What Do You Do? 

You're on a sales call and a key customer says she won't buy from you unless you match a competitor's offer. The competitor's offer includes a 10 day cruise to the Bahamas for her and her husband. What do you do?

Everyday sales people are faced with ethical challenges to doing business. A definition of ethics might help us analyze this a little better.

Ethics is a tough decision with the payoff at the end, whereas an unethical decision is an easy one with the payout up front.

The unethical salesperson would match the competition's offer. It would be an easy decision and the payout is upfront. However, one needs to look beyond this one sale to how it will affect future sales with this customer.

If a salesperson makes the offer this time, what will the customer expect the next time she wants to buy?? The salesperson has "set the standard," for how business is to be conducted and how far will the salesperson go to keep the business?? At what cost? For how long? And now the salesperson is trapped.

A company's ethics and integrity are based on the relationship between the salesperson and the customer. How does one build an ethical foundation that will make a lifelong customer, and avoid situations like the one mentioned? Here are three "ethics questions" that may help in decision-making.

Who does my decision affect?

Not only does this decision to match the offer affect the P&L issues, but it also affects:

• How salesperson intends to do business in the future
• The type of relationship the salesperson is building with this customer
• The effect the decision has on one's company, as far how does one "hide" the expense of a cruise? For how long? How will the salesperson justify that decision??

The best decisions are made when one examines the short term and long term effects of the decision.

Are you making sales or loyal customers?

Customers that want to "beat you up" on price never become loyal customers! Because if they can do it once they'll do it again and they'll only do business with you as long do what they say!

The emphasis of sales must go into relationship building, not just into selling products or services. And what's the basis of relationship building? Trust! Do you do business with people you don't trust? If you do, it won't be for long!

People want to do business with people they trust. If trust isn't there, then the salesperson should consider walking away from that customer.

What is the PTP factor?

In whatever one decides to do, keep in mind the "PTP"! What is the PTP? What is your Price to Pay for what one wants to do?

For if one can't pay, then one better walk away!

Does the salesperson really want the sale at any cost? At the cost of your company's integrity? Your company's reputation? The salesperson's reputation?

Remember, the decisions that one makes in the hopes that no one will find out are usually wrong!

The bottom line is simply this: people like to do business with people that can be trusted, make them feel good and will give the very best advice, service and product. Everything else is secondary!