Final answer:
The claim that the sales era was a direct result of the Great Depression is false. The sales era preceded the Depression, which later influenced business strategies due to economic hardships.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the sales era, which entailed overcoming customer resistance, was a result of the Great Depression is false. The sales era occurred after the production era, which was characterized by a focus on increasing output and production efficiency. However, it was not directly a result of the Great Depression. Instead, the sales era emerged as businesses recognized the need to sell what they produced in an increasingly competitive market, and it preceded the Great Depression.
The Great Depression indeed led to changes in how businesses operated. They faced a public that was hesitant to spend due to economic hardship, which required more aggressive sales techniques and marketing efforts to stimulate demand, but this was after the sales era had already begun.