High Integrity Selling ... What's In It For You?

This chapter takes a unique approach to the subject of selling. The example used later on in this chapter deals specifically with an insurance agent, but it is fully applicable to anyone engaged in conducting business.

When we go to purchase a radio from a store, we expect that the salesperson is going to give us the straight data. We don't want to find out later that this particular radio has been giving customers a lot of problems, is being considered for recall, AND the salesperson knew about this all along. That is not a scenario we would enjoy.

When we are being the customer, we usually have a fairly high expectation of how we want to be dealt with. We want the salesperson to be forthright, to tell us what we should know... not just what he wants us to know. We want the salesperson to be honest.

Now, let's flip over to the other side of the ledger. Do we have the same high expectations of our own selling activities? Do we tell the client the key data that the client needs to know to make the best decision for him?

What if the product we are selling is not the best product for the customer sitting across from us? What if a competitor has a better product for this customer? Boy, that's a tough one.

Do we refer this client to our competitor? Do that enough times and we'll be fine-tuning our resumes.

Now, I'm not trying to put you into a moral straight jacket here ... I just want to get your mental juices going on the subject of integrity and sales.

There exists a set of rules and agreements in the world of selling. They are not necessarily written down for all of us to see, but a set of agreements does exist for each of us who sell, whether we sell insurance plans, treatment plans, financial services or radios. These "agreements" help us to conduct our business ethically.

... continued in rest of chapter

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