzel's methods.

Luther used logical arguments, theological scholarship, and appeals to reason. His dry, academic critique proved more powerful than Tetzel's bombastic presentations. Luther's ideas spread rapidly through the new technology of printed pamphlets, reaching audiences Tetzel could never address in person.

The Fall

As Luther's influence grew, Tetzel found himself in an impossible position. The very techniques that made him successful – emotional manipulation, artificial urgency, expansion selling – became evidence of his corruption in the court of public opinion.

Tetzel attempted to defend himself through public debates and written responses, but he was fighting a losing battle. Church officials, sensing the shifting tide, began distancing themselves from their former star performer. Tetzel's sales territories were revoked, his partnership agreements canceled, and his revenue streams eliminated virtually overnight.

In 1518, broken in spirit and health, Tetzel retired to a Dominican monastery in Leipzig. He died there on August 11, 1519, at age 54 – reportedly from exhaustion and stress related to the collapse of his career.

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MEME OF THE WEEK

Source: Instagram -- Sales Humor

QUIZ

How many solar panel installation businesses are there in the U.S.?

A. 9,014
B. 14,339
C. 187
D. 11,177

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).

We were at our annual sales conference in Vegas, and my colleague (who had become a good friend) was going through a brutal breakup. His girlfriend of two years had dumped him over text just days before the trip, and he was putting on a brave face but clearly struggling.

The conference went well during the day. He even crushed his presentation and got compliments from our VP. I thought the trip was helping him move on.

Then came the after-party at the karaoke bar. He started drinking heavily, which wasn’t like him at work events. I should have intervened, but he’d been through hell and I figured he deserved to blow off some steam. Plus, most of our big clients had already left.

Around 10 PM, karaoke started with the usual conference crowd doing safe songs. Then he stumbled up to the DJ booth, flipped through the songbook and picked Someone Like You by Adele.

He started off fine, decent voice and everything. But thirty seconds in, his voice began cracking. By the first chorus, his eyes were watery. The whole bar was starting to notice, including our VP and several clients who were still there.

Then he hit the emotional bridge and completely lost it. Full-on sobbing while trying to sing about missing someone. But instead of stopping, he powered through the entire four-minute song, crying into the microphone in front of 200 industry professionals.

When he finished, he wiped his eyes and said, “Sorry guys, rough week,” then disappeared into the bathroom.

Anonymous Location Withheld

GRAPH OF THE WEEK

Source: LinkedIn Poll -- September 2025

WORTH A PEEK

If 60% of reps aren’t hitting quota (a generally accepted fact), then how are so many reps keeping their jobs? A Redditor asked this question a few days ago, and got over 150 interesting responses. Check out 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 manager just assigned me to mentor a new hire, and I'm struggling with feelings I'm not proud of. This kid is 23, fresh out of college, and clearly has natural sales talent that took me years to develop. In his first month, he's already closing deals that would have intimidated me as a beginner, and clients seem to instantly trust him in ways that still don't come easily for me after five years in this role. My manager chose me as his mentor because I'm a "steady performer with good fundamentals," but watching him effortlessly handle objections and build rapport is making me question my own abilities. I know this is petty and unprofessional, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm training my own replacement. How do I mentor someone effectively when their natural talent is highlighting all my insecurities?

Insecure in California

Dear Insecure,

Remember, your manager chose you as a mentor for good reason. Natural talent is impressive, but your experience navigating challenges, and building steady relationships is invaluable knowledge this new hire desperately needs.

Reframe it: you’re not training your replacement, you’re developing a future ally. His wins don’t diminish yours. Focus on teaching him the lessons that only come from experience: like handling difficult clients, managing pipeline fluctuations, and avoiding common pitfalls. Who knows, maybe he'll end up running his own sales team one day and call you up with a lucrative job offer.

Quiz Answer: D. There are approximately 11,177 solar panel installation businesses in the U.S. (You can read the source article here).

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Today's email was written by Ken Kupchik, Erica Furgiuele, Steve Rado, and Emily Hill.

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