Unit 2: Ethics in Professional Sales
Sales professions inherently involve the act of persuasion between the sales person and the potential customer. Communication between two or more individuals, especially when it focuses on a persuasive act, invites the opportunity for deception and unethical tactics. We all need to adhere to some level of ethical behavior to allow for sustained successful communication. To be a successful sales professional, it is paramount that you develop a relationship based on trust with your clients and potential clients. Trust is a crucial element to a successful sales career.
As a sales professional, you should consider ethical standards of your own as well as those of the organization or industry for which you work. Whether the sales position involves quick transactions or prolonged negotiations, your credibility will go a long way in determining your success or failure as a sales professional.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 1 hour.
Upon successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- explain how ethics function in professional sales;
- recognize issues typically found in professional codes of ethics;
- recognize examples of unethical behavior in sales; and
- explain the roles of trust and ethics in relationship maintenance.
2.1: Ethics and Trust in Communication
This section provides specific guidance on how to ensure that you are not unknowingly misleading your audience. It also touches on the importance of ethical communication and the long-term consequences of violating the audience's trust in you.
2.2: Professional Sales Ethics
In this podcast, moderators Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss characteristics of professionalism in sales. Caskey and Neale are the regular moderators of the podcast, and they have extensive professional sales backgrounds. You can skip through the first four minutes of the podcast as the promotional information is not essential to this course.
2.3: Relationship Management
This journal article explores the connections between ethical sales behavior, relationships, and customer loyalty. Ethics in the sales profession is essential to long-term success. As you read this article, consider yourself in a sales career for five or more years and how an ethical approach to the business would serve your professional growth.
Unit 2 Summary
Regardless of the sales position you enter, your credibility will be integral to your success and longevity. A sales professional must be able to establish and maintain positive relationships with clients. These relationships can be challenging because of the element of persuasion inherent within the interactions. Persuasive attempts can more easily be made, and relationships maintained, when trust and credibility are present.