He aimed keeping over one hundred salesmen the field at
all times.
There were many good reasons for the sales resistance to
dictating machines. Charles Edison was most annoyed
that the division managers TAE Inc." Durand
told the sales force that "people don't buy (the dictating
machine) for the motor the other parts, but for the
27
service."
It was only with the creation the Commercial
Phonograph Division that Durand finally had the money build
up his own network dealers and mould the sales force into an
organization that could sell and maintain dictating machines. Many users of
dictating machines dropped them when the secretarial staff
. The latter— now normally woman— often played an
important part composing the letter..daily attention. Businessmen preferred to
dictate stenographer, rather machine. Customers were told that buying
a machine they were assured more than the expertise the
Edison laboratory, but also the support "Our Local Service
Organization for maintenance and .XI-15
existing office arrangement. She was more forgiving
of frequent errors and corrections than machine. The machines might efficient, but they
could not replace the personal relationship businessman and
stenographer. Edison's
executives were exception. There was still great deal resistance the
dictating machine American offices. did not use the Edison
28
dictating machine.. Many
businessmen preferred dictate office girls
