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Doing What’s Right in Sales Situations
By John Aberle | Ethics
Ethical decisions in sales situations demand a better standard than heads or tails
This weekend a friend described an ethical situation at work. In Mike’s (not his real name) case, his employer is actually breaking the law. It requires courage to act in such an environment. Unfortunately, most ethical situations, in my experience, manage to skirt the law thereby making the judgment call even harder. This is particularly true in sales and marketing where people who are driven solely by the numbers, i.e. money, care only about getting the contract signed. The methods used to get the signature are unimportant to these types of business people.
I’ve always considered it ironic that people who will lie to get a contract signed, will then use the law to enforce that contract gotten by dishonesty. Oops, to be politically correct I probably wasn’t supposed to say anyone would lie. They’re only people who “stretch the truth.” Of course, if I get burned by their fraud, I’m going to be looking for justice regardless of how they spin what they did.
Actually, salespeople who want to use heart-centered, soft sell sales techniques will be coming from a place of integrity and from an attitude that their relationships with their customers or clients are more important than the immediate sales. Nevertheless, how do you know what the right thing to do is in any given sales situation? While philosophers have all sorts of answers to that question; my preference is to go back to the Golden Rule: do onto others as you would have them do unto you. Or you could take Richard Bach’s advice in Illusions: do unto others as they would have you do unto them. The point is, go with your gut or, better yet, go with your heart.
When I decided to write on the topic of ethics today, I did some brief research. I found a quote on the International Business Ethics Institute’s website I really like. Under “Notable Quotes on Business and Ethics,” http://www.business-ethics.org/quotes.html they cited Peter Cooper, 1874: “I have always recognized that the object of business is to make money in an honorable manner. I have endeavored to remember that the object of life is to do good.” So 135 years ago, Peter Cooper stated the essence of heart-centered, soft sell sales and marketing.
Doing what’s right in sales situations is not always easy mainly because we have conflicting drives within us. That’s part of being human. But when you commit yourself to doing good, then your marketing copy and your sales presentations will come from a place of doing what’s best for your customers. And the easiest way to do this is to adopt a mindset that puts you in their shoes then make your decisions from theirviewpoint. This approach leads to customers coming to know, like and trust you. That leads to finding selling fun, fulfilling, and mutually rewarding.
I invite you to opt-in to my community to continue learning about heart-centered, soft sell sales and marketing. In return, I will send you as a free bonus my eCourse, a $47.00 value, “9 Steps to Finding Prospects Who Want What You Provide” as well as my periodic ezine, “Selling for Fun, Fulfillment and Mutual Rewards.”
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Gratitude Sets the Right Attitude
Heart Centered Selling’s not for Wimps
Have You Heard the MLM Lies?
Sales Motivation – Remember, There’s more to Life than Money
Trusting a Salesperson Is Tough; Liking Is Easy
If No One Cares, It’s Not a Unique Selling Proposition
If Sales Calls to You Are Win-Lose Battles, Read No Further
