Drum Up Business

Before broadcast media and when only nobility and spiritual leaders could read, with the earliest record where the term was used being 1535.

Salesmen or musicians arriving in a new village or town would announce their presence by ringing a bell or beating a drum.  The reason for this was to gain the attention of those living in the village or town. 

Once a crowd had gathered around the salesman or musician, the stranger would go about his business selling merchandise or performing in exchange for a meal and a place to sleep the night.

Originally, the term was to “drum up trade” however, in the past century, the term has become to “drum up business.”