Psychology of Sales: Personal Integrity

You have likely met (at some point in your lifetime as a consumer) the kind of sales person who made your skin crawl. Whether they smiled too much, came across as fake or sleazy, or just weren't likeable for some reason you "couldn't quite put your finger on," you did not want to spend any more time than necessary with this kind of sales rep. On the other hand, you may have had the pleasure of meeting the kind of sales rep who made you feel as though he/she genuinely cared about your problem and authentically wanted to solve it. You may have instantly felt a sense of trust, comfort, or ease with this kind of sales person.

In many cases, the sales professional who instantly comes across as trustworthy and honest is the one who possesses a high level of personal integrity.

According to Wikipedia's definition, integrity refers to a "perceived consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcome." Personal integrity refers to this same level of consistency and congruency within a specific individual.

When a salesperson practices consistency of actions and values, it means that a sales rep who values honesty will speak, act and conduct business accordingly. Now can you see why you instantly feel at ease and trusting of certain sales professionals, but not of others? It has everything to do with their personal integrity.

But how can an individual sales person increase their level of personal integrity? This is certainly easier said than done. Increasing one's personal integrity involves bringing consistency and congruency into all areas of life.

Some examples might include:

- keeping your car and home neat and clean - practicing honesty in all your communications and relationships - not stealing office supplies - etc.

Can you see how these appear to have nothing to do with sales per se (it is unlikely that a prospect would ever see a sales person's home), but have everything to do with maintaining a high level of consistency and congruency across the board.

It is not possible to maintain personal integrity part of the time. In other words, you can't be honest and forthcoming in your job, but not your personal relationships, and expect to maintain personal integrity. It's about demonstrating consistency across the board (especially when no one is watching).

Truly great sales personnel are always striving to improve themselves and raise their level of personal integrity. Now it's your turn!

Comments? Questions? Email Here

© HowtoAdvice.com

How to Advice .com