Ethics in Sales and Marketing
Ethics in Sales and Marketing
While some would fear that the sales and marketing department would be the last place to go looking for ethical guideposts, we could venture that this should be the first place to build a culture with values that create a climate for sound business decision making and the practice of ethical behavior. The public face of corporations is often painted by brand identity, marketing messages delivered via various mediums and the sales representatives who deal directly with the buying public. With an aligned, sound code of ethics for marketing, sales and customer service, organizations would theoretically build consumer confidence and shareholder value.
Of course, theory doesn’t spell success. An important ingredient in developing an effective ethical culture is through strong exemplary leadership committed to these values. There are many examples of companies that weakly espouse a code of ethics through lip service but in reality, short term results are valued more highly than a longer term strategy and commitment to doing what is right. Unfortunately, some organizations are led by individuals who have given in to the pressures imposed by weightier shareholder centric rather than customer centric values. This ultimately has a bearing on how sales and marketing departments are managed and in part defines the overall corporate culture.
A Ten Point Plan for Emphasizing Ethics in the Sales & Marketing Culture:
1. Create a written code of ethics specific to the sales and marketing department. If you already have a written code of ethics, be sure it is widely communicated. While some companies have their sales and marketing staff sign their code of ethics, in reality this is only a preliminary step in communicating the value placed on ethics by the organization. The following steps will help transition from a written code to a code of practice.
2. Define the parameters for managerial decision making that will form the acceptable boundaries for managerial actions. According to Hosmer in Ethics of Management (McGraw Hill 2003), there is a balancing act that needs to take into consideration ethics, economics and legal concerns in the managerial decision making process.
3. Draft sales and marketing scenarios based on past experiences and use them as a basis for discussion at staff meetings. Discussion of ethical issues without finger pointing will help create a culture of open dialogue and stimulate ideas and valuable thought process.
4. Bring sales and marketing practitioners together during the planning phase to discuss the pros and cons of marketing campaigns and sales activities from an ethical viewpoint.
5. Require marketing proposals and sales campaign documents to spell out the ethical considerations of the author(s). Creating transparency begins with the creative process.
6. Implement a privacy policy and publish a privacy statement. Inform you clients and prospects about how you collect their data and what you use it for. Allow prospects and clients to opt-in and never sell or give out their information without their permission.
7. Use professional assessment tools to assist in sound hiring decisions. Professional assessment tools are one of the necessary components in the hiring process. Others include using scenario type, ethically based questions during the interview process and conducting thorough background checks.
8. Establish due process for dealing with any violation of your code of ethics. Without due process, your code of ethics could be flawed and unenforceable. Spell out in advance how due process would be accomplished and who is responsible for the jurisdiction.
9. Reward sound judgment and recognize ethical behavior that exemplifies the culture you wish to create. As with any type of reward and recognition, the best reinforcement of desired behavior is timely and applicable to the moment. Personal one-to-one acknowledgement by management is very important. Public recognition within your organization in newsletters and at staff meetings in equally important.
10. Practice exemplary leadership. Last but not least, leadership by example is one of the most powerful and proven methods of building a team that lives by a code. The price of exemplary leadership is high, but affordable, and the investment you make as a leader pays rewards that are immeasurable.
Ethics in Sales and Marketing - To learn more about this author, visit Willis Turner's Website.
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Increased scrutiny of corporate actions in today’s business climate puts pressure on all facets of corporate structure to adhere to ethical business practices founded on principles that are honest, fair and transparent to the stakeholders. The sales and marketing profession is a driving force in our economy and should not be left untouched when scrutinizing ethical issues. A society where the consumer is confident of honest trade is one that will prosper.
While some would fear that the sales and marketing department would be the last place to go looking for ethical guideposts, we could venture that this should be the first place to build a culture with values that create a climate for sound business decision making and the practice of ethical behavior. The public face of corporations is often painted by brand identity, marketing messages delivered via various mediums and the sales representatives who deal directly with the buying public. With an aligned, sound code of ethics for marketing, sales and customer service, organizations would theoretically build consumer confidence and shareholder value.
Of course, theory doesn’t spell success. An important ingredient in developing an effective ethical culture is through strong exemplary leadership committed to these values. There are many examples of companies that weakly espouse a code of ethics through lip service but in reality, short term results are valued more highly than a longer term strategy and commitment to doing what is right. Unfortunately, some organizations are led by individuals who have given in to the pressures imposed by weightier shareholder centric rather than customer centric values. This ultimately has a bearing on how sales and marketing departments are managed and in part defines the overall corporate culture.
A Ten Point Plan for Emphasizing Ethics in the Sales & Marketing Culture:
1. Create a written code of ethics specific to the sales and marketing department. If you already have a written code of ethics, be sure it is widely communicated. While some companies have their sales and marketing staff sign their code of ethics, in reality this is only a preliminary step in communicating the value placed on ethics by the organization. The following steps will help transition from a written code to a code of practice.
2. Define the parameters for managerial decision making that will form the acceptable boundaries for managerial actions. According to Hosmer in Ethics of Management (McGraw Hill 2003), there is a balancing act that needs to take into consideration ethics, economics and legal concerns in the managerial decision making process.
3. Draft sales and marketing scenarios based on past experiences and use them as a basis for discussion at staff meetings. Discussion of ethical issues without finger pointing will help create a culture of open dialogue and stimulate ideas and valuable thought process.
4. Bring sales and marketing practitioners together during the planning phase to discuss the pros and cons of marketing campaigns and sales activities from an ethical viewpoint.
5. Require marketing proposals and sales campaign documents to spell out the ethical considerations of the author(s). Creating transparency begins with the creative process.
6. Implement a privacy policy and publish a privacy statement. Inform you clients and prospects about how you collect their data and what you use it for. Allow prospects and clients to opt-in and never sell or give out their information without their permission.
7. Use professional assessment tools to assist in sound hiring decisions. Professional assessment tools are one of the necessary components in the hiring process. Others include using scenario type, ethically based questions during the interview process and conducting thorough background checks.
8. Establish due process for dealing with any violation of your code of ethics. Without due process, your code of ethics could be flawed and unenforceable. Spell out in advance how due process would be accomplished and who is responsible for the jurisdiction.
9. Reward sound judgment and recognize ethical behavior that exemplifies the culture you wish to create. As with any type of reward and recognition, the best reinforcement of desired behavior is timely and applicable to the moment. Personal one-to-one acknowledgement by management is very important. Public recognition within your organization in newsletters and at staff meetings in equally important.
10. Practice exemplary leadership. Last but not least, leadership by example is one of the most powerful and proven methods of building a team that lives by a code. The price of exemplary leadership is high, but affordable, and the investment you make as a leader pays rewards that are immeasurable.
Ethics in Sales and Marketing - To learn more about this author, visit Willis Turner's Website.
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quite good proposal for how to carry out the ethics in sales and marketing field.
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I am currently taking business alevel and i was looking at the ethics of sales and marketing and i found the information on this website really useful and easliy understandable
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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