Ethical Salesmanship

The desire to acquire possessions and to secure a new position or greater power often puts blinders on a person's eyes. We live in a society with the attitude that "more is better," driving some people temporarily to set aside their ethics and values. Salespeople will overpromise and yet underdeliver in their quest for a big job or a new client. People may rationlize to themselves that doing an inadequate job once or twice is really "not a big deal" or "it doesn't hurt anyone in the long run." They may also stretch the truth or bad-mouth a competitor in hopes of getting a sale.

The world is a different place now. Customers may expect more than they did a few years ago. People are smarter and savvier; they expect to be treated honestly and fairly. Companies that lose sight of their essential core values will not be around for the long haul.

In the current job market, many companies are restructuring and laying off at an accelerated rate. More and more pressure is being put on various sales departments to bring in more revenue. This can create underlying fear and frustration that often results in a lack of caring, resulting in lower standards and compromising of values.

A recent survey stated that in a group of 18- to 34-year-olds, 79 percent believed that there were no absolute ethical standards. To some, this statistic may seem high, yet it may easily reflect the changes plaguing companies in the last few years. In response to increased competition, decreased market share, and lower sales, ethics have become compromised.

For example, in one company, everyone was told about the company's focus on principles and values. This topic was talked about at every level and put into practice by management. The CEO thought his job was to instill his core principles and beliefs to all levels of management. He thought that if each employee felt and lived by those values, customers would feel comfortable. They would trust the company and ultimately sales would increase. This company grew to $1 billion in annual revenue in a relatively short time.

Since then, however, a merger occurred and those core values were abandoned. Trust began to erode as employees felt the cultural shift from an emphasis on ethics to an emphasis on profit. They felt less empowered, less respected. Unfortunately, those feelings spilled over to their relationships with customers. The result was decreased sales and increased competition. This story is not unique to one company, but often heard and played out throughout many organizations.

In this time of increasing change and competition, what is the answer? The long-term solution is rooted in clearly stated values and ethics that are practiced on a daily basis. The company needs to define and communicate its vision, values, and principles. These values must be explained and clearly understood by the sales team. They need to be part of the sales presentation so that customers can understand them. Mutual trust is essential in building a foundation within a company, and it must extend to all levels and relationships in the organization. If a company communicates and practices its core values, employees will feel greater security, caring, and belief in the product. Ultimately, these feelings will be reflected in salespeople's relationships with customers.

It may seem that the pressure to make a sale drives sales professionals to violate their ethical codes or, at least, to consider doing so. But rest assured, it is only by adhering to a strong ethical belief system that you can build trusting relationships with customers, relationships that will lead to long-term sales success.