Honesty in Sales

The only reason I agreed to join the pool of writers on Jobless Big Time is its commitment to righteous business. And it's high time to promote honesty in sales big-time. This is so vital. You can never enjoy the fruits of your labor unless you sell honestly. And few sales people understand this.

Here's what I mean. Do you know that your number one duty as a sales person or sales consultant is to help your clients get the best product or service he or she needs? Selling your product is only second to this. If you sell leather shoes but the customer badly needs rubber shoes, are you going to do all you can to get him to buy shoes he doesn't need? Or are you going to refer him to a rubber shoes dealer?

Some would take that as a challenge and try hard to convince people to buy products they don't need. They'll doggedly insist on the leather shoes even if the customer will use it to play basketball. And lots of times this happens--people get carried away by good presentation and hyped hard selling and buy, only later to scratch their heads wondering why they bought something they didn't need--"What am I doing wearing leather shoes on the hard court?" And the smart guy who made the sale thinks its a job well done. He's a killer salesman!

There are doctors, they say, who convince patients to have an operation even if they don't need them. The medical practice is one big salesmanship, and I'd like to make some kind of analogy here. I think I was almost a victim of hyped medical salesmanship twice. When I was younger, I had some problems that a doctor-surgeon at once recommended for surgery--a heart surgery at that. I sought a second opinion and the lady-doctor said what I had was nothing that bad and could be remedied with a simple pill. The doctor-surgeon later reviewed the findings and, indeed, he confirmed that what I had didn't need surgery. He just laughed off his error. You see that? That's so lacking honesty in sales. Even if it doesn't involve heart surgery, never be like that if you're a salesman.

Another time, I went to see a thyroid doctor-surgeon and she at once recommended surgery. Do I look like a perfect specimen for surgery? Do I look like I have the word "Surgery" written all over my face? Why always that diagnosis? Later, I sought another doctor-surgeon on thyroid--a more experienced one--and she at once remarked that my T3-T4-Tsh was normal and I didn't need any surgery. In fact, she was even angry at the rushness of the other doctor. She said some doctors are out only to make money. Aren't we all are? But we should do it with honesty and accuracy.

Honesty in sales is important. We should look after the welfare of our clients first before our interests. And this is more so with testimonies on health supplements. There is, some say, a practice where people are paid to say false testimonies on video. I wouldn't be part of any of that, and let's determine to help put a stop to all that. Righteousness in business is important. There should be rigid honesty in sales.