Your Business Ethics May Be a Litmus Test to Increase Sales or to Land a Job

During a recent business networking event, a colleague told me that the two of us were a dying breed. This comment intrigued me and I asked her why. Remember, that old expression be careful of what you wish because you may receive it? Well, that is exactly what happened.

This colleague was looking for someone to fill a sales position within her organization. First year salary was around $45,000 and that did not include additional incentives or benefits.

I had been approached by two other individuals who were seeking to change positions. Given that I knew both of them and thought them to be professional and understanding of what it takes to be a good sales person, I shared the name of the person and organization seeking a sales person.

Both individuals emailed me back and thanked me for the referral. And both individuals sent me a second mail sharing that they had met with my colleague. Unfortunately, neither of the individuals sent my colleague a hand written thank you or even an email for the opportunity of the interview.

This demonstration of poor business ethics is what my colleague referred to as us being a dying breed. When we had originally met years ago, I had sent a handwritten note thanking her for the meeting. During the course of time, we would have lunch together. If I paid, I would receive a handwritten thank you note from her and if she paid, I would send a handwritten thank you note.

Would she hire either one of them? Absolutely not! Their inability to acknowledge the opportunity to sell themselves through a simple hand written note of appreciation showed her how they would potentially treat her existing clients and prospective ones. Since she strongly believed in relationship selling, these two both failed her Litmus Test.

In business, the goal is to build authentic relationships. Some now refer to this as relationship selling. Consistently demonstrating high business ethics will help to build that relationship and more importantly sustain that relationship. Conversely, demonstrating poor ethics will have just the opposite affect.

What bothered me the most, is that I truly believe that both of these individuals were professionals. However, I was wrong because both of them had failed Business Ethics 101 - send a handwritten note and if nothing else send an email.

If you want to increase sales or get that coveted job, please make sure that your behaviors reflect exceptional business ethics which are truly just a reflection of your own personal ethics and beliefs.

Where are you going? The M.A.P. for Success, a FREE email course may help you begin to chart a course of business, professional or personal success. Visit http://www.processspecialist.com/action-plan.htm.

Do you know what it takes to develop loyal customers? OurFREE customer loyalty self assessment may just help you to answer that question. Visit http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyaltyt.htm to sign up for your free assessment.

Please feel free to contact me, Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Your Chief People Officer and Business Coach, who works with individuals and organizations that are tired of not being where they want to be and truly want more for their businesses and their selves. 219.759.5601

Business Ethics Training - Why Important?
Many people wonder if business ethics is just a buzzword that has been tossed around lately, due to some of the aggressive tactics we have seen them as we enter the 21st century. I assure you, it is here to stay. What needs to be done is for more people to brush up on their ethics, as they relate to business, to make sure they always operate with...

Why PPC Should Always Be Your First Marketing Strategy
Pay per click marketing, or PPC as it is known, tends to be a love it or hate it proposition. Some businesses love it while others avoid it like the plague. Regardless of where you fall in the debate, you should always use PPC at the outset of your marketing efforts.Most people think of online marketing as the effort to generate visitors to a site....

32 Words That Can Change Your Life
We all have ways of testing opportunities that enter our lives. Some of us just dive right in based on feeling, others walk straight into what they know is right by a gut feeling or intuition. And if its not gut feelings or emotions that are the tests of opportunities, it is the logical mind persuading us to ignore those feelings and emotions and...

Business Ethics Guidelines - An Ethical Action Test From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
Each of us is ultimately responsible for our own actions. Although in todays business world, I imagine many skeptics would take exception to that statement because there is evidence that people are not held accountable for their actions, even when they are unethical. And even more disturbing, some are even rewarded for unethical actions. Each of...

How To Build A Business Ethics Program
Recent corporate financial scandals have highlighted the importance of business ethics and legal compliance. Yet a recent National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) survey of 280 corporate CEOs and directors found that "only one of three directors felt that they were highly effective in ensuring legal compliance".Ethics in BusinessMost comp...

Business - Ethics - And The Law
The primary objective of a business is to make money. Why would an individual or group of people start a business if he did not want to make money? An argument that is generated by some is: Should profits be the only function of a business?The desire for businesses to make money can sometimes lead to what is considered unethical business practices....

To Understand the Lack of Business Ethics Look to Education
So you want high business ethics? Well, that may just be a pipe dream if the data from existing universities is confirmed through actual behaviors.In 2005, Duke University released one report that revealed over 75% of high school students admitted to cheating. That number climbs to over 90% if copying by sharing homework is included.An extensive ...