MILAN, Feb 18, 2006/ FW/ --- Three airports, two hotels, one duty-free shopping and several restaurants along the way, the ubiquitous cash register traveled with me along the way, though of course, I did not realize it until I was going through my receipts.

In fact, a lot of us do not even realize that current reincarnations of cash registers are actually cash registers! Take for example the ‘self check in’ option at airports today. Though it is not actually taking your money (tickets were paid at the time of purchase), a traveler is actually ‘inventoried’ together with his or her luggage the moment the passenger keys in his or her itinerary.

Because, believe it or not, it is all about data storage and inventory, and the cash register was one of the first machines that improved the amount of data companies had in order to analyze their selling.

Invented over 100 years ago by John Patterson, the cash register was born out of the concept of better salesmanship to improve revenue and efficiency. Today, that philosophy remains the same.

Of course, businesses today are using the latest technologies to capitalize on this age-old philosophy of improving the buying and selling process.

From self-checkouts in the grocery store to guest check-ins at major hotel chains, consumers today have a number of self-service devices literally at their fingertips. Coupled with data warehousing, the technology gives businesses a more customized way of conducting business with consumers.

The rate of technological change within an economy goes hand in hand with the amount of salesmanship within an economy. No doubt, technology has evolved from the world’s first cash register to today’s fast-paced, high-tech self-service systems. As a result, the role of salesmanship is more important than ever before.