Too often people confuse their ethical standards with legal standards. They believe that if you are not breaking the law, then you are acting in an ethical manner.53 A salesperson’s personal code of ethics must extend beyond the legal definition of what is right and wrong. To view ethics only in terms of what is legally proper encourages the question, “What can I get by with?” A salesperson must develop a personal code of ethics that extends beyond the letter of the law.

Bruce Weinstein, a professional ethicist who is often introduced as “The Ethics Guy,” offers sound advice on living an ethical life. He says we should do the right thing simply because it’s the right thing to do. The only way you can build a loyal and growing client base is to demonstrate that you have the customers’ own best interests at heart. You are trying to make things better for them. “Here is where ethics differs from the law. It demands more of us,” says Weinstein.54

Many people considering a career in selling are troubled by the thought that they may be pressured into compromising their personal standards of right and wrong. These fears may be justified. The authors of The Ethical Edge, a book that examines organizations that have faced moral crises, contend that business firms have given too little thought to the issue of helping employees to function ethically within organizations.55 Many salespeople wonder whether their own ethical philosophy can survive in the business world. These are some of their questions:

• “Can a profitable business and good ethics coexist?”

• “Are there still business firms that value adherence to high ethical standards?”

• “Is honesty still a valued personal trait in the business community?”

In the field of athletic competition, the participants rely heavily on a written set of rules. The referee or umpire is ever present to detect rule violations and assess a penalty. In the field of personal selling, there is no universal code of ethics. However, some general guidelines can serve as a foundation for a personal code of business ethics.

1. Relationship comes first, task second. Sharon Drew Morgan, author of Selling with Integrity, says that you can’t sell a product unless there is a level of comfort between you and the prospect. She encourages salespeople to take the time to create a level of comfort, rapport, and collaboration that encourages open communication.56 Placing task before relationship is based on the belief that the salesperson knows more than the customer. Morgan reminds us, “The buyer has the answers, and the seller has the questions.”57 These answers surface only when the buyer–seller relationship is characterized by rapport and trust.

2. Be honest with yourself and with others. To achieve excellence in terms of ethical practices, you have to believe that everything you do counts. Tom Peters in Thriving on Chaos said, “Integrity may be about little things as much as or more than big ones.”58 Integrity is about accuracy in completing your expense account. There is always the temptation to inflate the expense report for personal gain. Integrity is also about avoiding the temptation to stretch the truth, to exaggerate, or to withhold information. Paul Ekman, author of Telling Lies, says that withholding important information is one of the primary ways of lying.59 A complete and informative sales presentation may include information concerning the product’s limitations. If you let your character and integrity be revealed in the little things, others can see you as one who acts ethically in all things. Any violation of honesty, however small, dilutes your ethical strength, leaving you weaker for the big challenges you will face sooner or later.60

3. 3. Personal selling must be viewed as an exchange of value. Salespeople who maintain a value focus are searching for ways to create value for their prospects or customers. This value may take the form of increased productivity, greater profit, enjoyment, or security. The value focus motivates the salesperson to carefully identify the prospects’ wants and needs.61 Salespeople who accept this ethical guideline view personal selling as something you do for customers, not something you do to customers. The role of the salesperson is to diagnose buyer needs and determine whether value can be created. Always be prepared to add value.