Everything good I know about ethics and leadership I learned by watching my father sell remodeling services in the kitchens and backyards of homeowners. The five most important things I remember him teaching me are:
"Be absolutely honest no matter what."
This rule will sometimes cost you a sale, but it will never cost you a customer. And it will always produce referrals you wouldn't otherwise have received. (My top 10 referrals of all time, based on size of project sold, came from people who didn't hire me because I told them the truth.)
FYI: Absolute honesty has also closed untold sales I would never have closed. Despite my not being able to "overcome the objection" the prospect threw in my path, I was almost immediately hired by virtue of the fact that I told the absolute truth.
"Personal relationships based on mutual trust and respect are the cornerstones of all businesses, no matter the size."
I've worked with companies from one person to who-knows-how-many-thousand people, and I can say without reservation that every relationship I've seen that was founded in dishonesty was either a disaster in progress or one waiting to happen.
"The only way to earn trust is to be trustworthy."
Dad also said, "You can't fake trustworthy" and "Anyone who says he can teach you a technique for generating trust should not be trusted." (I smile whenever I think of that last one.)
"If you demand respect, you will get it. Then it is yours to keep or lose based on your actions."
Dad's point was that you don't earn respect, you demand it. Then you earn the right to keep it.
When I work with salespeople it's really important for them to grasp the difference, because it's the key to getting off their knees and to stopping overbearing executives from pushing them around.
"You are your brand. Make it a good one!"
This may sound like a superfluff comment at first, but it's actually the most profoundly important ethical guideline I've ever learned. Whether I'm riding my bike, selling something, fundraising for a charity or stopping to help at an accident, the idea that every action defines my very being has helped me make more smart choices than stupid ones.
Lord knows I've still made my share of blunders, but at least I always found my way back to Dad's advice, and the personal brand it creates.
I wish you your most honest year ever in 2007, and the rewards that honesty will reap.
Gill E. Wagner, Sage of Selling
President of Honest Selling
Founder of the Yellow-Tie International Business Development Association
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