Time to look again at our list of 14 things great salespeople do that average salespeople only think about, but still a few more to go.
Today we come to #11:
11. Great salespeople live by a code of ethics.
Yes, they live by a code of ethics and standards not just when things are going well, but more importantly when things aren’t going well. To them the measure of a person is how they handle things when mistakes are made, problems arise and chaos abounds.
To them this is the time where they get to separate themselves from everyone else.
The role leadership plays permeates through many of the attributes of a great salesperson, and ethics is certainly a defining measurement with many leaders.
Simply put, it’s the lack of ethics and standards that have caused the downfall of many leaders.
Same thing applies to great salespeople. If they’re going to be seen as a sales leader, then they must subscribe to a level of ethics that forms the foundation of everything they do.
Problem is ethics is something far too many people say they subscribe to, only to have them disown their own set of ethics when times get tough.
Anyone can say they have ethics. To me that is totally irrelevant. For that matter, it’s irrelevant what your ethics and standards are. I say this because the only time they make a difference is when you’re challenged.
To say this is not the most difficult for great salespeople to adhere would be a lie. I’ve observed numerous high performing salespeople fall short in one quick moment because they failed to follow what they had said were their own ethics.
Ethics and a level of standards are not something a salesperson can adhere to in isolation. The salespeople who I have seen adhere to their ethics in good and bad times are those who have allowed themselves to be accountable to others in their organization or their sphere of influence.
What are your ethics?
How do you handle difficult situations?
Who will you share this with?
The objective is to have someone else hold you accountable, just as you will help hold them accountable.
Copyright 2013, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
