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From Rags to Riches – The Story of Edwin C. Barnes

January 22, 2012

Edwin C. Barnes (left) and Thomas Edison look over an Ediphone outside Edison’s West Orange laboratory complex in New Jersey. Public domain photograph.

Over a hundred years ago, a young man from the Midwest had a dream to become a partner of the greatest inventor on Earth, Thomas A. Edison. So strong was his desire to form this partnership, Barnes made up his mind that he would relentlessly pursue his goal of becoming a business associate of the famed inventor until he met success. There would be no retreat, and nothing was going to stop him from reaching his goal, the young man pledged to himself.

Barnes could not afford to purchase a train ticket for passenger fare, and he had no special technical skills. Furthermore, he had only meager clothes to wear. But, these obstacles could not stop this determined man from visiting Edison’s famous laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey and pursuing his dream.

On a fateful day in 1905, and driven by a desire which transcended poverty and a lack of know-how, Barnes rolled into West Orange on a freight train. He then, poorly dressed and looking more like an outcast than a man of achievement, walked into the famous Edison Laboratory and told the great inventor that he had come to form a partnership with him. Nearby members of Edison’s staff were amused by the boldness of the poor-looking man, and they laughed at him hysterically. But, Edison did not laugh. For, what he saw was a determined young man who was prepared to do whatever it would take to help bring new growth to his company.

Impressed with Barnes’ ambition and internal drive, Edison decided to give the poor man a chance of realizing his dream — not as a partner, but rather as a floor sweeper. Barnes wisely accepted Edison’s offer, not dejected in the slightest by the job the famous inventor had in mind for him. For, Barnes understood that he was given a chance of a lifetime to show Edison what he could do for him. And, he knew that accepting the humbling position would open the door for him to observe how the brilliant Edison thought. The wise fellow also understood that Edison was offering him a tremendous opportunity to meet his friends and associates, some of the most influential and powerful people in the world.

Thomas Edison sharing a funny story with Edwin C. Barnes (center) and Nelson Durand (right). Circa 1912. Public domain photograph.

Starting with a broom in his hands, Edwin C. Barnes did the best work he possibly could for Edison, and he never once backed down from his goal of establishing a partnership with the world’s leader of practical technology. Months went by, and to the unobserved nothing special seemed to happen. But, Barnes was learning what made Edison tick, and he was setting the stage to attract opportunities his way.

After working for Edison for nearly two years, Barnes “saw” a golden opportunity, and he seized it with full force. Following many years of work, the inventor was ready to commercialize the Edison Dictating Machine, a recorder specifically designed to capture the human voice. Edison’s machine, later renamed the Ediphone, recorded “voice letters” on a wax cylinder, and its inventor thought very highly of it. However, when members of Edison’s sales force looked at what his machine could do, most of them very much doubted that the invention would prove successful commercially, and they expressed little interest in trying to sell it.

Barnes, in contrast, recognized that Edison’s dictation machine could help thousands of executives across the country by allowing them to dictate at any time, day or night, for later playback. No longer would the executive need to have at his side a stenographer to record his thoughts, Edison’s enthusiastic employee envisioned. Barnes also realized that the dictation machine could help business executives save time, accomplish more, and increase profits as a result.

After working out a marketing plan, Barnes approached Edison and urged him to let him sell his dictation machine. Edison, impressed with his employee’s relentless desire to sell the new machine and his thoroughness of preparation for doing so, readily agreed to his proposition. And, within months Barnes had sold thousands of Edison dictating machines and gained a lucrative contract to market and distribute the recording device across America.

So successful was Barnes at selling Edison’s dictating machine, he became a multimillionaire at a relatively young age. But, more importantly, Barnes became a man who helped thousands of people across the country benefit from Edison’s device. And, it is probable that the true potential of Edison’s machine would not have been realized had it not been for the uncanny insight that Barnes fostered during his working years at the famous laboratory complex in West Orange.

Most likely, there were many factors, both tangible and intangible, that transcended Edwin C. Barnes from a young man with little money and a rather lame portfolio to one of the most capable and accomplished salespersons Thomas Edison ever knew. However, the remarkable success that Barnes brought to himself can be attributed largely to seven key traits that he consistently exibihited with full force. They are:

  1. He knew what he wanted to accomplish;
  2. He was willing to start at the “bottom” in order to gain know how and exposure;
  3. He maintained a dogged determination to bring his goal to reality;
  4. He created and seized opportunity;
  5. In alignment with his goals, he found a way to help other people become more successful;
  6. He made himself invaluable in his work;
  7. He was committed to providing his customers with excellent service.

An ad for an Edison Dictating Machine, circa 1917. Public domain photograph.

Barnes also saved much of his initial earnings as an employee of Edison’s West Orange laboratory complex to buy new and quality clothes. And, eventually, he built a rather impressive wardrobe. Referring to a time just before Barnes made it big within the Edison organization, Napoleon Hill wrote in the Law of Success:

“In those days he had the largest and most expensive collection of clothes I had ever seen or heard of one man owning. His wardrobe consisted of thirty-one suits; one for each day of the month. He never wore the same suit two days in succession.”

And, when Napoleon Hill asked the upcoming salesman why it was that he paid special attention to his attire, Barnes replied, “I do not wear thirty-one suits of clothes entirely for the impression they make on other people; I do it mostly for the impression they have on me.”

Edwin C. Barnes did not judge his success by how much money he made or by how many sales he generated. He considered personal gain and sales numbers just a by-product of his true aim — to achieve 100% customer satisfaction! As such, Edison’s “partner” did not resort to sales gimmicks or trickery. In fact, he would not urge a sale of a dictating machine without first verifying that the potential customer could greatly benefit from it. And, once Barnes did sell a dictation machine to a qualifying customer, this was just the beginning. He followed up with service, making sure that the buyer was satisfied with the performance of the product and fixing any noted problems without hassle and without excessive delay.

So important was his commitment to his customers, Barnes considered his devotion to providing excellent service to be the single biggest influence on his success as a salesperson. For, he understood that without customer satisfaction true success cannot be realized, no matter how much fame or fortune is obtained.

Thanks for visiting,
Rob